Congress Works On Preparedness, Pollutants, And Global Health Security Bills
In health policy action on Capitol Hill: a bipartisan pandemic preparedness bill advances; lawmakers try to tackle plastic pellet and PFAS pollution; and Senate appropriators approve additional money for global health security and fentanyl-related measures.
Politico:
Senate Health Panel Advances Pandemic, Emergency Preparedness Bill
The Senate HELP Committee voted 17-3 on Thursday to advance a bipartisan pandemic preparedness bill. The approval marks the next step to reauthorize the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act, which has many programs that expire on Sept. 30 unless Congress acts. (Wilson, 7/20)
Politico:
Democrats Revive Bill Targeting Plastic Pellet Pollution
House and Senate Democrats are trying again to put a stop to contamination from plastic pellets, small bits of plastic commonly found polluting waterways. The "Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act" would require EPA to ban facilities and other sources from dumping the pellets into waterways or down the drain — an often relied-upon tactic to get rid of the cheap materials if they become contaminated or unusable. (Borst, 7/20)
Politico:
Bill Would Fund Effort To Remove PFAS From Firefighting Gear
A bipartisan group of House lawmakers is hoping to boost funds to help eradicate "forever chemicals" from firefighting, an effort that has been long backed by the nation's largest firefighters' union. The "Protecting Firefighters and Advancing State-of-the-Art (PFAS) Alternatives Act" would speed up the development of reinvented firefighting gear free of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. (Borst, 7/20)
Politico:
Senate Appropriators Put Money Into Global Health Security, Fighting Fentanyl In 2024 Bill
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved legislation Thursday with bipartisan support bolstering funding for global health security and the battle against illicit fentanyl, which killed at least 70,000 Americans last year. The fiscal 2024 State-Foreign Operations appropriations bill includes $900 million for global health security, funds a Biden administration global health workforce initiative and backs the $300 million the White House requested for Gavi, the vaccine alliance that provides inoculations to developing countries. (Paun, 7/20)
RFK Jr.'s appearance at House hearing touched off discussions of vaccines and covid —
ABC News:
RFK Jr. Defends Himself At House Hearing As Dems Rebuke Him For COVID, Race Comment
Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday appeared before a House subcommittee to testify at a hearing on censorship -- but it was his past comments that drew sharp rebuke from Democrats as Kennedy sought to defend himself. Testifying in front of the GOP-led House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on alleged government "weaponization," Kennedy denied that he is racist or antisemitic following comments that leaked over the weekend where he cited a false conspiracy theory that COVID-19 was "targeted to" certain ethnicities while Chinese people and Jews of European descent were more immune. (Kerr and Murray, 7/20)
Politico:
Three Key Moments From RFK Jr. Testimony To Congress
At the end of his allotted questioning time, House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said that while he was “grateful that we have the opportunity to have the polio vaccine,” he also wanted “to know the health impacts of the polio vaccine going forward and every other vaccine being administered.” The polio vaccine has received new scrutiny, especially in conservative circles, as outbreaks of polio have emerged in the United States and around the world. While oral-dose vaccines that contain live polio viruses have been linked to outbreaks of polio, usually as a result of unvaccinated individuals coming into contact with contaminated wastewater, standard polio vaccines have not been linked to outbreaks. (Bazail-Emeil, 7/20)
Also —
AP:
Undue Influence? Anonymous Donations To World Health Organization's New Foundation Raise Concerns
Nearly 40% of the money raised by the WHO Foundation in its first two years came from anonymous sources, worrying some that donors may be trying to influence the World Health Organization and its role in shaping global health policy with their gifts. The foundation, launched in 2020 to help raise private sector funds for the WHO, said it received $66 million in direct gifts through 2022, with $26 million coming from donors who chose not to be publicly named. Anil Soni, WHO Foundation CEO, told The Associated Press the foundation’s board, which includes a representative from the WHO, knows the donors’ identities and that the foundation will not accept a gift if there is a conflict of interest. (Beaty, 7/20)
