On Wednesday, April 13, 2011, Representative Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04) voted in favor of H.R. 1217, a bill that repeals the Prevention and Public Health Fund created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare). The fund currently makes $17.75 billion available to the Secretary of Health and Human Services over the next 10 years and can be administered without any further Congressional action or oversight. Additionally, this fund will continue indefinitely at a level of $2 billion per year after 2015. 

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that H.R. 1217 will save $16 billion over ten years.

The bill was approved today by a vote of 236-183 in the U.S. House of Representatives. Upon passage, Congressman DesJarlais issued the following statement:

“When facing a 1.5 trillion dollar deficit we must prioritize our spending. Creating a slush fund for an unelected bureaucrat to spend at his or her will is not an efficient use of taxpayer dollars. Prevention and Public Health activities that have merit need to be funded through the normal appropriations process. Today’s vote represents an ongoing effort by House Republicans to defund and repeal ObamaCare, reduce spending and get our nation’s fiscal house in order."