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Foxx supports repeal of $17 billion healthcare slush fund
Story Date: 4/14/2011
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Source: PRESS RELEASE, 4/13/11
Congresswoman Virginia Foxx (NC-05) today voted to pass a bill that eliminates a massive, taxpayer-funded slush fund from last year’s health care overhaul law. The vote came on H.R. 1217, which saves taxpayers $17.7 billion by cutting the prevention and public health fund. This fund contains no congressional oversight or accountability restrictions.
“Imagine a huge slush fund that can be used for essentially anything that federal bureaucrats want—and you’ll have a good idea what this so-called 'prevention and public health fund’ is all about,” Foxx said. “It’s $17 billion in taxpayers’ money that doesn’t have any congressional oversight.”
The health care overhaul passed last year created a $17.7 billion 'prevention and public health’ fund that is funded on autopilot without ongoing congressional approval or oversight. Elimination of the fund does not cut specific programs because the fund did not focus on any specific program.
“As long as it meets scant guidelines about public health, this gusher of money goes out the door without a second glance,” Foxx said. “That has already resulted in reports of funding things like lobbying state governments to raise taxes on tobacco and sugary products. I don’t think most taxpayers want their tax dollars being used to push new tax increases. It’s time to eliminate this slush fund and restore common-sense spending priorities and oversight.”
H.R. 1217 passed the House by 236-183.
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