Briefing 1: Navigating the Impact of Federal Actions on Public Health Practice

In Briefing 1 on May 14, Sabrina Adler, vice president of law at ChangeLab Solutions, and Joelle Lester, executive director at Public Health Law Center, provided an overview of the Act for Public Health briefing series, explored the effects of a range of executive actions, and discussed strategy for the current moment.

Chat resources:

• Act for Public Health FAQs – https://actforpublichealth.org/
• Just Security Litigation tracker: https://www.democracy2025.org/response-center
• EPI federal policy watch: https://www.epi.org/policywatch/
• Democracy Forward: https://www.democracy2025.org/response-center
• Updates to HHS Restructuring and Funding Cuts: Impact on State and Local Public Health: https://www.networkforphl.org/news-insights/updates-to-hhs-restructuring-and-funding-cuts-impact-on-state-and-local-public-health/
• Impact of funding cuts: Impacts: https://theimpactproject.org/the-impact-map/
• APHA initiatives: https://www.apha.org/topics-and-issues/public-health-under-threat
• Submitting stories re termination of grants: Termination of grants: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd8JREFRtQzw1UA84015HdL7N6UVIo1jDgrd3HEu1Rg3X-asQ/viewform
• Submitting stories re HHS workforce RIFs: HHS workforce RIFs; https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScDbMoABkyZrdl6F4-NN6vyIFHer2X0lmRA_343HVl2qr7z4w/viewform
• https://inthesetimes.com/article/financial-capital-sacrifice-zones-robbing-rural-america
• Research at risk: Life-saving heart pumps for babies at https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2025/05/research-risk-life-saving-heart-pumps-babies
• deBeaumont resources: https://debeaumont.org/resources/communicating-about-public-health-toolkit/