>> NOW TO COVID-19 AND HOW
FEDERAL LAWMAKERS ARE
RESPONDING TO CERTAIN ASPECTS
OF IT INCLUDING THE
INTRODUCTION OF A BILL CALLED
THE MEDICAL SUPPLY CHAIN
SECURITY ACT DESIGNED TO
STRENGTHEN THE FLOW OF MEDICAL
SUPPLIES BY GIVING NEW
AUTHORIZATIONS TO THE FOOD AND
DRUG ADMINISTRATION.
AMONG OTHER THINGS THE BILL
GIVES THE FDA MORE POWER TO
LOCATE AND DIRECT THE FLOW OF
MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND REQUIRES
MEDICAL MANUFACTURERS TO NOTIFY
THE GOVERNMENT WHEN SUPPLIES
ARE RUNNING LOW.
THE BILL WAS INTRODUCED THIS
WEEK BY REPUBLICAN U.S.
REPRESENTATIVE MIKE GALLAGHER
WHO JOINS US FROM GREEN BAY AND
DEMOCRATIC U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
MARK POCAN WHO IS IN MADISON.
WELCOME TO YOU BOTH.
FIRST, REPRESENTATIVE POCAN,
WHY DID YOU INTRODUCE THE BILL?
>> MIKE REACHED OUT TO US AND
SENATOR HAWLEY INTRODUCED THE
BILL.
I'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH OUR
COMMITTEE ALL THINGS
CORONAVIRUS.
THERE IS A PROBLEM AROUND
SUPPLY CHAINS PERIOD.
WE KEEP TRACK OF DRUGS PRODUCED
IN CHINA BUT NOT THINGS LIKE
THE ACTIVE INGREDIENTS FOR
DRUGS THAT ARE MADE IN OTHER
PLACES.
AND WE DON'T KEEP TRACK OF
THINGS FOR MEDICAL DEVICES.
WHEN THIS BILL CAME OVER FROM
MIKE'S OFFICE WE WERE HAPPY TO
DO IT WITH HIM.
IT IS AN IMPORTANT INFORMATION
THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE WHETHER IT
BE ON DRUGS OR MEDICAL DEVICES.
IF WE DON'T KNOW IN A TIME LIKE
THIS OR ANY TIME IN THE FUTURE
YOU NEED TO KNOW WHERE THINGS
ARE PRODUCED SO YOU DON'T HAVE
SHORTAGES.
>> WHY DID YOU SPEARHEAD THIS?
>> COVID-19 PROVIDES AN ACUTE
ILLUSTRATION OF SOMETHING WE'VE
BEEN LEARNING OVER THE LAST
THREE YEARS OR WAKING UP TO,
WHICH IS THE FACT THAT A LOT OF
OUR SUPPLY CHAINS RUN THROUGH
BEIJING AND THEREFORE ARE
INHERENTLY FRAGILE.
AS WE ATTEMPT TO INCENTIVIZE
MORE DOMESTIC MANUFACTURING WE
SHOULD START WITH KEY NATIONAL
SECURITY TECHNOLOGY BUT MEDICAL
MANUFACTURING.
WE'RE LEARNING NOW THAT SO MANY
OF THE DRUGS WE RELY UPON, SO
MANY OF THE SIMPLE DEVICES THAT
WE NEED IN TIMES LIKE THIS,
WHETHER IT'S MASKS, REST PIR
ATEORS ARE OFTEN MASS PRODUCED
IN CHAIN.
YEAH UNACCEPTABLE WHEN YOU'RE
DEALING WITH SOMETHING LIKE
COVID-19.
A SMALL WAY WE CAN BEGIN TO
SHORE UP AND STRENGTHEN OUR
DOMESTIC MANUFACTURING
CAPABILITY AND KEEP CITIZENS
HEALTHY.
>> WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT
SHORTAGES IN PLACE NOW AS A
RESULT OF CORONAVIRUS OR
POTENTIALLY THREATENING OUR
RESPONSE TO IT?
>> A WEEK AGO FRIDAY I ASKED
THIS VERY QUESTION AT ONE OF
THE PANELS WE HAD.
WE KNOW THERE IS AT LEAST 20
DRUGS THAT ARE PROBABLY SOLELY
SOURCED IN CHINA.
THERE COULD BE SHORTAGES
BECAUSE OF PRODUCTION OVERALL
LIST OF 146 DRUGS AS OF A WEEK
AGO FRIDAY ON THAT LIST.
BUT WHAT WE DON'T KEEP TRACK OF
ARE THINGS LIKE MEDICAL DEVICES
WHICH IS WHY MIKE AND I HAVE
THIS BILL.
