APHON Joins Title VIII and NINR House and Senate Appropriations Letter
November 20th, 2020
The Honorable Richard Shelby
Chairman
United States Senate
Committee on Appropriations
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Patrick Leahy
Vice Chairman
United States Senate
Committee on Appropriations
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Nita Lowey
Chairwoman
United States House of Representative
Committee on Appropriations
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Kay Granger
Ranking Member
United States House of Representative
Committee on Appropriations
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Shelby, Chairwoman Lowey, Vice Chairman Leahy, and Ranking Member Granger:
On behalf of the 62 undersigned organizations representing the Nursing Community Coalition (NCC), and as you continue the appropriations process ahead of the December 11th deadline, we respectfully request that you support the U.S. House of Representatives recommended funding level of at least $269.972 million for Nursing Workforce Development Programs (Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. 296 et seq.]) and at least $177.976 million for the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR, National Institutes of Health) as recommended in the Senate Appropriations Committee for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021. We also urge you to provide additional supplemental funding for these programs to support our nation’s nurses, especially as we continue to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Nursing Community Coalition is a cross section of education, practice, research, and regulation within the nursing profession representing Registered Nurses (RNs), Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs),1 nurse leaders, students, faculty, and researchers. With more than four million nurses throughout the country, the NCC is committed to advancing the health of our nation through the
nursing lens.2
The nursing workforce is involved at every point of care, which is exemplified by nurses’ heroic work during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we continue to confront today’s health care challenges and plan for the future, increased federal investment in nursing education and the workforce are imperative. Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs are instrumental in bolstering and sustaining the nation’s diverse nursing pipeline by addressing all aspects of nursing workforce demand. Congress has reinforced their support of nursing by reauthorizing these critical programs in March as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act (H.R. 748). Continued and elevated investments in Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development programs in FY 2021 is essential and will help nurses and nursing students have the resources to tackle our nation’s health care needs, remain at the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, assist with the distribution and administration of a possible vaccine, and be prepared for the public health challenges of the future.
Now more than ever, we have witnessed the importance of science in the discussion of cures and preparedness. As one of the 27 Institutes and Centers at the National Institutes of Health, NINR’s research is aimed at reducing burdensome chronic illness, improving end of life care, and promoting patient-centered care across the life continuum. Our nation’s nurse researchers and scientists are essential to developing new evidence-based practices to care for all patients. Through increased investments in NINR, they will be able to continue their vital work at the forefront of disease prevention, patient care, and recovery.
We thank you for your steadfast commitment to the nursing workforce by urging you to support at least $269.972 million for the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs as recommended by the U.S. House of Representatives and at least $177.976 million for the National Institute of Nursing Research as outlined by the Senate Appropriations Committee for FY 2021. Additionally, as we work to address the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we encourage you to bolster supplemental funding for these important programs. Through this investment, we can ensure our patients and communities have continued access to these vital nursing education, research, and practice programs. If our organizations can be of any assistance, or if you have any questions, please contact the Nursing Community Coalition’s Executive Director, Rachel Stevenson, at rstevenson@thenursingcommunity.org or 202-463-6930, ext. 271.
Sincerely,
Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses
American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing
American Academy of Emergency Nurse Practitioners
Academy of Neonatal Nursing
American Academy of Nursing
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
American Association of Heart Failure Nurses
American Association of Neuroscience Nurses
American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
American Association of Nurse Practitioners
American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing
American College of Nurse-Midwives
American Nephrology Nurses Association
American Nurses Association
American Nursing Informatics Association
American Organization for Nursing Leadership
American Pediatric Surgical Nurses Association, Inc.
American Public Health Association, Public Health Nursing Section
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
American Society for Pain Management Nursing
American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses
Association for Radiologic and Imaging Nursing
Association of Community Health Nursing Educators
Association of Nurses in AIDS Care
Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses
Association of Public Health Nurses
Association of Rehabilitation Nurses
Association of Veterans Affairs Nurse Anesthetists
Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Incorporated
Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service
Dermatology Nurses’ Association
Emergency Nurses Association
Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research
Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association
Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association
Infusion Nurses Society
International Association of Forensic Nurses
International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses
National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists
National Association of Hispanic Nurses
National Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners
National Association of Neonatal Nurses
National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Association of School Nurses
National Black Nurses Association
National Council of State Boards of Nursing
National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers
National League for Nursing
National Nurse-Led Care Consortium
National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties
Nurses Organization of Veterans Affairs
Oncology Nursing Society
Organization for Associate Degree Nursing
Pediatric Endocrinology Nursing Society
Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association
Society of Pediatric Nurses
Society of Urologic Nurses and Associates
Wound, Ostomy and Continence Nurses Society
CC:
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer
Chairman Roy Blunt, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies
Ranking Member, Patty Murray, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human
Services, Education, and Related Agencies
Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies
Ranking Member, Tom Cole, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human
Services, Education, and Related Agencies
1 APRNs include certified nurse-midwives (CNMs), certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), clinical nurse specialists
(CNSs) and nurse practitioners (NPs).
2 National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (2020). Active RN Licenses: A profile of nursing licensure in the U.S. as of
November 3, 2020. Retrieved from: https://www.ncsbn.org/6161.htm.
Promoting America’s Health Through Nursing Care www.thenursingcommunity.org · 202-463-6930 ext. 272