News Release

Statement By Mike Leavitt
Secretary of Health and Human Services
On the Senate Passage of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act

I commend the Senate for passing S. 3678, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act. This bipartisan legislation complements important work that we have already begun to improve the BioShield program, as well as our overall preparedness against the threats of pandemic flu and bioterrorism.

Today, HHS is taking important steps forward to improve the way we do business -- to make the biodefense medical countermeasure development and procurement process more streamlined, more transparent and more predictable, in order that medical countermeasures may be developed and acquired more quickly.

S. 3678 is an important complement to these efforts, as it supports much needed late-stage research and development funding, and will allow us to make milestone-based advance payments under BioShield. It also supports our efforts to improve coordination of preparedness and response programs across the department.

I commend Senators Bill Frist, Harry Reid, Richard Burr, Michael Enzi, and Edward Kennedy for their work on this bill, and I look forward to working with Congress to resolve any remaining issues and clear the way for final passage of this bill this year.

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Last revised: December 5, 2006