WE DON'T KEEP TRACK OF ACTIVE
INGREDIENTS.
A DRUG MAY BE PRODUCED IN INDIA
OR ANOTHER COUNTRY BUT THE
ACTIVE INGREDIENT IS STILL
PRODUCED IN CHINA.
WE DON'T KEEP TRACK OF THAT AT
ALL.
THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE
HAVE TO KNOW OR ELSE YOU COULD
HAVE SHORTAGES HERE IN THE
UNITED STATES OR YOU COULD EVEN
HAVE CHINA SAY THAT ANY
PRODUCTION IN CHINA THE
PRIORITY WILL STAY IN CHINA.
>> THIS LEGISLATION WOULD BE
FOR NEXT TIME THOUGH, RIGHT?
WE'RE CURRENTLY IN THE
CIRCUMSTANCE WE HAVE THE OVER
RELIANCE OF PRODUCTS MADE IN
CHINA.
>> WHY IT'S GOOD WE CAME
TOGETHER YESTERDAY BEFORE MARK
AND I LEFT D.C. TO PASS $8
BILLION IN EMERGENCY
SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING TO GET AT
THIS CRISIS.
$4 BILLION OF WHICH WOULD BE
GEARED TOWARDS RAPID PRODUCTION
OF TESTING.
IF YOU TALK TO OFFICIALS IN
HONG KONG AND IN KOREA, THEY
WILL SWEAR THAT FAST, RAPID
DEPLOYMENT OF TESTING IS THE
PATH TO GETTING A HANDLE ON
THIS.
THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO BE
DOING MORE.
I'M GLAD MOST OF OUR COLLEAGUES
CAME TOGETHER IN A BIPARTISAN
FASHION TO PROVIDE THE CDC AND
OTHER HEALTH OFFICIALS AT HHS
THE RESOURCES THEY NEED IN
ORDER TO DEVOLVE RESOURCES TO
THE STATES, COUNTY GOVERNMENTS
TO DO AS MUCH TESTING AS
POSSIBLE.
>> REPRESENTATIVE POCAN HOW
MUCH OF THAT $8 BILLION MIGHT
BE COMING WISCONSIN'S WAY?
>> NOT EXACTLY.
HOWEVER, AGAIN EVEN THAT MONEY
SOME OF IT IS GOING FOR
FIGHTING THE VIERS AND HELPING
LOCAL AND STATE HEALTH
DEPARTMENTS.
THE ISSUE WE HAVE RIGHT NOW
THAT WE REALLY HAVE TO FOCUS
THE MOST ON IS THE TESTING.
AND AS OF THIS WEEK THE NUMBERS
OF TESTS STILL AREN'T THAT MANY.
BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK IT'S AT
A LEVEL MORE USEFUL.
MY REAL CONCERN IS WE'RE NOT
PROACTIVELY TESTING MORE PEOPLE
ESPECIALLY PEOPLE IN MONTHS
HOSPITALS WHO HAVE
PNEUMONIA-LIKE SYMPTOMS.
THERE HAS BEEN BAD PRESS.
PEOPLE GONE TO GET A TEST,
TESTED NEGATIVE AND WOUND UP
WITH A $3200 BILL IS SPOOKING
PEOPLE.
WE DON'T HAVE ANSWERS FOR HOW
TO MAKE SURE NO ONE WOULD BE
TURNED AWAY BECAUSE THEY DON'T
HAVE THE RESOURCES.
IT IS DEFINITELY IN PROGRESS
AND WE FIGURE IT OUT.
MISSTEPS EARLY ON ESPECIALLY
AROUND TESTING.
BUT I AND A LOT OF MEDICAL
PEOPLE INCLUDING THE PERSON WHO
RAN THE EBOLA CRISIS, THE CZAR
DURING PRESIDENT OBAMA THINK WE
HAVE TO CHANGE FOCUS AND START
TESTING THESE PEOPLE AND WE'RE
NOT DOING THAT RIGHT NOW.
>> REPRESENTATIVE GALLAGHER DO
YOU AGREE TESTING IS THE KEY
RIGHT NOW?
>> WELL, I DO THINK TESTING IS
THE KEY.
WE HAVE AS I UNDERSTAND IT CDC
HAS LOOSENED SOME OF THE
REGULATIONS IN TERMS OF WHAT
FACILITIES ARE ALLOWED TO TEST.
