Health Care

Following the announcement by U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) today that he is launching an investigation into potential malpractice regarding minors at The Washington University Transgender Center at St. Louis Children's Hospital, Senator Hawley has sent a new letter tonight to the university chancellor, hospital president, and the center’s co-directors. “Starting immediately, your institutions must take steps to preserve all records, written and electronic,...

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar urging him to address mental health needs and combat the rising trend of substance abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic across America, including Missouri. The CARES Act appropriated $425 million to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) within HHS to boost services during the pandemic.

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (D-Nev.) joined Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) in applauding the Senate passage of the Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection Act, a bipartisan bill to track law enforcement suicides. The bill would require the FBI to collect voluntary, anonymous data on police suicides and attempted suicides from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to help prevent law enforcement suicides.

Senators Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) and Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), along with Representatives John Curtis (R-Utah), Mike Gallagher (R-Wisconsin), Ted Yoho (R-Florida), Jim Banks (R-IN), and Liz Cheney (R-WY) will introduce the Li Wenliang Global Public Health Accountability Act, legislation that would authorize the president to sanction foreign officials who suppress or distort information about international public health crises, including the Wuhan coronavirus. Bill text may be found here. “The Chinese Communist Party must be held accountable for misleading the world about the scope and danger of the coronavirus. Dr. Li Wenliang bravely tried to warn his country and the world about the spread and seriousness of this virus. We should honor his legacy and do our part to hold the CCP accountable for this pandemic.”

Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) introduced a resolution calling for an international investigation into the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) cover-up of the early spread of the coronavirus pandemic. Senator Hawley’s resolution calls on China to pay back all nations impacted because China lied about the spread of the virus. “Since day one, the Chinese Communist Party intentionally lied to the world about the origin of this pandemic. The CCP was aware of the reality of the virus as early as December but ordered laboratories to destroy samples and forced doctors to keep silent. It is time for an international investigation into the role their cover-up played in the spread of this devastating pandemic. The CCP must be held to account for what the world is now suffering.”

Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) sent a letter to Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Peter Gaynor requesting information on how the agencies plan to manage increased stresses on Missouri’s healthcare and hospital systems as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Senator Hawley expressed concerns about potential hospital staffing shortages that could lead to restrictions on care, asking the agencies to consider contingency measures, such as deploying medical response teams to the state.

Today in the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship hearing entitled “The Coronavirus and America’s Small Business Supply Chain,” U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) questioned panelists on the United States medical supply chain’s dependence on China.

As the Coronavirus outbreak raises concerns of medical supply shortages, Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) have introduced companion legislation to U.S. Senator Josh Hawley’s (R-Mo.) Medical Supply Chain Security Act. The bill would strengthen medical supply chains by giving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the authority to analyze sourcing locations of medical products and help more quickly bring products to market should shortages exist.

Today U.S. Senator Josh Hawley sent a letter to U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn demanding answers for how the FDA will mitigate potential drug and medical device shortages. The letter comes after Axios reported the recent outbreak of novel coronavirus has threatened the domestic supply of some 150 prescription drugs, including antibiotics, generics, and branded drugs. Some of these drugs do not have alternatives on the market.

Last week, I asked federal health and security officials about travel to and from China given coronavirus. With worsening conditions since then, it’s time to consider restricting all US commercial travel to and from China. Public health must be paramount.