CORY A. BOOKER sumesir Wnited States Senate March 3, 2020 The Honorable Mitch McConnell The Honorable Charles Schumer Majority Leader Minority Leader United States Senate United States Senate S-230, The Capitol S-221, The Capitol Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510 The Honorable Richard Shelby The Honorable Patrick Leahy Chairman, Vice Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriations Senate Committee on Appropriations S-128, The Capitol S-146A, The Capitol Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510. Dear Leader McConnell, Leader Schumer, Chairman Shelby, and Vice Chairman Leahy’ As you continue to work with the House of Representatives on preparing an emergency supplemental spending package to combat the novel coronavirus, I respectfully request that you include robust funding for state, local, territorial, and tribal health departments. This funding should be sufficient to both reimburse these entities for the money they have already spent on activities related to the novel coronavirus and to ensure that they have the funding needed to continue their preparedness and response efforts in the future While federal officials work to learn more about the novel coronavirus and coordinate nationwide preparedness activities, state, local, territorial, and tribal health departments are on the front lines responding to the virus and the disease it causes, COVID-19. For example, loc health workers across the country are actively tracking and monitoring thousands of people who may have been exposed to the novel coronavirus for symptoms. This includes daily check-ins, testing people with symptoms, and tracing the paths of infected patients to warn others who may have come in contact with the virus.'? For individuals who must be quarantined or isolated, state, local, territorial, and tribal governments also facilitate their medical transportation, housing arrangements, and other needs, including food, toiletries, and medications. As symptoms for COVID-19 may appear up to 14 days after exposure, public health workers must conduct these extensive monitoring effforts for each person for several weeks. Other activities that these " Harmon, Amy, and Farah Stockman, “All Hands on Deck’: Health Workers Race to Track Thousands of ‘Americans Amid Coronavirus.” The New York Times, 22 Fe. 2 https:/wwvw.nytimes.comy2020/02/22/us/coronavirus-local-health-response. html 2 Karlamangla, Soumya, “L.A. Heath Agencies Already Strained by Coronavirus. And I's Expected to Get Worse Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb, 2020, htips!/www Latimes.comvcalifornia/story’2020-02-29/coranavirus-covid|9- california-public-health-agencies-stainentities are responsible for include: outreach and communication; health systems coordination; and purchasing supplies, including personal protective equipment.> Fulfilling these responsibilities is costly and time-intensive. Some states have already spent more than $1 million on preparedness and response activities and others estimate that they will need much more. New Jersey officials, for example, estimate that the state will spend more than $2 million a month on basic preparedness and response efforts moving forward, As you know, New Jetsey’s Newark Liberty International Airport is one of 11 airports accepting passengers from China and conducting enhanced screening of passengers for possible COVID- 19 infection. Many health departments have also had to divert staff and other resources toward the novel coronavirus response, taking vital resources away from other pressing public health concerns. As the number of COVID-19 cases increases, the funding and resource needs will significantly increase as well. The most recent confirmed case in New York City is of particular concem for New Jersey's preparedness and response efforts, given that hundreds of thousands New Jersey residents commute into New York City on a daily basis. Failing to provide dedicated funding for the health departments doing this work on the ground could significantly hinder our nation’s ability to combat the novel coronavirus. On February 24, 2020, the Trump Administration sent Congress a $2.5 billion supplemental budget request for the novel coronavirus. This request was woefully inadequate. It lacked specific funding details for state, local, territorial, and tribal health departments, and it itresponsibly proposed to divert funds from other critical public health activities, including those to combat Ebola. I urge you to reject the Administration’ supplemental budget request as you continue to prepare the emergency supplemental spending package and include new, robust funding for preparedness and response activities, specifically for state, local, territorial, and tribal health departments. ‘As you know, our states and localities are on the front lines of preparing and responding to this global health threat and they deserve the resources necessary to ensure a full and proper response that does not come at the cost of other important health care functions. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to continuing to work with you on this important issue Sincerely, Cory A. Booker United States Senator * Local Health Departments Urge Adoption of Funding to Strengthen Public Health Capacity to Respond to the COVID-19 Outbreak. The National Association of County and City Health Officials, 1 Mar. 2020, ‘wwsw.naccho.org/uploads/downloadable-resources/FINAL,_Coronavirus-Funding-Request-to-Congress_3.1.20.paf. “ Fischler, Jacob. “States Counting on Reimbursements for Coronavirus Response.” Roll Call, 28 Feb. 2020, hhtips://www-rollcal.com/2020/02/28/states-counting-on-reimbursements-for-coronavirus-responsey.