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Assessing US Congressional Exposure to the Issue of Emerging Infectious Disease Risk Prior to 2020.
Ellen P Carlin1, Ryan S Remmel2
1Ellen P. Carlin, DVM, is an Assistant Research Professor, Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University, Washington, DC.
Health Security
|May 23, 2022
Summary
Congressional awareness of emerging infectious disease (EID) risks was not the cause of US unpreparedness for pandemics. Despite numerous hearings, key committees showed limited engagement, indicating broader systemic issues beyond lawmaker knowledge.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Policy
- Government Studies
Background:
- US government attention to biological threats predates COVID-19.
- COVID-19 highlighted significant deficiencies in US pandemic preparedness.
- Assessing congressional awareness of emerging infectious disease (EID) risk is crucial for preparedness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To catalog and quantify information provided to Congress regarding EID risk.
- To evaluate congressional awareness and engagement with EID threats from 1995-2019.
- To identify factors contributing to US preparedness deficits.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of Congressional Record for hearings on EID from 1995-2019.
- Keyword searches to identify relevant hearings and witness appearances.
- Examination of committee activity and jurisdiction.
Main Results:
- 167 EID-relevant hearings and 860 witness appearances were identified.
- Most active committees had jurisdiction over homeland security, health, oversight, and funding.
- Committees with foreign relations, financial services, and agriculture jurisdiction showed markedly lower activity.
Conclusions:
- Lawmaker knowledge of EID risks was not the primary cause of US unpreparedness.
- Uneven engagement across congressional committees suggests systemic issues in addressing EID threats.
- Preparedness deficits stem from factors beyond a lack of information on EID risks.
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