Congress Works On Preparedness, Pollution, And International Well being Safety Payments

221

In well being coverage motion on Capitol Hill: a bipartisan pandemic preparedness invoice advances; lawmakers attempt to sort out plastic pellet and PFAS air pollution; and Senate appropriators approve further cash for world well being safety and fentanyl-related measures.

Politico: Senate Well being Panel Advances Pandemic, Emergency Preparedness Invoice

The Senate HELP Committee voted 17-3 on Thursday to advance a bipartisan pandemic preparedness invoice. The approval marks the subsequent step to reauthorize the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act, which has many applications that expire on Sept. 30 except Congress acts. (Wilson, 7/20)

Politico: Democrats Revive Invoice Focusing on Plastic Pellet Air pollution

Home and Senate Democrats try once more to place a cease to contamination from plastic pellets, small bits of plastic generally discovered polluting waterways. The “Plastic Pellet Free Waters Act” would require EPA to ban amenities and different sources from dumping the pellets into waterways or down the drain — an typically relied-upon tactic to do away with a budget supplies in the event that they develop into contaminated or unusable. (Borst, 7/20)

Politico: Invoice Would Fund Effort To Take away PFAS From Firefighting Gear

A bipartisan group of Home lawmakers is hoping to spice up funds to assist eradicate “perpetually chemical compounds” from firefighting, an effort that has been lengthy backed by the nation’s largest firefighters’ union. The “Defending Firefighters and Advancing State-of-the-Artwork (PFAS) Options Act” would velocity up the event of reinvented firefighting gear freed from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. (Borst, 7/20)

Politico: Senate Appropriators Put Cash Into International Well being Safety, Combating Fentanyl In 2024 Invoice

The Senate Appropriations Committee accredited laws Thursday with bipartisan help bolstering funding for world well being safety and the battle in opposition to illicit fentanyl, which killed at the least 70,000 People final 12 months. The fiscal 2024 State-International Operations appropriations invoice consists of $900 million for world well being safety, funds a Biden administration world well being workforce initiative and backs the $300 million the White Home requested for Gavi, the vaccine alliance that gives inoculations to growing international locations. (Paun, 7/20)

RFK Jr.’s look at Home listening to touched off discussions of vaccines and covid —

ABC Information: RFK Jr. Defends Himself At Home Listening to As Dems Rebuke Him For COVID, Race Remark

Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Thursday appeared earlier than a Home subcommittee to testify at a listening to on censorship — however it was his previous feedback that drew sharp rebuke from Democrats as Kennedy sought to defend himself. Testifying in entrance of the GOP-led Home Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on alleged authorities “weaponization,” Kennedy denied that he’s racist or antisemitic following feedback that leaked over the weekend the place he cited a false conspiracy concept that COVID-19 was “focused to” sure ethnicities whereas Chinese language individuals and Jews of European descent have been extra immune. (Kerr and Murray, 7/20)

Politico: Three Key Moments From RFK Jr. Testimony To Congress

On the finish of his allotted questioning time, Home Freedom Caucus member Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) mentioned that whereas he was “grateful that we’ve the chance to have the polio vaccine,” he additionally needed “to know the well being impacts of the polio vaccine going ahead and each different vaccine being administered.” The polio vaccine has obtained new scrutiny, particularly in conservative circles, as outbreaks of polio have emerged in the US and all over the world. Whereas oral-dose vaccines that include reside polio viruses have been linked to outbreaks of polio, often on account of unvaccinated people coming into contact with contaminated wastewater, commonplace polio vaccines haven’t been linked to outbreaks. (Bazail-Emeil, 7/20)

Additionally —

AP: Undue Affect? Nameless Donations To World Well being Group’s New Basis Increase Issues

Practically 40% of the cash raised by the WHO Basis in its first two years got here from nameless sources, worrying some that donors could also be attempting to affect the World Well being Group and its function in shaping world well being coverage with their presents. The inspiration, launched in 2020 to assist increase personal sector funds for the WHO, mentioned it obtained $66 million in direct presents via 2022, with $26 million coming from donors who selected to not be publicly named. Anil Soni, WHO Basis CEO, instructed The Related Press the inspiration’s board, which features a consultant from the WHO, is aware of the donors’ identities and that the inspiration won’t settle for a present if there’s a battle of curiosity. (Beaty, 7/20)

That is a part of the Morning Briefing, a abstract of well being coverage protection from main information organizations. Join an e mail subscription

221