Rochelle Wallenski says willing to answer ‘reasonable and reasonable’ questions about pandemic response
Rochelle Wallensky the head of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, she said It’s aimed at responding to a series of investigations that House Republicans plan to launch next year in the Biden administration’s pandemic response.
“I’m a scientist, a doctor, and a public health worker for the country,” Wallenski said yesterday in an interview with a Washington Post staffer. and I will be happy to answer them as long as I can help answer them.”
Key Republican leaders have been open about their plans to scrutinize everything from the origins of covid-19 to federal funding to support research done at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Warenski’s agency top of list House Republicans, deeply skeptical of the nation’s scientists, will soon have the power to coerce testimony and obtain documents for the first time since the pandemic began, making it one of the party’s oversight priorities.
2nd anniversary yesterday president Biden Warenski’s choice, a widely respected infectious disease expert and head of the nation’s public health agency.During her tenure she came under attack from both Democrats And Republican lawmakers are criticized for failing to clearly communicate the CDC’s changing pandemic guidance, which could draw renewed attention in Republican investigations.
manager James Comer (R-Ky.) — officially elected yesterday to head the chamber’s chief investigative committee — called the CDC a “seriously flawed agency,” in a recent statement to The Health 202. Help other panels in the jurisdiction develop new policies.
During the interview, Wallenski said there were widespread misconceptions about the CDC’s mandate, and sometimes defended the sprawling organization. Ahead of the investigation, CDC officials said they were working to educate members about the powers available to agencies and where lawmakers can help.
for example: Citing the inability to provide hazard pay to Ebola frontline workers in Uganda, Wallenski said government agencies do not have the authority to provide hazard pay and hazard pay. The CDC chief also said the agency does not have direct hiring authority to speed up the hiring process for hard-to-fill positions or emergencies.
“While talking to members on both sides of the aisle, [they] I didn’t really realize that our hands were tied,” Warenski said.
She reiterated that government agencies do not have the authority to mandate data reporting from states or other jurisdictions. Messy and incomplete data has hampered the federal government’s response to the pandemic, and agencies have been consistently criticized for their lack of agility, including not sharing real-time data they collect quickly. .
The Republican oversight will come as Wallenski recently calls for a cultural overhaul at the agency based on an internal investigation he ordered in April. Wallenski acknowledged the CDC’s shortcomings this summer and announced plans to make it more agile and accountable, including releasing scientific findings more quickly and making clearer recommendations.
The key question is what does such a GOP probe yield? Some experts say some of that will likely amount to putting points on political scoreboards, while other efforts will focus on trying to understand White House decision-making. There is a possibility that you are guessing
Anand Parekh Chief Medical Advisor of Bipartisan Policy Centerhis overall sentiment, said oversight could be productive if lawmakers focused on public health, preparedness, and how to strengthen institutions. It’s a matter of resolution.
Tom Frieden Director of CDC under former president barack obama, I know what it’s like to be scolded in the Capitol. During the congressional inquiry, he said it was essential to be “honest about the mistakes you’ve made.”
- “When it comes to Congress, it’s important to have a better understanding of how the CDC works, what it does, and what its strengths and weaknesses are.” Frieden, Chief Executive Officer, said: decided to save his life Global Health Initiative. “You want a more honest fact-finding than sensational stand-up.”
On tap tomorrow: of House Select Subcommittee on Coronavirus Crisis Release the final report under Democratic control and announce plans for public hearings and business meetings. A spokesperson for the panel said the panel’s report will include new information obtained during the panel’s investigation and will include recommendations on how to better prepare for future public health emergencies. I was.
From reporter’s note
Our colleague Merrill Cornfield sent us the following news from the National Drug Policy Office.
New am: The White House today launched a nationwide dashboard on non-fatal opioid overdoses. This is the first attempt to publicly warn communities at risk from deadly drugs.
of National Drug Control Policy Office, partnership with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, It uses electronic patient care records from EMS reports to provide accounts of non-fatal overdoses at the state and county level. provide a clean look and 182,000 the last 12 months.
White House drug lord Rahul Gupta told reporters the data could help officials decide where to send overdose drug naloxone and other life-saving services. “This will give first responders, clinicians and policy makers real-time actionable information to improve responses and ultimately save lives,” he said.
