47 Stakeholder Groups Call on Senate HELP and House E&C Leadership to Include President’s Budget Request of $88.2 Billion Over 5 Years for Pandemic Preparedness and Biodefense Funding in Upcoming Legislation

May 24, 2022 – Today, the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and Resolve to Save Lives joined 45 stakeholder organizations in submitting a letter to Congressional leaders to support the comprehensive pandemic preparedness and biodefense funding request included in the FY 2023 President’s Budget.

The stakeholder groups called on Chair Murray and Ranking Member Burr of the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee and Chair Pallone and Ranking Member McMorris Rogers of House Energy & Commerce Committee to include the full $88.2 billion over 5 years for pandemic preparedness and biodefense funding in legislation that will be considered by Congress this year.

Over the past 2 years, over 1 million Americans have died from COVID-19 and at least 140,000 children have been left without a parent or primary caregiver. There have been major economic disruptions throughout the country.

The United States must build a robust national biodefense and pandemic preparedness capability that will prevent future public health emergencies stemming from emerging infectious diseases, novel pathogens, as well as other biological threats, such as laboratory accidents and the deliberate use of bioweapons.

The next pandemic or health security threat we face will likely be substantially different, requiring the US to rapidly develop a new defense strategy.

If implemented, the investments in this proposal from the administration will make transformative improvements in new vaccine technologies, therapeutics, diagnostics, laboratory security, public health security data systems, medical supply chains, and early warning systems.

Read the full letter submitted to congressional leaders.