Oklahoma Republican Senator Tom Coburn recently spoke out against funding for the 2011 Prevention and Public Health Fund. This fund provides crucial resources to implement programs to promote smoking cessation, increase physical activity and improved nutrition, among other things. It strengthens communities, prevents disease and provides a sustainable method to ensure health over the long term.

Our society faces unprecedented challenges when it comes to containing health care costs, and prevention is the most logical, cost-effective way to address the issues. Yet Coburn, a medical doctor, is after the $750 million for the Public Health and Prevention Fund, saying it is a “slush fund.” But the amount pales in comparison to the over $160 billion that chronic diseases cost the U.S. annually.

Coburn is targeting the fund not because it’s good policy, but because he’s playing politics, trying by whatever means possible to defund the health care reform law.

Don’t let partisan politics take the place of smart, effective policy. Tell Coburn to keep his hands of prevention funding by signing the petition below.