Congressman Robert Garcia Reintroduces Bills to Bolster Public Health Infrastructure and Enhance Pandemic Preparedness

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) announced the reintroduction of the Fast-Track Logistics for Acquiring Supplies in a Hurry (FLASH) Act and Surveilling Effluent Water for Epidemic Response (SEWER) Act in the 119th Congress. The FLASH Act will help the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) cut through red tape to quickly buy critical medical materials during emergencies in future public health crises. The SEWER Act will fund the work of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Wastewater Surveillance System to conduct wastewater surveillance testing across the nation for potential disease outbreaks. The full text of the FLASH Act can be found here and the SEWER Act here.

“As the Mayor of Long Beach at the height of the pandemic, I saw first-hand how communities struggled to secure protective equipment and testing kits without federal support. Now more than ever, we need to be prepared for future public health crises,” said Congressman Garcia. “Our country faces the prospect that a raging anti-vaxxer will oversee the health and well-being of all Americans, and scientists are warning that the ongoing bird flu outbreak could potentially mutate into widespread danger for human health. Now is the time to implement improved prevention and response efforts to address future public health crises.”

These bills will strengthen our nation’s public health infrastructure and bolster responses to future pandemics and public health crises. These pieces of legislation are being introduced as vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is at his confirmation hearing to become the next Secretary of HHS, while a nationwide outbreak of bird flu has caused devastating effects on our poultry industry and is sparking cases of human infection. 

Congressman Garcia remains committed to protecting our nation’s public health and strengthening response efforts. Congressman Garcia previously introduced the FLASH Act and the SEWER Act in the 118th Congress to enhance testing, bolster prevention, and protect communities from future pandemics. Last year, Congressman Garcia hosted a panel of experts in public health and pandemic response to discuss the lessons learned from COVID-19 and what needs to be done to prepare for future pandemics. Congressman Garcia served on the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, where he oversaw the Trump administration's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the $2.2 trillion economic stimulus and rescue legislation, defended public health officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci, and worked to ensure that future pandemic responses were sustainable and grounded in scientific evidence. As Mayor of Long Beach, Congressman Garcia played a key role during the COVID-19 pandemic, collaborating with the city's independent health department to protect lives. In 2020, the White House recognized Congressman Garcia’s pandemic response as the best in the nation.

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