NCC responds to president’s FY 2021 budget

The Nursing Community Coalition (NCC) issued a statement this week expressing concern over cuts to domestic and health care spending in President Trump’s proposed FY 2021 budget. With the exception of NURSE Corps, the budget eliminates all Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs, which the nation relies on for educating, recruiting and retaining the nursing workforce. The budget also cuts nearly $3 billion from the National Institutes of Health and reduces funding for the National Institute of Nursing Research to $156.804 million. “While the NCC is disappointed to see these harmful cuts, we are encouraged to see the Administration broaden the set of primary care providers for beneficiary assignment for accountable care organizations to include nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists, among others,” the letter stated. The NCC also expressed support for the budget’s inclusion of additional funding for the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and the Indian Health Services. AONL is one of 63 national nursing organizations that make up the coalition. (NCC statement, 2/10/20)