January 8, 2019
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
On behalf of the Alliance for Biosecurity and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, we support the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019, and urge the House to pass this bipartisan legislation that would reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA). This bill is central to protecting American citizens, organizations, and communities against natural and manmade biosecurity hazards.
The legislation would authorize crucial funding for the Project BioShield Special Reserve Fund and Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). However, we urge policymakers to account for inflation to ensure that future spending levels adequately support the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise (PHEMCE) Strategy and implementation Plan, the BARDA Strategic Plan, and related efforts.
The bill would establish several important programs within BARDA, especially a Pandemic Influenza Program to support research and development activities to enhance responses to pandemic influenza and an Emerging Infectious Disease Program to monitor and address infectious diseases that could cause a deadly pandemic. Both programs would be funded at $250 million per year through FY 2023.
The bill would also create new and sustainable market-based incentives to advance cutting-edge biomedical research. Our groups support developing strategic partnerships between BARDA and the business community to mitigate threats that could pose a significant risk to U.S. health and safety.
Reauthorizing PAHPA would also help ensure the sustainability of the medical countermeasures enterprise by transferring the authority that governs the procurement of medical countermeasures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR).
The legislation would codify ASPR’s role in coordinating Strategic National Stockpile operations with CDC. We also believe that such teamwork would make the U.S. better equipped to tackle public health emergencies and natural disasters.
We urge the full House to swiftly consider and pass this important legislation.
Sincerely,
The Honorable Jack Kingston
Secretariat
Alliance for Biosecurity
Neil L. Bradley
Executive Vice President & Chief Policy Officer
U.S. Chamber of Commerce