“Because of that, there were fewer people to respond to the cyclospora outbreak when it was first detected.” Put simply, the U.S. government’s top public health agencies are struggling to mount an effective response in the face of emerging biological threats. In 2025, the federal government slashed $11 billion in funds for state and local public health systems. We are seeing that now in the realm of public health. Taken as a whole, these cascading public health crises point to a system that is being bent to the breaking point.