Democratic Senators introduce bill to establish core health infrastructure at CDC

A group of Democratic U.S. Sens. sponsored legislation to establish a new core public health infrastructure program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act (PHISLA) would include up to $4.5 billion in annual funding to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. It would establish a core public health infrastructure program to provide grants to state, territorial, local, and tribal health departments and increased investments at the CDC.

“The COVID-19 crisis has shown that we must do more to address the economic, racial, and public health disparities that exist across the country, and that we need to fortify our public health infrastructure to prepare every community to handle future health emergencies,” Sen Dick Durbin (D-IL), one of the bill’s sponsors, said. “We rely upon our state and local health departments to keep us safe from so many health threats. This legislation will ensure they have the resources to improve health equity and respond to health crises.”

The program would specifically address eight core capabilities: public health assessment, preparedness and response, policy development and support, communications, community partnership development, organizational competencies, accountability, and equity. The program’s funding would ramp up over five years to $4.5 billion annually and then stay at that level.

“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen the need for more funding for our hospitals, healthcare workers, and public health infrastructure to ensure all Americans have access to reliable care,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), another sponsor of the bill, said. “While the Trump Administration was clearly unprepared to handle the deadly COVID-19 public health emergency, we can ensure that in the future our State, local and tribal governments have the infrastructure in place to help protect Americans against public health crises. This legislation will help provide much-needed resources to our communities.”

The bill was co-sponsored by Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Bob Casey (D-PA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jack Reed (D-RI), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).

The act has been endorsed by over 50 organizations, including the Washington State Department of Health; American Society for Microbiology; Montana Public Health Association; New York State Public Health Department; Wisconsin Public Health Association; American Clinical Laboratory Association; American Lung Association; Association of American Medical Colleges; Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology; and the March of Dimes.