Washington, D.C. — Subcommittee on Health Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY) delivered the following opening statement at today’s Health Subcommittee legislative hearing titled “Legislative Solutions to Bolster Preparedness and Response for All Hazards and Public Health Security Threats.”

Excerpts and highlights below:

REAUTHORIZING KEY PROGRAMS

“This is the fourth hearing the Energy and Commerce Committee has held in the 118th Congress related to our response framework.

“I want to express concern and disappointment today that the bill before us—AHPA—is not bipartisan as we now speak. We’ve worked hard to make it bipartisan and hopefully it will be as we move forward.

“I look forward to engaging with my colleagues on systematic CDC reforms and a comprehensive effort to examine the root causes of drug shortages.

“I am grateful to Representative Miller-Meeks for taking the lead on CDC reform by publicly issuing a Request for Information on this issue.

“I look forward to hearing from her about the responses she received to her RFI and addressing many of the issues highlighted in a future CDC reform effort.

“We’ll start these conversations today and will have work to do across the Health Subcommittee’s jurisdiction that necessitates a separate process and larger conversation outside the scope of this reauthorization.”

BUILDING BROAD, BIPARTISAN CONSENSUS

“The legislation before us today is designed to generate broad consensus around streamlined improvements to our preparedness and response infrastructure at the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response or ASPR.

“We are continuing our efforts to prepare for and respond more effectively to future public health security threats.

“These threats include chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, cyberattacks, or another infectious disease outbreak.

“Many of the bills today are bipartisan. This includes legislation focused on evaluating and shoring up our diagnostic testing infrastructure and domestic manufacturing capacity for medical countermeasures during a public health emergency.

“These two components hampered our initial response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We also have several pieces of legislation focused on improvements to our Strategic National Stockpile.

“This includes reaffirming our commitment to supporting states’ efforts, working to ensure streamlined insight into our stockpile supply chain, and clarifying ASPR’s responsibility over the SNS.

“We are also considering legislation to improve transparency and communication between our federal agencies and private sector partners.

“For example, we are examining the benefits of establishing an advisory committee to provide a forum for private sector input into our medical counter measures procurement process.”

DEMANDING ACCOUNTABILITY AND COMMUNICATION

“We must also demand proper accountability and communication from our public health agencies to our constituents.

“That is why I am pleased to see Chair Rodgers’ discussion draft to require CDC to issue good guidance practices included in the hearing today.

“This would establish public participation requirements prior to finalization or implementation of major guidance pushed out by the CDC.

“It also clarifies that these guidances are nonbinding and do not create, restrict, or revoke any person’s rights or responsibilities.

“This also does not have the force or effect of law, which is a standard that other public health agencies already must meet.

“The public deserves to have visibility and a seat at the table to allow them to make the decisions best for themselves and their families.”

H.R. 3742

“To build on the importance of accountability and improved processes, I am proud to partner with Representative Peters on bipartisan legislation to examine the Department of Health and Human Service’s existing data authorities and data collection efforts. This includes the federal funds used for such purposes.

“Local authorities don’t need new top-down, heavy-handed data sharing mandates that won’t help them respond to their local needs. Nor should the American people’s sensitive information be collected and potentially used in a punitive fashion.

“This bill will ensure the agency is held accountable for any overutilization of such authorities, including any redundancies.

“We’ve already heard from stakeholders on how important this review is. I am hopeful we can move it forward as part of this process.”

PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE

“In closing, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Representative Hudson, his staff, and our dedicated committee staff for their work over the past several months to deliver this strong discussion draft.

“We must ensure these critical preparedness and response activities are reauthorized in a timely manner.

“I am happy to get to work on other topics—as shown by the number of hearings and bills we’ve already moved through this subcommittee.

“However, trying to attach other issues onto this reauthorization with broader topics will undermine its ultimate passage.”