Last month, U.S. Congressman Scott Peters (CA-52) was named a “2018 Congressional Biosecurity Champion” by the Alliance for Biosecurity for his leadership on calling attention to the nation’s biosecurity threats, promoting health security, and enhancing federal preparedness and response programs.

“We don’t know when public health emergencies will happen, but we know that they will. We need to close current gaps in preparedness that risk public health and national security in the event of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats or a pandemic outbreak. San Diego just experienced deadly Hepatitis A and flu outbreaks that claimed hundreds of lives. As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, I’m leading efforts to ensure we have the technology and resources to protect Americans from existing and emerging bio threats,” said Rep. Peters.

In July, Peters offered an amendment in the Energy and Commerce Committee to restore funding for the Public Health Emergency Fund, which helps the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) detect, prepare, and respond to public health emergencies. Rep. Peters is a member of the Congressional Biodefense Caucus, which is dedicated to strengthening our nation’s biodefense enterprise and national security.