Chairman Thompson and Committee Democrats to Introduce Coronavirus Commission Legislation

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, released legislation he will be introducing in the coming days to establish an independent, bipartisan, Congressionally-chartered commission to produce a full and complete accounting of the nation’s preparedness and response to the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Given the magnitude of COVID-19 on all aspects of national life, this bipartisan Commission, modeled after the 9/11 Commission, will be charged with identifying and examining lessons learned from the COVID-19 response and producing a public report with recommendations to improve preparedness, response, and recovery from future pandemics.

Chairman Thompson, the author of the “Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007” (P.L. 107-53) released the following statement on the legislation:

“While we don’t yet know the full impact the coronavirus will have on the nation, already more Americans have been killed by the virus than died in the September 11, 2001 attacks. After those attacks, the 9/11 Commission was established to provide a full accounting of the circumstances surrounding the attacks and the Commission’s recommendations drove massive reforms to how we share intelligence and organize the government to counter terrorist threats. It is clear that we, as a nation, are at another inflection point. Americans today will again demand a full accounting of how prepared we were and how we responded to this global public health emergency. Americans will need answers on how our government can work better to prevent a similar crisis from happening again. This legislation we are introducing is the first step towards getting this done for the American people.”

The legislation will be co-sponsored by: Reps. Jackson Lee (D-TX), Langevin (D-RI), Richmond (D-LA), Payne (D-NJ), Rice (D-NY), Correa (D-CA), Slotkin (D-MI), Cleaver (D-MO), Barragan (D-CA), Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Clarke (D-NY), Titus (D-NV), Green (D-TX), and Demings (D-FL).

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