Press Releases

Today, Congressman Gerald E. Connolly, President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment, & Cyber, led 119 members of Congress in sending a letter to President Biden, urging him to establish a new Fund for Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness and provide at least $2 billion in funding.

“The United States and the world continue to grapple with the devastating health, economic, and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. While we are heartened that the U.S. and other governments are scaling up vaccine distribution to curb the spread of infection and bring an end to this crisis, we also recognize the world’s collective failure to be prepared for rapid pandemic response and the urgent need to build and strengthen our systems for pandemic preparedness and prevention,” the members wrote.

“U.S. global leadership is pivotal to creating and sustaining a pandemic-proof world.  Political will and financial commitments are required to make this possible. To this end, we urge the Administration to fulfill its commitment to establish a new Fund for Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness,” the members added. “We respectfully request you include no less than a $2 billion commitment to the Fund in your FY2022 Budget Request to Congress.”

A new Fund for Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness was included in the bipartisan Global Health Security Act of 2021 (H.R. 391), which passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee in March. It is also detailed in National Security Memorandum 1, Section 4.

The Fund would provide catalytic funding and technical assistance to partner countries to develop and accelerate implementation of their national health security action plans, close critical gaps in their preparedness for potential pandemics, prevent zoonotic spillover at the source, promote national accountability and compliance with the International Health Regulations, and stimulate “a global race to the top” that will incentivize partner countries to prioritize and invest in greater preparedness. It is also critical to fulfilling the promise of the Global Health Security Agenda.

The letter was signed by Reps. Allred, Auchincloss, Axne, Barragan, Bass, Bera, Beyer, Blumenauer, Bonamici, Boyle, Brownley, Carson, Chu, Cicilline, Cohen, Cooper, Costa, Courtney, Davids, Davis (IL), Dean, DeFazio, DelBene, Delgado, DeSaulnier, Deutch, Doyle, Eshoo, Espaillat, Evans, Fitzpatrick, Fletcher, Foster, García, Gottheimer, Grijalva, Johnson (GA), Hayes, Higgins, Horsford, Houlahan, Jackson Lee, Jacobs (CA), Jayapal, Jeffries, Keating, Kelly, Khanna, Kildee, Kilmer, Krishnamoorthi, Langevin, Larsen, Levin (CA), Levin (MI), Lieu, Lowenthal, Luria, Lynch, Malinowski, Maloney (NY-12), Manning, Matsui, McBath, McEachin, McGovern, McNerney, Morelle, Moulton, Nadler, Napolitano, Neguse, Norcross, Norton O'Halleran, Omar, Pascrell, Payne, Phillips, Plaskettt, Pocan, Porter, Pressley, Quigley, Raskin, Rice, Ross, Roybal-Allard, Ruppersberger, Rush, San Nicolas, Sánchez, Scanlon, Schakowsky, Sherman, Sherrill, Sires, Smith (WA), Spanberger, Strickland, Suozzi, Takano, Thompson (CA), Thompson (MS), Titus, Tlaib, Tonko, Torres (CA), Torres (NY), Trahan, Trone, Vargas. Velázquez, Wasserman Schultz, Watson Coleman, Welch, Wild, Williams, Yarmuth.

Full text of the letter follows and is available here.

The Honorable Joseph R. Biden
The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear President Biden,
 

The United States and the world continue to grapple with the devastating health, economic, and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. While we are heartened that the U.S. and other governments are scaling up vaccine distribution to curb the spread of infection and bring an end to this crisis, we also recognize the world’s collective failure to be prepared for rapid pandemic response and the urgent need to build and strengthen our systems for pandemic preparedness and prevention. 

U.S. global leadership is pivotal to creating and sustaining a pandemic-proof world.  Political will and financial commitments are required to make this possible. To this end, we urge the Administration to fulfill its commitment to establish a new Fund for Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness, as included in the amended Global Health Security Act of 2021 (H.R. 391) advanced on a bipartisan basis by the House Foreign Affairs Committee and as detailed in National Security Memorandum 1, Section 4. We respectfully request you include no less than a $2 billion commitment to the Fund in your FY2022 Budget Request to Congress.
 

Underinvestment in global health security and pandemic prevention and preparedness has been a major factor in the inadequate control of COVID-19 around the world. We must close an estimated $10-20 billion annual global funding gap over the next 10 years to make the world better prepared for future pandemics— this represents a small fraction of what the U.S. has spent to date on COVID-19 stimulus packages, vaccines, and other pandemic response measures. A dedicated, disease-agnostic, multilateral financing mechanism is urgently needed to rapidly accelerate pandemic preparedness. The Fund would provide catalytic funding and technical assistance to partner countries to develop and accelerate implementation of their national health security action plans, close critical gaps in their preparedness for potential pandemics, prevent zoonotic spillover at the source, promote national accountability and compliance with the International Health Regulations, and stimulate “a global race to the top” that will incentivize partner countries to prioritize and invest in greater preparedness. It is also critical to fulfilling the promise of the Global Health Security Agenda.
 

Just as nearly two decades ago, the U.S. led the way in responding to the global AIDS crisis by creating PEPFAR and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, now is the time for the United States to mount the next major global initiative commensurate with the threat and crisis of pandemic preparedness. U.S. leadership establishing and investing in a new Fund for Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness will be essential and will help attract and leverage new funding from other nations, the private sector, and philanthropy. 
 

We share your commitment to ensuring that the U.S. and the world are better prepared for emerging pandemic threats. We look forward to working with you and your Administration to commit the resources necessary, establish this new global financing mechanism, and to advance this urgent pillar of your national security agenda.

Sincerely,