Nearly 70 Organizations Call on Congress to Advance the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness & Advancing Innovation Act
March 22, 2019
The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader U.S. Senate
The Honorable Charles Schumer Minority Leader U.S. Senate
The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker U.S. House of Representatives
The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Minority Leader U.S. House of Representatives
On behalf of the undersigned organizations, representing public health, healthcare providers, emergency managers, environmental health, biotechnology innovators, and researchers, we are again writing to encourage you to advance the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness & Advancing Innovation Act (PAHPAI, H.R. 269), which overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives in January. A similar version passed the Senate Health Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee last year. The HELP and Energy & Commerce Committees have made tremendous, bipartisan progress on this important legislation, and it would be a setback for our national health security to further delay reauthorization. The disaster relief package being considered by Congress would be a logical vehicle for PAHPAI.
The recent wildfires, hurricanes and measles outbreaks have demonstrated that all sectors – public health, healthcare and private sector – play a critical role in saving lives during disasters and outbreaks. PAHPA is the backbone of our nation’s health security, providing the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with authorities for preparing the healthcare and public health systems for disasters and strengthening the medical countermeasures enterprise. The legislation addresses gaps we have seen in recent responses, such as the speed of funding for public health emergencies, development and deployment of medical countermeasures for significant threats and preparedness for children in disasters.
The time is now to move this legislation. We are particularly concerned that several authorities have expired as of 2018, including temporary reassignment of state and local personnel, the National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters, limited antitrust exemption and other provisions critical to HHS contracting. We believe that time is of the essence in reauthorizing these important authorities.
We commend the work of the committed Senators, Representatives and their staff who have devoted considerable thought to this legislation. Our organizations are committed to our nation’s health security, and we remain ready to assist in order to see this legislation enacted into law as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
AABB (formerly known as American Association of Blood Banks)
AFSCME
Alliance for Biosecurity
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Association of Poison Control Centers
American Association on Health and Disability
American Hospital Association
American Public Health Association
American Society for Microbiology
America’s Blood Centers
Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum
Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology
Association of American Medical Colleges
Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges
Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs
Association of Public Health Laboratories
Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
Barnesville Hospital
Berger Health System
Big Cities Health Coalition
Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO)
California Life Sciences Association
Central Ohio Trauma System
Child Care Aware of America
Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials
Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service, Inc. (COA)
Coshocton Regional Medical Center
Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists
Entomological Society of America
Fayette County Memorial Hospital
Federation of American Hospitals
Future of Life Institute
Genesis Community Ambulance
Global Health Technologies Coalition
Health Industry Distributors Association
Health Resources in Action
Healthcare Distribution Alliance
Healthcare Leadership Council
Healthcare Ready
Hogg Foundation for Mental Health
Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio
Infectious Diseases Society of America
International Association of Emergency Managers
Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
Louisiana Public Health Institute
March of Dimes
Mount Carmel Health System
National Association of Counties
National Association of County and City Health Officials
National Association of Federal Veterinarians
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Association of State Emergency Medical Services Officials
National Center for Disaster Preparedness, Columbia University
National Emergency Management Association National Network of Public Health Institutes
NEHA
Oklahoma City-County Health Department
One Health Commission
One Health Initiative Autonomous pro bono Team
Suburban Hospital Alliance of New York State
The Antimicrobials Working Group (Amplyx Pharmaceuticals, Aridis Pharmaceuticals, Cidara Therapeutics Inc., ContraFect Corporation, Entasis Therapeutics Inc., Iterum Therapeutics Ltd., Melinta Therapeutics Inc., Motif Bio plc, Nabriva Therapeutics US Inc., Paratek Pharmaceuticals Inc., Qpex Biopharma Inc., SCYNEXIS Inc., Summit Therapeutics plc andVenatoRx Pharmaceuticals Inc.)
The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America
Trauma Center Association of America
Trust for America’s Health
UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospitals
Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association