The database also includes the average number of times each patient receives naloxone, how long it takes paramedics to reach the patient, and the percentage of patients who are not hospitalized. The dashboard is updated every Monday and he is two weeks behind real time.
Pentagon frustrated with possible rollback of military vaccine mandate
The White House is outraged over the near-certainty that Congress will strip its military personnel of the coronavirus vaccine mandate. Our colleague said he didn’t say whether Biden’s signature on . Dan Ramos, Alex Horton When Caron Demirzian report.
of reversal approaching — spurred by Republicans who had threatened to block the passage Approval of the $858 Billion Defense Authorization Act — Building a Rat’s Nest in the Pentagon. If the bill is signed into law, the commander-in-chief, who was tasked with carrying out his duties, will be asked whether and how to allow those already disengaged from the armed forces to return to uniform for refusing to follow orders. You are faced with the daunting task of evaluating whether to allow
- almost 8,500 According to the latest service data, a service member was dismissed for refusing vaccination.
- Managing overseas dispatches would be a nasty logistical headache, especially in countries that require vaccinations for visitors, officials said.
signal comes despite the opposition From both Biden and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austinwarned that rolling back policy could undermine military readiness and endanger national security. Carine Jean-Pierre The administration said it believed it would be a mistake to abolish the mandate.
Privately, some military personnel were further pointed out“I look like a clown now,” said a pleading naval officer 2,000 soldiers Under his orders to obtain vaccines, lawmakers implied that by reversing duties, they weakened the military’s ability to strengthen and maintain order and discipline. If I do, my sailors will have trouble trusting me in the future,” the officer added.
Barry Loudermilk Rep. (R-Ga.):
Ending mandatory vaccination is a step in the right direction. But I agree with House Speaker-elect McCarthy. We should go further. Those discharged for not taking Vax should be allowed to return to work without retaliation. https://t.co/n3CCWCLGnvt
— Rep. Barry Loudermilk (@RepLoudermilk) December 7, 2022
Senate Democrats Survey Pandemic Preparedness
New am: Democratic staffers on the Senate’s Chief Oversight Committee have called for clarification of the agency’s role in pandemic preparedness and response, as well as a national response to infectious diseases, to help the federal government prepare for the next public health emergency. It recommends a number of changes, including modernizing the monitoring system.
The recommendations are part of a comprehensive 241-page report released this morning, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs It concludes that despite repeated warnings, the United States has failed to invest enough in public health preparedness across multiple administrations. It also blamed the Trump administration for the federal government’s initial response, which “did not reflect the severity of the crisis and ultimately failed to effectively mitigate the spread of COVID-19.”
Other recommendations include reorganizing the Department of Health and Human Servicesto reform strategic national stockpiles at the federal and state levels and standardize national health data collection and reporting processes.
What we see: Sen. Gary Peters The chairman of the committee (D., Michigan) said the future of congressional action following the report was unclear, but he identified the country’s supply chain as a top priority for potential bipartisan legislation. mentioned the strengthening of
- The Biden administration Court submission He plans to appeal the federal judge’s ruling yesterday. Drop the use of the pandemic-era border deportation policy known as Title 42. Earlier this year, the CDC was looking to end the order.
- Democrats in the House and Senate cash flow up Social Security Administration Increase personnel, improve technology and expand other investments after post Lisa Rain We detailed the crisis at the little-known state office that processes Americans’ disability claims.
- Pfizer said yesterday that the Food and Drug Administration quickly track that review The agency said it expects to make a decision by May on the company’s application for an RSV vaccine for the elderly.
- Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani was the second-in-command who disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes. As the story of the blood testing startup came to an end, our colleague was sentenced to almost 13 years in prison for wire fraud. Rachel Lerman I am writing.
What bodybuilders do to their bodies and brains (Bonnie Berkowitz and William Neff l The Washington Post)
ARPA-H’s new director wants more jobs (by Sarah Owermohle | Stat).
Organization Leading Covax May End Vaccine Sharing Initiative (Claire Parker | Washington Post)
thank you for reading! see you tomorrow.
