Republicans And Public Health

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/bush-and-public-health-emergency-preparedness

Interesting letter from an epidemiologist in Los Angeles about how the Bush Administration "threw money at them" for bioterrorism, which they were able to use for more practical and necessary things.  But then the sequester came along and gutted a lot of staff and resources.

So as we deal with possible pandemics - Ebola ain't one, people - we have a complicated picture of how we provide public health services.

Public health is - you know - public.  It requires public spending.  But the GOP - especially since 2010 - has basically said it is uninterested in any public spending that does not involve bombing other countries.  But the GOP philosophy of slashing public spending has always run into opposition when it comes to actual cuts.

If the GOP takes the Senate - and I remain perversely optimistic that they won't - it will be interesting to see them try and pass a budget with their priorities intact.  It didn't work for Gingrich, and I doubt it will work for Boehner and McConnell.