[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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