This Week's Advocacy News: 'GOP Privately Expects Government Shutdown'

February 23, 2024 by Jaimie Vickery MPP, ONS Director of Government Affairs and Advocacy

Behind closed doors, House Republicans have shifted from optimistically cautious to expecting a government shutdown (https://www.axios.com/2024/02/21/republicans-government-shutdown-mike-johnson). House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) will have to choose in coming weeks between a fight with Democrats that threatens a shutdown, or a deal with Democrats that threatens his job. The government will start a partial shutdown unless a budget or spending stopgap is passed by March 1.

Juliegrace Brufke, Axios.com

ONS Perspective

Any government shutdown poses a risk to vital initiatives and funding to advance the nursing profession, including Title VIII workforce development initiatives. ONS is actively lobbying for adequate funding for workforce and cancer research programs (https://voice.ons.org/advocacy/nih-collaboration-advances-research-on-social-determinants-of-health-ninr-says) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR). 

Now, more than ever, Congress needs to hear our voice our support (https://voice.ons.org/advocacy/nursing-advocacy-creates-real-change-in-health-policy) for these programs. By sharing our stories with our representatives about the critical importance of continuous funding for NIH, NCI, NINR, and Title VIII workforce development initiatives, we can help ensure that advancements in cancer research and nursing are not hindered by political impasse. Tell Congress how vital these programs are now (https://www.votervoice.net/ONS/Home). 

Advocacy Resources

ONS Resources

Copyright © 2024 by the Oncology Nursing Society. User has permission to print one copy for personal or unit-based educational use. Contact pubpermissions@ons.org for quantity reprints or permission to adapt, excerpt, post online, or reuse ONS Voice content for any other purpose.