Bobby Jindal: “the Labor-HHS Subcommittee has funded the Center for Disease Control's Division of Tuberculosis Elimination at $150…”

“the Labor-HHS Subcommittee has funded the Center for Disease Control's Division of Tuberculosis Elimination at $150 million in this bill. Over the past 15 years, funding for this program has been level. There has been no increase in funding for this program since 1993. Madam Chairman, every State and most major cities have TB control programs. Approximately 75 percent of the funds appropriated for this program are used in the States. Funding for this program is critically important because just last year, in 2006, more than 20 of the 50 States had increases in TB cases. My home State of Louisiana, as well as most other States, have a large number of workers who travel the globe to share their expertise. Unlike tourists who stay in hotels in environments where TB exposure does not normally occur, Louisiana's oil and gas workers spend months working and living in environments among the local population where exposure can and does occur. TB exposure in these communities can result in many fatalities. Another key issue for States and cities is the huge number of foreign-born students attending universities in the United States. More than half of the TB cases in the United States stem from foreign-born students who come here on student visas and often return home for summers and holidays, risking exposure in their home country.”