The Blatant Lie That Ebola Is Spreading Because of GOP Budget Cuts

For Democrats, lying seems to come naturally and is considered a necessary means to an end.  Remember that famous "If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor" lie that helped Obama gain public approval for his planned healthcare reform.

Now, with the Democrat control of the Senate in serious jeopardy, there is a desperate effort being made and a blatant lie being told. They are somehow trying to blame the spread of Ebola on Republican budget cuts.  The basis for this seems to be an article appearing in the Huffington Post showing the CDC's budget dropping by $600 million since 2010 (the same year that the Republicans took the House of Representatives).  In support of that fact, the writer presents the CDC's budget numbers as follows:
 
           "2010: $6.467 billion
            2011: $5.737 billion
            2012: $5.732 billion
            2013: $5.721 billion
            2013 (after sequestration took effect): $5.432 billion
            2014: $5.882 billion"

But if you looked at President Obama's actual 2014 Budget submission for the CDC, you would have seen the following opening text:

"The president’s fiscal year ( FY ) 2014 budget request for CDC is $6.6 billion, a decrease of $270 million from FY 2013."

First, it is Obama who cut the budget from 2013 to 2014 with his own budget submission.  Secondly, $6.6 billion dollars is actually higher than 2010's spending level of $6.47 billion as claimed by the Huffington Post author.

Keep this in mind, too.  The CDC had publicly said that Ebola had a low risk of reaching the U.S. or even qualifying as an outbreak.  Further, up until now, it has occurred infrequently and has been easily contained and controlled. So, it is a little hard to believe that a lot money had or would have been prioritized to fight a disease that had so little chance of reaching our shores.  Also, if the CDC wanted to focus on Ebola, there are thousands of studies (some absolutely ridiculous like studying shrimp on a treadmill or why dogs bite) that could be terminated in order to fund Ebola research and training.

However, that fact doesn't seem to stop the left from perpetuating the lie.  Take this rant from the liberal talk show host Richard Fowler:



Then there's this ad that is now airing in States where Senate Democrats are in trouble:



In this last ad, the National Institute of Health (NIH) is mentioned as having their budgets cut along with the CDC's.  That too is a lie.  Republicans have done everything possible to keep funding for the NIH.  From the government's Office of Legislative Policy and Analysis, you get a clear sense of this happening in 1999:

"The effort to double the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget began as a movement among Senate Republicans and has had bipartisan support in both the House and Senate since the first session of the 105th Congress."

 And, that effort resulted in the following:

Year	Estimate for Doubling	NIH Actual Appropriation	President's Budget Request
1999	$15.636 billion	$15.612 billion	$14.763 billion
2000	$17.960 billion	$17.913 billion	$15.933 billion
2001	$20.631 billion	$20.313 billion	$18.813 billion
2002	$23.698 billion	$23.042 billion	$23.042 billion
2003	$27.221 billion	Pending	$27.335 billion

Clearly, if it had been for a Republican effort, the NIH wouldn't currently have more than $30 billion, today, to fight disease.

Sadly, when the truth is finally revealed, the elections will be over. Just as when the "keep your doctor" lie was finally exposed, ObamaCare had already been passed into law and was being rolled out. As a consequence, Obama never payed the price for that lie in his 2012 run against Romney.

References:

Huffington Post:  Agency Leading Ebola Response Has Had Budget Cut Nearly $600 Million Since 2010: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/01/ebola-cdc-budget_n_5913844.html

Budget Request for FYI 2014: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/fmo/topic/Budget%20Information/appropriations_budget_form_pdf/FY2014_Budget_Request_Summary.pdf

NIH Budget: http://www.nih.gov/about/budget.htm

CDC Director: Ebola Outbreak Unlikely In http://fox8.com/2014/10/05/cdc-director-ebola-outbreak-unlikely-in-u-s/ U.S.: 

Office of Legistative Policy and Analysis: 107th Congress: http://olpa.od.nih.gov/legislation/107/pendinglegislation/doubledec.asp

CDC Studies (A to Z): http://www.cdc.gov/az/d.html

U.S. Government Has Spent $682,570 to Study 'Shrimp On A Treadmill': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy1en-bXZaw 

CDC Dog Bite Study: http://www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Dog-Bites/index.html