WASHINGTON – Today, the Labor-Health and Human Services-Education Appropriations Subcommittee invested in stopping pandemics with $100 million more for BARDA, the  Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee held a hearing on the “Ongoing Federal Response to COVID-19: Current Status and Future Planning.” During the hearing, expert witnesses, including CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, along with committee members from both sides of the aisle, stressed the importance of preparing today so we never again experience another COVID-19. In response to the hearing, Guarding Against Pandemics (GAP) founder Gabe Bankman-Fried issued the following statement.

WASHINGTON, DC - Today, Guarding Against Pandemics (GAP) and 46 public health and advocacy organizations sent a letter to leadership of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and the House Committee on Energy and Commerce urging them to prioritize passage of the comprehensive pandemic preparedness and biodefense funding request included in President Biden’s FY 2023 budget proposal.

WASHINGTON – Today, the PREVENT Pandemics Act (S. 3799) was approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee by a bipartisan vote of 20-2. The legislation, introduced by Committee Chair Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-N.C.), aims to strengthen the nation’s preparedness and response systems in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following is a statement from Gabe Bankman-Fried, founder of Guarding Against Pandemics (GAP), a nonprofit organization committed to advocating for public investments to prevent the next pandemic.