Senate COVID Relief Proposal Includes $31 Billion for Medical Countermeasures

After returning from a month-long congressional hiatus, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) unveiled a proposed coronavirus relief package on Tuesday that includes $31 billion for COVID-19 medical countermeasures.

Of the $31 billion, $20 billion would go to HHS’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) for developing and manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics.

The Republican-led Senate is planning to vote on the proposal as soon as Thursday. However, the bill has been characterized as dead on arrival by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who issued a joint statement saying Democrats would never support the bill.

The proposed bill also includes $2 billion for strengthening the Strategic National Stockpile and a separate $2 billion for sustaining state medical stockpiles.

The bill includes an additional $6 billion for distributing COVID-19 vaccine distribution, and it would require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to come up with a vaccine distribution strategy within 60 days of the bill’s enactment.

The newly unveiled Senate bill would also require reports on Operation Warp Speed every 30 days until funding for the initiative is fully spent. The reports would have to include Warp Speed funding obligations by each department or agency that is involved in the program. — Jordan Williams