On the recordMarch 3, 2020
as I noted earlier, Samuel Johnson once noted that there is nothing that focuses the mind like the prospect of a hanging. I would say there is nothing that focuses the mind on the issue of healthcare like the prospect of a pandemic, and that is what we are facing now with the coronavirus. Americans should not panic and shouldn't be pessimistic, but we need to be realistic as the numbers total up around the world and we start to take an assessment of our own vulnerabilities--personal, family, community, and State vulnerabilities--here in the United States of America. We are also, I hope, reflecting on what we are counting on to get us through this pandemic in a positive fashion in America. The first thing is we look to two major healthcare organizations of the Federal Government: the National Institutes of Health, which is the premier health research agency in the world, and the Centers for Disease Control, which, again, leads the world when it comes to preventing the spread of disease and threats to the public health of America. The question we should ask ourselves is, How have we treated these agencies to date? The answers are mixed. The answer, when it comes to National Institutes of Health, is a positive one. Over the last 4 years, something dramatic has occurred. I was happy to be part of a bipartisan effort that was led by Senator Patty Murray of Washington, Senator Roy Blunt of Missouri, and Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee.…
