NACCHO’s Podcast from Washington: Update on FY27 HHS Budget Hearings and Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department’s Wastewater Monitoring Program

Washington, DC, May 21, 2026 —This month’s podcast episode from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) includes an update on a series of Congressional hearings where Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr., testified on the administration’s Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) President’s Budget Request. The President’s budget request outlines the administration’s funding priorities and proposed policy changes for the coming fiscal year. While the President’s budget is not binding on Congress, it provides an important signal of proposed investments, program eliminations, and structural shifts that could significantly affect public health infrastructure. A full analysis of the administration’s FY27 budget request can be reviewed on NACCHO Voice. NACCHO submitted testimony in support of federal public health to the House and Senate, to help inform their work in developing a final FY27 funding law. Updates are also provided on the FY27 Agriculture-FDA spending bill’s status, which advanced through the House Appropriations Committee, and would impact key nutrition, tobacco, and regulatory programs.

 

Later in the program (7:50), Tommy George, Public Health Epidemiology Supervisor at Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) in Nebraska and guest speaker at the 2026 Preparedness Summit, joins the podcast to discuss the department’s wastewater monitoring program. Lancaster County has two wastewater treatment facilities, and both sites recover up to 25 million gallons of water per day. Through LLCHD’s WastewaterSCAN system, the team can track several potential public health threats including measles, mpox, and a wide range of respiratory viruses. George shared that the department stays actively engaged with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services by making sure collected data is regularly shared and discussed. As a member of NACCHO’s Wastewater Monitoring Mentorship Program, George highlighted innovations and challenges in wastewater monitoring shared by mentees and provided recommendations for starting a new program.

 

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About NACCHO

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the over 3,300 local governmental health departments across the country. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities. For more information, visit www.naccho.org.