Walden cheers House OK of pandemic prep, OTC drugs bill

Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., on Wednesday applauded House passage of legislation to improve America’s pandemic preparedness and modernize over-the-counter drug regulation.

On Tuesday, the House passed the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019 by a sweeping bipartisan vote of 401-71.

“The bipartisan Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019 will strengthen our nation’s emergency preparedness and response efforts and modernize the nation’s regulatory framework for over-the-counter drugs,” said Walden and his Democratic colleague on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Frank Pallone of New Jersey.

“Thanks to this legislation, our communities will be safer and better prepared for emergencies, and the Food and Drug Administration’s regulatory standards for OTC drugs will be modernized to better ensure consumer safety,” they added. “This package is the product of bipartisan compromise, and we urge our Senate colleagues to quickly take up this package and send it to the President’s desk for signature.”

The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019 reauthorizes programs under the Department of Health and Human Services to respond to pandemics such as Ebola and other biological threats. The legislation would also provide resources for the development of vaccines against deadly man-made or naturally occurring diseases and boost America’s biodefense capabilities.

This bill also modernizes the regulatory process for OTC drugs to help ensure consumers have better access to safe medications and treatments.

The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019 now awaits action in the Senate.