U.S. Policy
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) awarded roughly $1.3 billion to health centers to help them respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
The funding – through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) – went to 1,387 different health centers. The awards may be... Read More »
Teaming up with the United States government, health technology provider Royal Philips has agreed to double the production of hospital ventilators at its U.S. manufacturing sites by May and push for a four-fold increase by the third quarter.
These supplies would then be usable in both the U.S.... Read More »
A new report from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) attributes three instances of chemical weapons use in 2017 to the Assad regime in Syria.
The report from the OPCW Investigation and Identification Team (IIT) concluded that there are grounds to believe that the... Read More »
A pair of lawmakers are calling for immediate action to prepare for and prevent anticipated critical drug shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Patty Murray (D-WA) have forwarded correspondence to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Office of the... Read More »
A group of Democratic U.S. Senators recently urged Trump administration officials to immediately distribute an initial round of emergency funding to hospitals and other health care providers.
This funding would come from the $100 billion that was authorized to hospitals and healthcare... Read More »
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would provide $186 million to state and local jurisdictions for COVID-19 support.
“Testing and surveillance is a vital piece of our efforts to beat the coronavirus, and this new... Read More »
A group of legislators recently introduced legislation designed to create a commission to assess the nation's response and make recommendations for future pandemic preparedness.
Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL) joined 12 colleagues in presenting the Pandemic Rapid Response Act, which establishes the... Read More »
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker announced the creation of the COVID-19 Community Tracing Collaborative (CTC) to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus in Massachusetts.
This collaboration with Partners In Health focuses on tracing the contacts of confirmed positive COVID-19 patients and... Read More »
A bill recently introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives seeks to establish a National Commission on United States Preparedness for National Emergencies.
The Made in America Emergency Preparedness Act authorizes the creation of a National Commission on United States Preparedness for... Read More »
A Republican group of legislators announced plans to introduce the Li Wenliang Global Public Health Accountability Act designed to address foreign officials who attempted to conceal early onset COVID-19 public health information.
The Act would also sanction any foreign official who may conceal a... Read More »
Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer González-Colón recently led a bipartisan group of lawmakers in introducing a measure that bolsters the U.S. supply chain amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
González-Colón and Reps. Donna Shalala (D-FL), Rob Bishop (R-UT), Darren Soto (D-FL), Ruben... Read More »
Senate Veterans' Affairs Ranking Member Jon Tester (D-MT) and Chairman Jerry Moran (R-KS) are encouraging Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to ensure National Guard members receive benefits and pay earned from their time in active duty responding to COVID-19.
The senators are advocating the action... Read More »
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) has forwarded correspondence to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking clarity regarding reported shortages of hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Warren maintains the drugs, which are generally used to treat lupus,... Read More »
The federal government has seized hundreds of thousands of personal protective equipment (PPE) from price gougers with the intent of redistributing them to frontline workers working amid the COVID-19 crisis in New York and New Jersey.
The items -- which included around 192,000 N95 respirator... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) is urging the Trump Administration to address the nationwide shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers and emergency responders.
In his home state, Peters cited the travails of the Detroit Police Department, which has had to quarantine... Read More »
The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) received its share of personal protective equipment from the Strategic National Stockpile in full this week, granting an equipment influx of hundreds of thousands to meet the threat of COVID-19.
Ohio was among early requesters for additional equipment and its... Read More »
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) is urging Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Department of the Health and Human Services (HHS) officials to provide plans addressing COVID-19 treatments and vaccines.
McCaul recently sought feedback from FDA Commissioner Stephan Hahn and HHS Secretary Alex Azar on... Read More »
Leadership at the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) commended the $2.2 trillion relief bill signed by President Trump last week, stating more relief is still needed for firefighters and emergency workers.
IAFC President, Fire Chief Gary Ludwig, said the CARES Act is a significant... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently pushed for increased funding for the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program (PHEP) and Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP).
Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) led 24 of their colleagues in forwarding correspondence to the Senate’s Subcommittee... Read More »
Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) is encouraging expanded regional and multilateral health organizations’ support as the global confrontation of the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
Menendez, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, recently forwarded correspondence to Secretary of State... Read More »
The Strategic National Stockpile grew by 31 million doses of various medications this weekend, as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) took on donations that may, eventually, aid clinical trials or be used to treat those hospitalized with COVID-19.
To be clear, none of those... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Ted Yoho (R-FL) and Darren Soto (D-FL) introduced a bill to ensure the United States builds its stockpile of personal protective equipment (PPE).
The American-Made Protection for Healthcare Workers and First Responders Act will address the PPE shortage and build the national... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said the agency has extended the REAL ID enforcement deadline one year to Oct.1, 2021, in the wake of COVID-19.
The extension is in accordance with directives from President Donald Trump, and DHS will publish a notice of the new deadline in the... Read More »
In a system severely taxed by the COVID-19 pandemic, hoarding of health and medical supplies has become a serious concern, and a new Executive Order, to be enforced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is now in effect to tackle that concern.
“Today, we designated a set... Read More »
U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) introduced a bill Wednesday to address the shortage of personal protective equipment, ventilators, and other medical supplies.
The Medical Supply Chain Emergency Act would require the president to use the authority invoked under the Defense Production Act to produce... Read More »
A bipartisan group of lawmakers said they are seeking bolstered legislative support for first responders amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT) joined Reps. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ), Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Peter King (R-NY), Mike Bost (R-IL), and over 100 of their... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) announced this week that $100 million would be given to U.S. healthcare systems to help handle a continuing surge in COVID-19 patients at nationwide hospitals.
The $100... Read More »
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has formed partnerships with the manufacturing and biotech industries to increase the state's supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other medical supplies to battle the coronavirus.
The partnerships with the Illinois Manufacturers' Association (IMA) and the... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) is seeking more information from Trump administration officials on the availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other critical medical equipment and supplies available in the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS).
The Federal Emergency Management... Read More »
Heads of various medical and infectious disease associations called on President Donald Trump to swiftly invoke the Defense Production Act and use it to force private industry to meet the current demands for medical supply and equipment production.
As one, the presidents and chairs of the... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Patty Murray (D-WA) are calling on the Trump Administration to report to Congress on the federal government’s COVID-19 response.
Specifically, they are seeking information about nationwide testing capacity, hospital bed space, personal protective equipment... Read More »
A bipartisan group of senators recently baked a measure they said strengthens the nation’s supply chain.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the Strengthening America’s Supply Chain and National Security Act as a means of building off the plan he released last month to address the nation’s... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently urged President Donald Trump to immediately implement all Defense Production Act (DPA) powers to expedite the production of needed materials during the coronavirus emergency.
Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) recently joined 18 of their... Read More »
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Friday two guidelines regarding the temporary manufacturing of certain alcohol-based hand sanitizer products in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are aware of significant supply disruptions for alcohol-based hand sanitizers,” FDA... Read More »
A group of legislators introduced last week legislation designed to increase healthcare access while expediting Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for treatments approved in other countries.
Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Cornyn (R-TX), James Lankford (R-OK), and Mike Braun (R-IN)... Read More »
