Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Mitt Romney R-Utah, will introduce a bill to force President Donald Trump to appoint a coordinator to oversee global health as the coronavirus crisis continues.
The bill would also establish what it calls a "Global Health Security Interagency Review Council."
The legislation was also introduced in the House by Reps. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., and Steve Chabot, R-Ohio. The global health coordinator would be a member of the National Security Council.
"Our experience with coronavirus has exposed some glaring gaps in our nation's capacity to respond to a pandemic, and it is critical that we are better prepared to coordinate global responses and exert leadership to address future health threats," Romney said.
"By establishing a health security council and dedicating a new NSC position to developing global health strategies and coordinating responses, our bill will better prepare us to confront the spread of another infectious disease."
Murphy added, "The United States cannot prevent pandemics like COVID-19 from devastating our country if we don't adequately prepare and plan. We clearly weren't prepared in this case, and we cannot waste time in establishing new organizations in the federal government that can identify and prepare for health threats before they become domestic crises."
On Friday, the worldwide death toll for the pandemic crossed the 100,000 mark. In the U.S., more than 501,000 people have been sickened and the death toll is approaching 20,000.
Trump said he is putting together a plan to reopen the country so people can get back to work and the economy can bounce back.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.