[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 127 (Tuesday, July 20, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H3706-H3708]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DHS MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES ACT
Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 3263) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to
establish in the Department of Homeland Security a medical
countermeasures program, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3263
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``DHS Medical Countermeasures
Act''.
SEC. 2. MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Subtitle C of title XIX of the Homeland
Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 311 et seq.) is amended by
adding at the end the following new section:
``SEC. 1932. MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a medical
countermeasures program to facilitate personnel readiness,
and protection for the Department's employees and working
animals in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological,
nuclear, or explosives attack, naturally occurring disease
outbreak, or pandemic, and to support Department mission
continuity.
``(b) Oversight.--The Chief Medical Officer of the
Department shall provide programmatic oversight of the
medical countermeasures program established pursuant to
subsection (a), and shall--
``(1) develop Department-wide standards for medical
countermeasure storage, security, dispensing, and
documentation;
``(2) maintain a stockpile of medical countermeasures,
including antibiotics, antivirals, and radiological
countermeasures, as appropriate;
``(3) preposition appropriate medical countermeasures in
strategic locations nationwide, based on threat and employee
density, in accordance with applicable Federal statutes and
regulations;
``(4) provide oversight and guidance regarding the
dispensing of stockpiled medical countermeasures;
``(5) ensure rapid deployment and dispensing of medical
countermeasures in a chemical, biological, radiological,
nuclear, or explosives attack, naturally occurring disease
outbreak, or pandemic;
``(6) provide training to Department employees on medical
countermeasure dispensing; and
``(7) support dispensing exercises.
``(c) Medical Countermeasures Working Group.--The Chief
Medical Officer shall establish a medical countermeasures
working group comprised of representatives from appropriate
components and offices of the Department to ensure that
medical countermeasures standards are maintained and guidance
is consistent.
``(d) Medical Countermeasures Management.--Not later than
120 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the
Chief Medical Officer shall develop and submit to the
Secretary an integrated logistics support plan for medical
countermeasures, including--
``(1) a methodology for determining the ideal types and
quantities of medical countermeasures to stockpile and how
frequently such methodology shall be reevaluated;
``(2) a replenishment plan; and
``(3) inventory tracking, reporting, and reconciliation
procedures for existing stockpiles and new medical
countermeasure purchases.
[[Page H3707]]
``(e) Stockpile Elements.--In determining the types and
quantities of medical countermeasures to stockpile under
subsection (d), the Chief Medical Officer shall utilize, if
available--
``(1) Department chemical, biological, radiological, and
nuclear risk assessments; and
``(2) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance
on medical countermeasures.
``(f) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to
the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate the plan developed in
accordance with subsection (d) and brief such Committees
regarding implementing the requirements of this section.
``(g) Definition.--In this section, the term `medical
countermeasures' means antibiotics, antivirals, radiological
countermeasures, and other countermeasures that may be
deployed to protect the Department's employees and working
animals in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological,
nuclear, or explosives attack, naturally occurring disease
outbreak, or pandemic.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section
1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by
adding after the item relating to section 1931 the following
new item:
``Sec. 1932. Medical countermeasures.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
New York (Ms. Clarke) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.
General Leave
Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from New York?
There was no objection.
Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3263, the DHS
Medical Countermeasures Act.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3263 seeks to establish a medical countermeasures
program to facilitate the readiness and protection of personnel and
working animals in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological,
nuclear, or explosives attack; disease outbreak; or pandemic.
H.R. 3263 requires DHS' chief medical officer, or CMO, to provide
programmatic oversight of the medical countermeasures program and
establish a medical countermeasures working group comprised of relevant
DHS components.
Additionally, the bill requires the CMO to utilize DHS chemical,
biological, radiological, and nuclear risk assessments, and CDC
guidance, to determine the types and quantities of medical
countermeasures to stockpile.
H.R. 3263, first introduced in the 114th Congress, was developed due
to concerns about the possibility of a severe pandemic that could cause
illnesses and fatalities and destabilize the operations of DHS. The
COVID-19 pandemic has brought these concerns to the forefront.
