Today, U.S. Representatives Tim Burchett (TN-02) andSusan Wild (PA-07) led a bipartisan call for funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to be invested in United States' public health research and development.
In a letter to Shalanda Young, the Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB),the representatives asked OMB to meet the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations' (CEPI) full $300 million funding request with money from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to improve public health innovations.
"We urge the Administration to commit the full $300 million in emergency funding requested by CEPI for the immediate phase of its COVID-19 response," the representatives wrote. "CEPI is a global co-funded effort to develop vaccines for emerging infectious diseases now working to advance eight COVID-19 vaccines from early-stage development though manufacturing and approval."
The representatives also stressed how important innovative health solutions are in ending the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Innovation is our exit strategy from COVID-19. We must act now to advance COVID-19 tools tailored for global access and impact. Committing some emergency global health funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and innovation activities at the United States Agency for International Development is a critical step towards ending the pandemic," the representatives wrote.
Other representatives who joinedReps. Burchett andWild's letter were Reps. Karen Bass (CA-37), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Ami Bera (CA-07), Young Kim (CA-39), and Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06).
Source: https://burchett.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-burchett-wild-urge-biden-administration-fund-public-health-innovations
