U.S. Policy
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week expanded the emergency use authorization (EUA) for the drug Veklury (remdesivir) to allow its use on all hospitalized patients with suspected or lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Its use was formerly restricted by severity, but those... Read More »
Chemists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) will spend the next month and a half preparing for an exam that will certify the laboratory to test for chemical weapons, a task it has been certified to do since 2003.
Taken in October by chemists a part of the laboratory’s... Read More »
Federal authorities are issuing an alert about an automated teller machine (ATM) cash-out scheme by North Korean government cyber actors.
This scheme is referred to as “FASTCash 2.0: North Korea's BeagleBoyz Robbing Banks.” The alert – issued by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure... Read More »
A group of Democratic senators will introduce a bill to restore full federal funding for the National Guard so it can respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Aug. 3, President Donald Trump signed a memo terminating the 100 percent federal cost share with the National Guard that had been in effect... Read More »
Coast Guard officials said crews recently executed narcotics seizures in international waters of the eastern Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean Sea.
The Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton crew offloaded approximately 11,500 pounds of cocaine and... Read More »
In response to reports that rising COVID-19 cases in July strained lab capacity and caused a decline in daily tests, U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Tina Smith (D-MN) wrote letters to several COVID-19 testing labs requesting information on the processing capacity for each.
June and July... Read More »
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA) are urging the Food and Drug Administration to make sure that rigorous safety and efficacy data support the approval of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Full licensure of a vaccine is preferable to an Emergency Use... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) introduced legislation to strengthen the ability of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to address cyberthreats on Federal government systems.
The bill, called the Protecting Federal Networks Act, gives CISA the authority to address threats and... Read More »
Two Democratic legislators forwarded correspondence Tuesday to Attorney General William Barr and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin seeking insight regarding the recent seizure of cryptocurrency raised by designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
U.S. Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) Emanuel... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) discussed the research and approval process for COVID-19 vaccine candidates with General Gustave Perna, chief operating officer for Operation Warp Speed, a public-private partnership designed to accelerate the development of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments,
Durbin... Read More »
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) officials said spending cuts and increased incoming revenue and receipts has resulted in averting an administrative furlough of more than 13,000 employees.
“Our workforce is the backbone of every USCIS accomplishment. Their resilience and... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) said lack of planning, personnel, and equipment has led to extreme California wildfire damage and has invited federal officials to the state to aid with solutions.
LaMalfa said he has extended an invitation to Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of Agriculture... Read More »
Changes to the requirements for emergency use authorization (EUA) of convalescent plasma as a COVID-19 treatment by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised new barriers for hospitals, and a new line of questions from U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Fred Upton (R-MI).
In a... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Frank Pallone, Jr., (D-NJ), Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) and Diana DeGette (D-CO) are calling on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner to ensure that sound science and the protection of public health alone drive FDA’s COVID-19 vaccine approval process.
“Any political... Read More »
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators sent a letter to President Donald Trump seeking more information on Saudi Arabia’s reported efforts to build “secret nuclear facilities.”
The senators say this development threatens to undermine the international nonproliferation regime and U.S.... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Defense announced four actions through the Defense Production Act to sustain and strengthen essential domestic industrial base capabilities in molecular diagnostic testing, satellite communications, laser electronics, and aircraft engine repair.
These actions are... Read More »
Election Infrastructure Government Coordinating Council (GCC) officials maintain Election Day preparations and coordination between the federal government and state and local election officials have progressed accordingly.
“The election community is more unified, more coordinated, and better... Read More »
Despite its far-reaching effects, there remains no standardized reporting of COVID-19-related data within the United States, a fact that prompted the introduction of the Health STATISTICS Act of 2020 to the House last week.
The legislation was introduced by U.S. Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA),... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Greg Walden (R-OR) finalized a report that provides recommendations for addressing a possible second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
The third and final installment of their report – called “Second Wave Preparedness Project” -- focuses on... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced last week the cancellation of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements on premarket reviews for lab-developed tests linked to COVID-19.
Pitching the change as one targeting unnecessary policies and increasing flexibility in... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA) is among 60 Members of Congress in calling on the Trump Administration to develop a COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan that prioritizes health equity.
The lawmakers are urging Alex Azar, the Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary, to take a strategic, public... Read More »
A group of lawmakers forwarded correspondence this week to congressional leaders, encouraging cybersecurity funding support in the next COVID-19 aid package.
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined eight Senate colleagues detailing how cybercriminals have launched campaigns against healthcare... Read More »
In a new report on commercial drones, the conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation has laid out the expansive penetration of Chinese-manufactured drones into the U.S. market, and has argued for direct government intervention to halt their data collection activities.
Labeling these drones... Read More »
As Congress continues to discuss future COVID-19 relief legislation, U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME), along with 24 other senators, called on Senate leadership this week to include $15.5 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in any relief package.
This, the... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced a bill designed to promote the production of personal protective equipment (PPE) in the United States.
Specifically, the Make PPE in America Act would require the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to issue long-term contracts for... Read More »
A bill was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that seeks to reverse the decrease in vaccination rates, which have plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Community Immunity During COVID-19 Act (H.R. 8061) would make investments to evaluate and develop local initiatives to... Read More »
Four federal agencies have issued an advisory guidance document to aid non-federal public and private entities in understanding federal laws and regulations addressing Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) operations threats.
The Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has taken some steps to implement new authority to speed up innovation of medical countermeasures like vaccines for COVID-19, but has not yet chosen a private, nonprofit partner to work with on this problem, according to a recently released... Read More »
The U.S. House of Representatives recently approved an amendment increasing Lyme disease research funding to a total of $20 million at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for fiscal year 2021.
The amendment, authored by U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), boosts Lyme disease research... Read More »
U.S. Reps. John Joyce (R-PA) and David Trone (D-MD) introduced bills to strengthen the nation’s national security and improve its medical infrastructure.
One of the bills is the Strengthening Our Health Security Through Resilient Medical Supply Chains Annual Review Act. This legislation would... Read More »
President Donald Trump has signed into law the Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act (SAFR), which improves access to financial assistance public safety officer families lost to COVID-19.
Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced the measure, which they said... Read More »
As part of the federal Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Defense (DoD) recently announced a partnership with the McKesson Corporation, which will help distribute future COVID-19 vaccines and supplies.
The decision taps an existing Centers for... Read More »
Members of the Congressional Cyberspace Solarium are introducing a bill to modernize and secure state and local government information technology.
The bill, the State and Local IT Modernization and Cybersecurity Act, addresses a recommendation from the Solarium’s pandemic white paper that... Read More »
With billions in public funding being directed to coronavirus treatment and vaccine research, U.S. Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Mike Braun (R-IN) have introduced the Taxpayer Research and Coronavirus Knowledge (TRACK) act to publicly account for where those dollars are going.
The bill would... Read More »
Sens. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) are among a group of 34 senators calling on President Donald Trump to restore full funding to states to cover the cost of the National Guard responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
National Guard units across the country have helped states respond to... Read More »
