In Brief
Annual Meeting Session: Global Pandemic Response: Charting a Path Forward Using Guides from the Past and Present
Join us on Wednesday, February 24th at 12:00pm, as the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) hosts a panel to look at the global challenges facing a successful pandemic strategy. Can the lessons from other pandemics provide a framework for international cooperation? Can a strategy be developed that addresses both public health concerns and doubts in the general populace about the safety/efficacy of new interventions? Hear from global experts in science and policy as they weigh in on the challenge ahead.
Panelists:
- Thurka Sangaramoorthy, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Maryland
- Patrick McTamney, AstraZeneca
- Felix Rey, Head of Structural Virology, Pasteur Institute, France
- Arturo Casadevall, Chair, Molecular Microbiology & Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Invited
Annual Meeting Session: Responding to the Coronavirus Threat through Investments in Fundamental Biomedical Research
Join us again on Friday, February 26 at 12:00pm for a panel session focused on how to effectively contain and limiting the spread of COVID-19, as well as responding to future pandemics by emerging, as yet unknown, infectious diseases, will require substantial increases in our knowledge of how this virus and other pathogens infect humans, how the human immune system responds to infection, and how to leverage this understanding to develop new vaccines and drugs. These needs can only be addressed by substantial increased funding for fundamental biomedical research, as supported through congressional appropriations to federal agencies such as the NIH, NSF and DOE.
Panelists:
A 50-50 Senate Opens Opportunities for Power Sharing Agreements
With the Georgia runoff elections now finalized, the balance of power in the Senate is in a tricky, but not unprecedented situation. In fact, we must only look back as far as President George W. Bush’s first term for to the power-sharing agreement that will likely serve as roadmap as they begin negotiations over chamber operations and committee assignments.
In 2001, when the Senate was evenly split with Vice President Dick Cheney breaking the tie, Republican Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS), and Democratic Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) reached a compromise on committee membership and provided equal resources for both parties. The majority held committee chairmanships, but membership on committees was divided evenly between Democrats and Republicans, while staff and resources were also split equally. The majority leader was able to bring legislation to the floor even if there was a tie in committee.
As Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is set to become Majority Leader on January 20, he will consult the caucus to assess feelings over power-sharing models. As per Senate parliamentary procedures, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris would preside over the Senate and cast any tie-breaking vote.
Untangling Trump Era Policies
As we prepare for the start of the Biden Administration on January 20, outgoing President Trump’s regulations, guidance, and executive orders have come under renewed scrutiny from the incoming administration and stakeholders.
Executive orders issued by the president, for example, can be summarily overturned by the new president. Agency “guidance” can similarly be overwritten in short order. Harder to change are formal regulations, which are governed by the Administrative Procedure Act and must undergo specific and frequently time-consuming bureaucratic processes before finalization. New administrations thus face a bandwidth problem as departmental regulations must go through the leadership in each department, as well as through the Office of Management and Budget for technical review, cost-benefit analysis, and legal review.
A morass of Trump Administration executive orders and policies will be vying for top billing to be undone first. How the issues will be prioritized by President-Elect Biden remains to be seen.
President-Elect Focuses on Bipartisanship
With control of the Senate resting on the slimmest of margins, there had been some speculation that Democrats would rely on budget reconciliation to move COVID-19 relief forward. Yet on Monday, January 12, President-Elect Biden signaled his intention work with Republicans to pass a bipartisan solution. While this will likely mean that a more modest relief package is enacted, it would be a clear indication of Biden’s intent to work with both sides of the aisle. Democrats will need bipartisan support for any measures requiring a supermajority (67 votes) in the Senate or to override any potential veto (60 votes).