H.R. 391 would require the president to develop and implement a strategy for advancing the Global Health Security Agenda, an international partnership to address global health threats posed by infectious diseases, which was launched by the United States and nearly 30 other nations in February 2014. One year later, the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals, which include specific reference to the importance of global health security. H.R. 391 would also require the president to: (1) create a new position within the U.S. government of “global health security strategy coordinator”; and (2) in cooperation with “relevant United Nations agencies, including the World Health Organization,” create a new “Fund for Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness.” U.S. contributions to the fund would be authorized by H.R. 391.
The House passed H.R. 391 on June 28, 2021 by a vote of 307 to 112 (Roll Call 188). We have assigned pluses to the nays because the Constitution does not authorize any spending for domestic healthcare, let alone international healthcare.