I THINK ONE THING WE SHOULD
ALSO LOOK AT IN THIS SPACE IS
HOW DO WE WAIVE IF NOT LOWER
THE COST OF TELE HEALTH
PROCEDURES AS WE TRY TO PREVENT
COMMUNITY SPRAE.D I'M HEARING
FROM HOSPITAL SYSTEMS ARE
WORRIED ABOUT BEING IN
VIOLATION OF STARK LAW AND
TRYING TO DO MORE TELE HEALTH
SERVICES NOW.
WE'RE LEARNING A LOT OF THINGS
ABOUT THE SYSTEM NOT ALWAYS
OPERATING EFFICIENTLY BUT I'M
GLAD MARK AND I FAIR TO SAY
DISAGREE ON A LOT OF HEALTHCARE
RELATED ISSUES WERE ABLE TO
COME TOGETHER ON AN AREA WE
AGREE IN THE FACE OF SOMETHING
LIKE THIS.
PUT ASIDE PARTISAN DIFFERENCES
AND TRY TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR
WISCONSIN.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK OVERALL
THIS OUTBREAK HAS BEEN MANAGED
BY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION?
>> IT'S IN PROGRESS.
CLEARLY THERE HAVE BEEN SOME
MISSTEPS EARLY ON.
I WOULD BE MUCH HAPPIER IF THE
ONLY PEOPLE WHO WERE THE
SPOKESPERSONS TO THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE WERE DOCTORS.
DR. FAUCI HAS RESPECT FROM
DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS.
HAVING POLITICIAN BE THE
SPOKESPERSON IS NOT THE SAME
THING.
YOU SHOULDN'T GO TO WORK WITH
THE CORONAVIRUS.
THAT WOULD BE AN AWFUL IDEA.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR
EVERYONE TO KNOW IS WASH YOUR
HANDS, COUGH INTO YOUR ELBOW
AND DON'T TOUCH YOUR FACE.
IT IS MUCH HARDER.
AS THEY TOLD US THAT I WAS
HOLDING MY FACE IN MY HAND AT
THE BRIEFING.
IF WE FOLLOW THAT FOR MOST
PEOPLE WE ARE OEF IN GOOD SHAPE.
THE PROBLEM IS BY NOT KEEPING
TRACK EARLIER THIS WEEK WE QUIT
KEEPING TRACK OF HOW MANY
PEOPLE WE TESTED.
THEY'RE DOING THAT AGAIN.
CERTAIN POPULATIONS, OVER 60 OR
HEALTH AILMENTS.
15 TO 20% EVER PEOPLE WILL WIND
UP BEING HOSPITALIZED FOR THIS.
WE HAVE TO BE FOLLOWING THIS
VERY CLOSELY SO THAT THE
APPROPRIATE POPULATIONS ARE
PROTECTED.
>> REPRESENTATIVE GALLAGHER
THERE SEEM TO HAVE BEEN SOME
MIXED MESSAGES OUT OF THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION FROM THE
PRESIDENT HIMSELF THAT CONTRARY
TO WHAT SOME OF THE SCIENTIFIC
OR MEDICAL OFFICIALS ARE SAYING.
WHAT ABOUT THAT AND HOW SHOULD
CITIZENS KIND OF UNDERSTAND
WHAT'S GOING ON?
>> WELL, I THINK THE TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION WAS RIGHT TO
BEFORE LEANING ON THE TARGETED
TRAVEL BAN IN CHINA.
WE NOW HAVE THE SAME IN PLACE
FOR IRAN AND CERTAIN PARTS OF
THE ITALY AND SOUTH KOREA.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO
CONTINUE TO MONITOR.
BUT IN A GLOBALIZED ECONOMY
MARK AND I KNOW WE FLY ON
AIRPLANES TWICE A WEEK IT IS
HARD WHERE PEOPLE ARE FLYING
ALL THE TIME TO FULLY CONTAIN
THE SPREAD EVEN WITH A TAR
G*ETED TRAVEL BAN IN PLACE.
WHERE I THINK WE SHOULD BE MORE
FORWARD LEANING AS WE TRY TO
THINK ABOUT THE NEXT TIME
SHOULD THERE BE A NEXT TIME IS
LET US RECOGNIZE THAT THE
CHINESE COMMUNIST PARTY OUT OF
FEAR OF ITS OWN CITIZENS'
KNOWLEDGE HAS -- HAD REFUSED
THE HELP OF OUR EXPERTS AND EN
GAINING ERD GLOBAL HEALTH.
IT IS SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T BEEN
FORCEFUL ENOUGH SENDING THAT
MESSAGE TO EVERYONE AROUND THE
WORLD.
THE CCP IS A CORRUPT
ORGANIZATION THAT IS PEOPLE
ALL OVER THE WORLD.
>> WE NEED TO LEAVE IT THERE.
REPRESENTATIVE GALLAGHER