The House Energy and Commerce and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committees marked up and advanced their own respective Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness (PAHPA) reauthorization bills.
In a July 19 markup, the House approved on party-line votes the Preparedness and Response Reauthorization Act (H.R. 4220) and the Preparing for All Hazards and Pathogens Reauthorization Act (H.R. 4221) led by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) after adopting an amendment by Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.) that would maintain existing authorization levels for programs at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The committee rejected amendments from Democrats, including an alternative PAHPA reauthorization bill introduced by Rep. Kim Schrier, MD, (D-Wash.), the Protecting Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act of 2023.
On July 20, the Senate HELP Committee marked up and passed, 17-3, the bipartisan Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Response Act (S. 2333). Before final passage, the HELP Committee adopted an amendment by Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) to implement Government Accountability Office recommendations around the Strategic National Stockpile and an amendment from Budd and Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) to create an emerging pathogen preparedness program under the Food and Drug Administration. Much of the discussion during the markup surrounded Sen. Rand Paul’s (R-K.Y.) amendment, which would prohibit federal funding for gain-of-function research in China. In addition to rejecting Paul’s amendment, the committee also voted against amendments by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), and Sens. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) and Budd. Paul, Braun, and Tuberville were the sole votes against final passage, while Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) voted “present.”