This will be a short diary, but theres not really much I can say that isn't already obvious.
Remember Jindal's volcano monitoring 'gaffe'? Well here's some more bad Republican judgment. The Political Carnival has more detail on this story, so Id recommend checking out their site.
Via this article we learn
With money for pandemic influenza preparedness stripped from a huge economic stimulus bill that appears headed for final congressional approval, public health advocates say they have to look to the regular budgeting process for the next chance to get some pandemic funding.
The House of Representatives had included $900 million in pandemic preparedness funds in its version of the massive stimulus package, but it appeared that all but $50 million was removed by the conference committee that ironed out differences between the House and Senate versions, said Richard Hamburg, government relations director for the nonpartisan, nonprofit group Trust for America's Health (TFAH).
Apparently Susan Collins was behind the effort, anyone with details please post them in the comments and I can update as necessary.
Update:
From The Nation:
Not faked-up, politically-self serving scary, like the arguments former White House political czar Karl Rove advanced in February to frame opposition to the stimulus package Obey crafted in the House.
Rove dismissed Obey's proposals as "disturbing" and "laden with new spending programs." He said the congressman was peddling a plan based on "deeply flawed assumptions."
Like what?
Rove specifically complained that Obey's proposal included "$462 million for the Centers for Disease Control, and $900 million for pandemic flu preparations."
Update 2:
From the comments (hat-tip to Addison)
After meeting with Mr. Obama, Sen. Collins expressed concern about a number of spending provisions, including $780 million for pandemic-flu preparedness. "I have no doubt that the president is willing to negotiate in good faith, that he wants to have a bipartisan bill," Sen. Collins said.
That's on HER OWN WEBSITE! Sheesh.
Their problem with the funding, it should be noted, was that it wasn't an economic stimulus. However, as David Obey noted (from the Nation article linked in the diary),
Obey and other advocates for the spending argued, correctly, that a pandemic hitting in the midst of an economic downturn could turn a recession into something far worse -- with workers ordered to remain in their homes, workplaces shuttered to avoid the spread of disease, transportation systems grinding to a halt and demand for emergency services and public health interventions skyrocketing. Indeed, they suggested, pandemic preparation was essential to any responsible plan for renewing the U.S. economy.
Oh well. Let Senator Collins brag on her own site about being dumb.
Update:
DemFromCT wrote about this in February