Bipartisan legislation recently introduced by U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) would establish a permanent fund to support fast responses to public health emergencies.
Cassidy and U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Bill Nelson (D-FL) introduced the Public Health Emergency Response and Accountability Act, S.3280. The measure aims to eliminate delays in emergency appropriations to support responses to unexpected public health emergencies like Zika virus.
“Future public health emergencies like Zika are inevitable,” Cassidy said. “The pattern is well known, an outbreak of disease occurs, public panic grows, Congress scrambles and appropriates money. This is an inefficient and dangerous way to deal with public health emergencies. As a doctor, with a background in public health, I know there is a better way. If a hurricane hits our nation, FEMA already has a budget which is automatically triggered, it is not held up by partisanship, it allows the resources needed to immediately flow to where they are needed the most.”
The measure would implement a permanent fund to support federal response agencies like the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the FDA, and the National Institutes of Health in public health emergencies.
“With Senators Schatz, Rubio and others, we are proposing the Public Health Emergency Response and Accountability Act,” Cassidy said. “This legislation would create a way to provide immediate resources without sacrificing congressional oversight.”