{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"NACCHO\u2019s Podcast from Washington: Update on FY27 HHS Budget Hearings and Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department\u2019s Wastewater Monitoring Program","description":"Washington, DC, May 21, 2026 \u2014This month\u2019s 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\u2019s Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) President\u2019s Budget Request. The President\u2019s budget request outlines the administration\u2019s funding priorities and proposed policy changes for the coming fiscal year. While the President\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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\u2019s Wastewater Monitoring Mentorship Program, George highlighted innovations and challenges in wastewater monitoring shared by mentees and provided recommendations for starting a new program.   ###   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. ","author_name":"The NACCHO Podcast Series","author_url":"http:\/\/naccho.libsyn.com\/podcast","html":"