Senator Patty Murray's office issued the following today:
Senator Murray Stresses Need for Strong Investments in Global Health Security at Hearing on Ebola Crisis in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ebola outbreak in DRC has killed almost 600 people and is the second largest in history
Recent Trump budget
scales back investments in global health security and PEPFAR, President
Bush’s landmark program that has supported the global fight against
HIV/AIDS
Murray: “These
investments [in global health security] are not just the right thing to
do for their own sake, but the smart thing to do to keep families in our
country safe as well.”
Murray: “Continued U.S.
leadership is crucial. So as we work to address this current crisis, we
must remember the dangers of falling back on ‘America first’ rhetoric.
We can’t do this on the cheap and we can’t pretend diseases are stopped
by borders, or walls, or bans.”
Washington, D.C.
– Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, (D-WA), ranking member of the
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS), delivered opening remarks at a
subcommittee hearing on the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC). The outbreak, which has killed almost 600
people, is now the second largest Ebola outbreak in history.
In her remarks,
Senator Murray emphasized the importance of U.S. leadership in global
health security, and made the case for building on strong investments in
efforts like President Obama’s Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA).
She asked Dr. Robert Redfield, Director of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), about the U.S. response to the current
Ebola outbreak so far, and also raised her concerns with the Trump
Administration’s recent budget proposal, which would require the GHSA to
scale back its activities, and would make severe cuts to the
President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program which has
supported significant global progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Key excerpts from Senator Murray’s opening remarks:
“This outbreak is a tragedy for
families grappling with the loss of loved ones, and communities
struggling with the challenges of getting this outbreak under control,
and rebuilding in the aftermath. And it’s also a threat for neighboring
countries, as confirmed cases have continued to shift closer to the
DRC’s borders.”
“During the current outbreak, it’s
important we remember that in a world as connected as ours one of the
best ways to keep our country safe is to continue U.S. leadership on
global health security, and that means investing in public health and
preparedness systems both here and abroad.”
“For many years, the U.S. Government
has provided funding to our partners abroad to address specific
diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and polio. These investments have
been crucial to saving lives, stopping the spread of diseases, and in
building the capacity of public health systems in other countries. These
investments are not just the right thing to do for their own sake, but
the smart thing to do to keep families in our country safe as well.”
“Continued U.S. leadership is crucial.
So as we work to address this current crisis, we must remember the
dangers of falling back on ‘America first’ rhetoric. We can’t do this on
the cheap and we can’t pretend diseases are stopped by borders, or
walls, or bans.”
Full text of Senator Murray’s opening remarks below:
“ Thank you, Senator Blunt.
“I welcome our distinguished witnesses,
Doctors Fauci, Redfield, Kadlec, and Admiral Ziemer. I’m looking forward
to your testimony about emerging disease threats and how we can better
protect the health of families across the country—and across the world.
“Today, the Democratic Republic of Congo
is facing the second largest Ebola outbreak in history. Since the
outbreak began in the DRC last year, the response has been complicated
by internal conflict and violence, making it much more difficult to
respond—including to conduct contact tracing and get treatments into the
area—and more dangerous for health care workers facing hostility.
Almost 600 people have died, and public health experts predict the
situation could get much worse.
“This outbreak is a tragedy for families
grappling with the loss of loved ones, and communities struggling with
the challenges of getting this outbreak under control, and rebuilding in
the aftermath. And it’s also a threat for neighboring countries, as
confirmed cases have continued to shift closer to the DRC’s borders.
“We all saw the heartbreaking images of
loss during the 2014 Ebola outbreak. We also saw how much fear that
outbreak caused here in the United States, even leading to ill-advised
proposals to implement a travel ban on impacted countries. During the
current outbreak, it’s important we remember that in a world as
connected as ours one of the best ways to keep our country safe is to
continue U.S. leadership on global health security, and that means
investing in public health and preparedness systems both here and
abroad.
“This is especially important as we face
greater threats from viruses which spread from animals to people, such
as Ebola, as well as danger from less exotic, but no less dire, threats
such as antimicrobial resistance. In response to these threats, we must
make sure our partners around the world can identify emerging diseases
early and respond appropriately. They need strong public health systems
that can respond quickly to threats in their countries before they
fester and expand beyond control, threatening both their citizens and
people across the globe.
“For many years, the U.S. Government has
provided funding to our partners abroad to address specific diseases,
such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and polio. These investments have been
crucial to saving lives, stopping the spread of diseases, and in
building the capacity of public health systems in other countries. These
investments are not just the right thing to do for their own sake, but
the smart thing to do to keep families in our country safe as well. And
we’ve realized these investments must be broader than specific
diseases. We need to make sure that other countries have trained public
health staff, rapid emergency response systems, and improved
communications to respond to all types of emerging diseases.
“In response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak,
this Committee provided over $2.7 billion to build more prepared health
systems both here and abroad. That included: funding for the development
of new and improved vaccines and medical countermeasures against
emerging pathogens; funding to equip U.S. hospital systems for dealing
with the most deadly pathogens; and almost $600 million to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention as part of President Obama’s Global
Health Security Agenda.
“These investments have made a clear
difference. Thanks to this work, Nigeria was able to stop the 2014 Ebola
outbreak from ballooning when the virus reached the largest city in
Africa. And more recently, an Ebola vaccine is being used successfully
on a limited basis in the current outbreak. Its development was
supported with funding from the National Institutes of Health and
BARDA.
“U.S. investment in the Global Health
Security Agenda has led to countless other public health advances in
other countries as well, and I look forward to hearing examples of that
from our witnesses today.
But continued U.S. leadership is crucial.
So as we work to address this current crisis, we must remember the
dangers of falling back on ‘America first’ rhetoric. We can’t do this on
the cheap. And we can’t pretend diseases are stopped by borders, or
walls, or bans.
“So while I’m glad this Administration has
said it supports this critical work, I want to hear about its plans to
continue the progress of the Global Health Security Agenda. And as the
current Ebola outbreak continues to pose a very serious public health
threat, I want to hear more about the specific actions your agencies
plan to take moving forward.
“This dangerous outbreak demands global
attention and I’m eager to understand how decisions are being made to
navigate this complex crisis, and what the U.S. Government and Congress
can do to continue to bolster critical public health efforts.
“I hope today will provide an opportunity
for you to share your insights on this, and tell us what else is needed
on the ground in the DRC.
“Thank you.”
