Quigley Initiatives to Prevent Future Pandemics Pass House

Language authored by U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05) to prevent the outbreak of future pandemics was included in the America COMPETES Act, H.R. 4521, and passed by the House of Representatives. COVID-19 is just the latest in a long line of zoonotic epidemics, joining SARS, MERS, Ebola, HIV/AIDS, and many others as pathogens that initially emerged from wildlife, making the jump to people directly or indirectly through activities such as the butchering or eating of wildlife. Quigley's initiatives passed today are aimed at decreasing the demand for wildlife as a food source to help prevent the next pandemic before it starts.

"As we enter year three of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must begin the crucial work of preventing the next zoonotic disease from emerging. I am thrilled that the House included two key provisions from my bill, Preventing Future Pandemics Act, in the America COMPETES Act," said Quigley. "These initiatives will position the US as leaders in protecting the world from future pandemics—our economy, our physical and mental well-being, and our very livelihoods depend on it."

Specifically, a provision from Quigley's Preventing Future Pandemics Act to authorize the hiring and international deployment of fifty U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Law Enforcement attachés to disrupt illegal wildlife trafficking abroad was included in the base text of the America COMPETES Act. An additional amendment based on the Preventing Future Pandemics Act and authored by Quigley was approved and passed by the House. The amendment will make it the official foreign policy of the United States to work with state and non-state partners to shut down commercial wildlife markets, end the trade in terrestrial wildlife for human consumption, and build international coalitions to reduce the demand for wildlife as food, recognizing that there are still rural communities around the world that lack adequate alternative food sources.

"The International Fund for Animal Welfare applauds Representatives Quigley, Upton, Meng, and Fortenberry for championing the inclusion of critical protections in the America COMPETES Act that will improve and strengthen our country's commitment to the environment and wildlife conservation, and safeguard human health," said Danielle Kessler, US Country Director for IFAW. "We call on legislators to retain these critical protections for wildlife and human health as the House and Senate versions of this bill are reconciled. These provisions represent a strong step toward a healthier world where animals and people can thrive together."

"The missing ingredient in the global campaign against the reckless and destructive operation of live wildlife markets around the world has been the leadership of the United States, but that's now poised to change. These markets are not simply an affront to animal welfare but a genuine pandemic threat, and the House's commitment in the America COMPETES Act to work with international partners in shutting them down throughout the world is a triumph of foresight, dedication and bipartisanship by Reps. Quigley, Meng, Upton, and Fortenberry," said HSLF President, Sara Amundson.

"The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) commends Representative Mike Quigley (D-IL) for his leadership in advancing U.S. policy to prevent primary spillover of pathogens and viruses from animals to people by ending the commercial live wildlife trade for human consumption while respecting the needs of Indigenous Peoples" said Kelly Keenan Aylward, Executive Director of Federal Affairs & Policy at the Wildlife Conservation Society. "Elevating the One Health approach to zoonotic surveillance and preventing viral spillover before human epidemics emerge is a cost-effective way to prevent future pandemics of zoonotic origins."

The America COMPETES Act will fix broken supply chains, start making more critical products in America, turbocharge American scientific and technological leadership, and strengthen our global competitiveness. The legislation reflects bipartisan work across committees: its major components include many bills that have already passed the House by strong bipartisan votes or have bipartisan cosponsors. It now heads to the Senate for a vote before it can be signed into law