President Obama's fiscal year budget for 2016 cuts $50 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' 317 immunization program, which provides provides vaccines at no cost to those eligible, typically the uninsured and underinsured.
The proposed cut from the program comes during a measles outbreak in California and other western states, which has reignited the debate over mandatory childhood vaccinations.
In a statement, the White House defended the proposed cut, saying the Affordable Care Act's coverage makes the program less necessary.
"Health insurance expansion will further increase access to immunizations and decrease the number of uninsured and underinsured individuals in need of Section 317 vaccine for routine immunizations," a White House official told BuzzFeed News.