Letter from the President Regarding Budget Amendments for HHS

August 20, 2010

Dear Madam Speaker:

I ask the Congress to consider the enclosed Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 budget amendments for the Department of Health and Human Services.  Overall, the discretionary budget authority proposed in my FY 2011 Budget would not be increased by these proposed requests.

Included are proposed increases for healthcare workforce enhancement activities; HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention; State health insurance consumer assistance programs; and existing State high-risk health insurance pools.  Also included are requests for necessary changes to appropriations language that support the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasure Enterprise Review described in the report issued by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on August 19, 2010.

The details of these amendments are set forth in the enclosed letter from the Acting Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Sincerely,

BARACK OBAMA