Policy
Trump administration lays out national distribution plan for Abbott BinaxNOW Ag Card rapid COVID-19 test
The federal government began its rollout of the Abbott BinaxNOW Ag Card rapid COVID-19 test to states this week with the announcement of a national distribution plan meant to support K-12 schools, higher education, critical infrastructure, first responders, and others as needed. The test is... Read More »
Underwood to chair cybersecurity subcommittee
House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) has appointed Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) to chair the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection and Innovation. “From persistent attempts by foreign adversaries to influence our elections to growing... Read More »
Bicameral bill proposes cybersecurity assistance and improvements for small organizations
With the introduction of the Improving Cybersecurity of Small Organizations Act of 2020 (S. 4731) last week, a bipartisan mix of senators and representatives seek to promote guidance on cybersecurity for small organizations such as businesses, nonprofits and local government agencies. Among... Read More »
House advances bill that seeks to improve outage, disaster information reporting
The U.S. House of Representatives advanced legislation last week that would direct the Federal Communications Commission to issue reports after activation of the Disaster Information Reporting System and make improvements to network outage reporting. The passage of the Emergency Reporting Act... Read More »
Senate Republicans introduce bill to modify or repeal regulations that impede pandemic response
A bill was introduced in the U.S. Senate that seeks to repeal or modify regulations that have impeded the ability of the government to rapidly respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pandemic Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Act establishes a commission charged with prioritizing regulation... Read More »
Victoria Coleman sworn to DARPA director post
Victoria Coleman, appointed as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) 22nd director, received the oath of office from Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Michael Kratsios. Coleman, who most recently served as senior advisor on microelectronics... Read More »
CDC to provide $200M for critical infrastructure support of COVID-19 vaccine preparations
All 64 jurisdictions under the Immunizations and Vaccines for Children cooperative agreement will receive $200 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the coming days, as a means of supporting COVID-19 vaccination services. The money will aid both planning and... Read More »
Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense prepares for next pandemic
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is revealing major gaps in national readiness to prepare for, respond to, and recover from biological threats, requiring that decision makers consider improved policies, programs, and technologies to ramp up the federal defense, experts said during the Sept. 24 virtual... Read More »
House passes T-Band bill top protect public safety communications
The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation to protect public safety communications in the T-Band, used for mission-critical communications, and interoperable communications with other agencies. The T-Band (470 MHz – 512 MHz) currently operates in 11 major metropolitan areas --... Read More »
Lawmakers inquire about biomedical research foreign influence
Three lawmakers recently forwarded correspondence to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) requesting insight regarding efforts to address foreign biomedical research influence. Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Rep. Greg Walden... Read More »
Sens. Menendez, Collins seek to create COVID-19 Commission
Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced Wednesday legislation designed to create a COVID-19 Commission to assess the nation’s preparedness and response to the pandemic while providing guidance regarding future occurrences. The measure would establish an independent,... Read More »
Boston CBP personnel seize synthetic opioid shipment
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel in Boston, Mass., recently seized a Thailand shipment containing 196 grams of the opioid drug Tramadol. “Illegal trading of opioids poses a significant health threat,” Michael Denning, director of Field Operations for the Boston Field Office,... Read More »
GAO accepts less-lethal weapons assessment request
Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) expressed gratitude to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) after the agency officially accepted her request to conduct an independent review of federal agencies' less-lethal weapons use. Duckworth joined a group of lawmakers requesting the GAO to assess the... Read More »
New House legislation would put nuclear testing decisions in congressional hands
Democratic representatives and senators have introduced the No Nuclear Testing Without Approval Act to make nuclear testing dependent on Congressional authorization. The effort comes from U.S. Reps. Steven Horsford (D-NV), Reps. Susie Lee (D-NV), Ben McAdams (D-UT), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), and TJ... Read More »
House passes bill to strengthen Strategic National Stockpile
The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation this week that seeks to improve the Strategic National Stockpile and reduce America’s dependence on foreign sources of critical medical supplies. The bill – Strengthening America’s Strategic National Stockpile Act (H.R. 7574) – focuses... Read More »
GAO makes recommendations to Treasury Dept on cybersecurity for financial sector
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is recommending that the Treasury Department work with other federal agencies and sector partners to enhance cybersecurity within the financial sector. The financial services sector's reliance on information technology makes it a leading target for... Read More »
Lawmakers urge wastewater-based epidemiology COVID-19 testing
A group of legislators recently encouraged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to invest federal funding in wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) with an eye toward low-cost, effective COVID-19 testing. Rep. TJ Cox (D-CA) recently joined 11 colleagues in forwarding correspondence... Read More »