DHS is responsible for protecting our homeland, but the Department
can only do that if it has a safe workforce. Many of the more than
240,000 employees are out on the front lines due to the nature of their
responsibilities.
Furthermore, critical supply shortages of personal protective
equipment earlier in the pandemic, which affected the Federal
Government and State and local governments, also severely impacted DHS
operations.
H.R. 3263 is informed by an August 2014 DHS inspector general report.
It is also informed by testimony provided during multiple House
Homeland Security Committee hearings.
Enactment of this bill will improve DHS' ability to protect the well-
being of DHS personnel so they can fulfill their mission: protecting
our homeland.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3263, the DHS Medical
Countermeasures Act offered by my colleague and friend, Representative
Miller-Meeks.
This bill establishes a critical medical countermeasures program
within the Department of Homeland Security to protect the workforce
from chemical, biological, radiological, and other public health
threats.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the importance of preparation and
risk mitigation in the face of the unknown. At the Department of
Homeland Security, where many components have high-risk, public-facing
operations, a medical countermeasures program and stockpile are crucial
for ensuring mission continuity.
Like the rest of the country, the Department struggled to maintain
sufficient supplies throughout the pandemic. That, combined with the
reliance on foreign-made personal protective equipment and other
medical supplies, highlights the need for this important legislation.
This bill requires the Homeland Security chief medical officer to
maintain a medical countermeasures stockpile and develop standards for
its storage, security, and maintenance.
Mr. Speaker, I commend Representative Miller-Meeks for her leadership
on this timely bill. I urge all Members to join me in supporting H.R.
3263, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I
am prepared to close after the gentleman from New York closes.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks).
Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my
bill, H.R. 3263, the DHS Medical Countermeasures Act.
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc all over the world, causing
countless deaths, both from COVID and from unexpected causes unrelated
to COVID, businesses shuttering, job loss, and our everyday way of life
almost coming to a halt. While I am pleased that the United States is
heading back to normalcy with three excellent and widely available
vaccines, we cannot forget the great struggles that we encountered just
last year.
Every day, countless Americans put their lives on the line for
others, including the men and women in the Department of Homeland
Security. Throughout the pandemic, the agencies and officers at CBP
continued to protect our borders; TSA officers secured our
transportation system; and representatives from FEMA, who took a lead
role in the government's response to the pandemic, still had to deploy
when disaster struck in other areas.
My bill, the DHS Medical Countermeasures Act, supports the DHS
workforce and Department mission continuity by requiring the Secretary
to establish a medical countermeasures program to protect employees and
working animals in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological,
nuclear, or explosives attack; naturally occurring disease outbreak; or
pandemic.
This legislation requires the chief medical officer of the Department
to maintain a stockpile of medical countermeasures and to develop
Department-wide standards for storage, security, placement, dispensing,
supply diversity, and documentation of countermeasures.
This bill requires the establishment of a medical countermeasures
working group comprised of representatives from relevant Department
components and offices to ensure medical countermeasure standards are
maintained and guidance is consistent.
Finally, the bill requires the chief medical officer to develop an
integrated logistics support plan for medical countermeasures that
includes a methodology for determining types and quantities of
countermeasures, inventory tracking, and a replenishment plan for
existing stockpiles.
Mr. Speaker, as a doctor, former director of the Iowa Department of
Public Health, and military veteran, I can assure you I know full well
the necessity of medical countermeasures for treatment, diagnosis, and
maintaining the safety of our community.
The Department of Homeland Security has over 240,000 employees tasked
with jobs ranging from border and aviation security to emergency
response and cybersecurity, with one common goal: keeping America safe.
It is imperative that materials and processes are put in place to
protect the safety and welfare of employees and to
[[Page H3708]]
ensure effective pandemic and disaster planning and response for
mission continuity.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to join me in supporting this
commonsense bill, H.R. 3263.
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I urge
Members to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3263 is a measure that this country needs.
I believe all of us in this body can agree that protecting the health
and safety of DHS personnel is critical to homeland security, and to
that end, we must pass this bill.
Enactment of H.R. 3263 would strengthen medical countermeasure
protocols within the Department and help DHS prepare for and respond to
homeland threats.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 3263, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 3263.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas
and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
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