Quigley, Meng Bipartisan Pandemic Prevention Initiatives Included in National Defense Authorization Act

A provision offered by U.S. Representatives Mike Quigley (IL-05) and Grace Meng (NY-06) to support the prevention of future pandemics was passed by the House of Representatives as part of the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The amendment is based on Quigley's Preventing Future Pandemics Act, which is aimed at decreasing the demand for wildlife as a food source to help prevent the next pandemic before it starts.

"We must prevent the next pandemic from ever emerging at all. Luckily, it can be stopped and this amendment is a vital step forward in that effort" said Quigley, Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government. "Over the last two years, Representative Meng and I have been working with a bipartisan group in the House and Senate on policies that will enhance our national security through the global prevention of zoonotic diseases like COVID-19 or Monkeypox. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted not only our personal health but also the safety of our entire nation, and by including key components of the Preventing Future Pandemics Act in the NDAA, we are taking action to shield us from future threat. I am proud to say this amendment passed with overwhelming bipartisan support because members of both sides of the aisle see the importance and urgency of this legislation."

"Today, we are one step closer to taking real action to prevent the next pandemic," said Meng, Vice Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations. "A vital lesson that we need to learn from COVID-19 is that we must fundamentally change the way that we interact with wildlife, globally. This critical bill makes it the United States' policy to work with everyone from foreign governments, the private sector, to NGOs to close wildlife markets and prevent the commercial trade of live wildlife, incorporating important priorities from my Global Pandemic Prevention and Biosecurity Act. This bill represents months of negotiations between members on both sides of the aisle and between the House and Senate to get to a final text that really makes progress on addressing wildlife markets. I thank Congressman Quigley for his leadership and partnership in our shared pursuit to prevent the next pandemic. I am excited to see the Preventing Future Pandemics Act pass the House as part of the FY23 NDAA and I look forward to seeing it become law."

COVID-19 is just the latest in a long line of zoonotic epidemics such as SARS, MERS, Ebola, HIV/AIDS, and many others that initially emerged from contact with wildlife. By taking steps to shut down commercial wildlife markets, end the trade in live wildlife for human consumption, build international coalitions to reduce the demand for wildlife as food, and deploy attachés to disrupt illegal wildlife trafficking abroad, Quigley's provisions can help prevent new zoonotic viruses from emerging.

"As the past two and a half years have shown us, there is little that is more important to our national defense or to international stability than protecting the public against pandemics," said Kate Wall, Senior Legislative Manager for IFAW. "Many public health approaches to pandemic response aim to contain an illness once it presents in human patients; the innovative language of the Preventing Future Pandemics Act (PFPA) goes a crucial step further. By disrupting risky human activities known to promote virus transmission from wildlife to human populations, the PFPA protects against viruses spilling over into people in the first place."

In addition to Quigley's pandemic prevention language, the FY22 NDAA:

• Supports an increase in military basic pay by 4.6% for service members, plus adds 2.4% inflation bonuses for those earning less than $45,000/year.
• Creates a victims' compensation fund to ensure survivors of interpersonal crimes have the financial resources they need for financial assistance, safe housing, and any property damage that may have occurred as a result of the crime.
• Includes $1 billion for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), which provides support and assistance to the Ukrainian Armed Forces — an increase of $700 million above the budget request.
• Codifies a $15 minimum wage for workers on federal service and construction contracts.