Lawmakers Call For Dedicated $300M Fund To Fight Epidemics
“We cannot afford to be caught flat-footed or constrained in our ability to respond and provide aid in a timely and comprehensive manner when the next public health crisis emerges,” the lawmakers' letter states.
Morning Consult:
Lawmakers Propose Emergency Response Fund For Pandemics
Citing warnings from senior Obama administration officials, lawmakers from both parties are calling on Congress to establish a dedicated funding source to combat infectious disease outbreaks, according to a letter released Monday. The fund, which 21 lawmakers requested in a letter to senior House appropriators, would appropriate $300 million to help the Trump administration “contain and eradicate future infectious disease epidemics.” (Reid, 4/10)
In other news from Capitol Hill —
Boston Globe:
Bipartisan Bill Would Make Hearing Aids Cheaper And More Accessible, But Some Doctors Object
Now new technology and a rare bipartisan push from lawmakers who are trying to reduce regulations for the sale of hearing aids are raising hopes that more people with mild to moderate hearing loss will be able to buy hearing devices a lot more cheaply and without seeing a doctor. It’s a modest-sounding goal, but supporters believe the measure on Capitol Hill could lower prices, spur innovation, and ultimately get hearing aids into the ears of far more people. (McGrane, 4/11)
The Associated Press:
Bill To Look At Health Effects Of Contaminants In Water
New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is planning to introduce a bill to improve efforts to identify the public health effects of emerging contaminants found in drinking water. Shaheen, a Democrat, is working on the bill with Republican Sen. Rob Portman, of Ohio. They note the potentially harmful and unregulated materials such as PFCs and cyanotoxins are being detected in their states and elsewhere. (4/10)