Homeland Security Committee Republicans introduce bill to reauthorize DHS
Republicans on the Homeland Security Committee introduced a bill that reauthorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for two years. The Keep America Secure Act would reauthorize the DHS and provide $59 billion for FY2021 and $60 billion for FY2022. It includes funding for border... Read More »
NTI convenes global experts on need for government oversight of biotechnology research
The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) convened a meeting of more than 40 experts worldwide to address the need for better oversight of biotechnology research. Biotechnology research is essential for reducing pandemic threats and supporting global health. However, scientific advances in the life... Read More »
Bill addresses COVID-19 spread prevention
Sens. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA) have introduced a measure they said is designed to help prevent COVID-19 spread via a pilot program requiring air traveler temperature checks at TSA screenings. The Fly Safe and Healthy Act establishes a 120-day pilot program via the TSA to... Read More »
Senators inquire into Justice Department efforts to fight drug trafficking on the Dark Web
In a letter written to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) this week, U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and John Cornyn (R-TX) pressed for details on drug trafficking crackdown efforts targeting the dark web and its users. Pointing to... Read More »
European Union reaches agreement with Sanofi, GSK for up to 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine
Under a new agreement with the European Commission, Sanofi and GSK will provide up to 300 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the European Union in exchange for manufacturing scale-up support. The vaccine in question is based on a mix of Sanofi’s recombinant protein-based technology --... Read More »
Various health organizations urge FDA to be thorough in COVID-19 vaccination process
More than 90 organizations representing scientists, physicians, health providers, as well as patients and medical advocates are urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ensure that reviews of COVID-19 vaccine candidates meet all regulatory standards prior to authorization. “While we are... Read More »
GOP Senators introduce bill to create stiffer penalties for violence against law enforcement officers
A group of Republican Senators introduced a bill that would create federal penalties for individuals who deliberately target local, state, or federal law enforcement officers with violence. The Protect and Serve Act would make it a federal crime to knowingly cause, or attempt to cause, serious... Read More »
Bechtel touts chemical destruction effort
Officials representing the engineering and project management firm Bechtel said its Pueblo Team safely eliminated nearly 300,000 155mm chemical weapons projectiles stored at the Army Pueblo Chemical Depot in Colorado. The Pueblo Chemical Agent-Destruction Pilot Plant (PCAPP) team executed the... Read More »
Bill targets increased law enforcement pay, personnel
Reps. Rodney Davis (R-IL) and Darin LaHood (R-IL) announced they would introduce a House of Representatives measure designed to raise police officer salaries and hire more officers. The David Dorn Back the Blue Act is named in honor of David Dorn, a retired St. Louis Police captain killed on... Read More »
DHS awards $10M for terrorism, targeted violence prevention
The Department of Homeland Security has awarded $10 million for projects that support the development of a nationwide Terrorism and Targeted Violence Prevention (TVTP) Framework. The grants were made through the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program and went to 29 different... Read More »
Reps. Hurd, Kelly seek national artificial intelligence strategy
Reps. Will Hurd (R-TX) and Robin Kelly (D-IL) recently introduced a concurrent resolution calling for the creation of a national artificial intelligence (AI) strategy. The effort stems from coordinating with stakeholders and the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) - and includes recommendations from... Read More »
More than a dozen senators call on FDA to make COVID-19 vaccine reviews transparent
In a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this week, 15 Democratic senators called for the agency to be fully transparent in its COVID-19 vaccine review process, over concerns President Donald Trump is pressuring it to approve a vaccine before Election Day. Public trust must be... Read More »
HHS declares Oregon wildfires a public health emergency
Building on an emergency declaration from President Donald Trump, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has declared a public health emergency in Oregon due to ongoing wildfires that have killed at least eight people and burned approximately 1 million acres. The emergency declaration... Read More »
Bill introduced in the House would ensure use of emerging technologies in border security
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives representing districts along the Northern and Southern U.S. borders introduced a bill that directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create a strategy to integrate emerging technologies in the nation’s border security strategy. The... Read More »
House E&C leaders seek additional information from pharma companies on COVID-19 vaccine
Leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are seeking information from the nine pharmaceutical companies developing COVID-19 vaccines about their research and development efforts and how they are ensuring that only a safe and effective product will be made publicly available. The... Read More »
Bill addresses southern border cartel tunnels
Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) has introduced a measure she said is designed to combat cross-border tunnel trafficking operations across the nation’s southern border. The DHS Illicit Border Tunnel Defense Act has a companion measure introduced by Rep.Debbie Lesko (R-AZ) in the House in... Read More »
WHO urges equitable access to COVID-19 tools, maintenance and preparation
Global leaders gather for a virtual session of the 75th United Nations General Assembly this month, and as proceedings got underway, the World Health Organization (WHO) took the opportunity to push for three actions it deems key to the collective future. Foremost among these concerns a weight on... Read More »