A bipartisan pair of senators introduced legislation on Friday that would require President Trump Donald John TrumpObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE to appoint a global health coordinator and create an inter-agency council charged with preparing for pandemics.



The bill, from Sens. Chris Murphy Christopher (Chris) Scott MurphyDemocratic senator calls for 'more flexible' medical supply chain to counter pandemics The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Facebook - Don't expect a government check anytime soon GOP chairman to release interim report on Biden probe 'in about a week' MORE (D-Conn.) and Mitt Romney Willard (Mitt) Mitt RomneySenate Republicans face tough decision on replacing Ginsburg McConnell says Trump nominee to replace Ginsburg will get Senate vote GOP-led panel to hear from former official who said Burisma was not a factor in US policy MORE (R-Utah), comes after the White House garnered criticism in the midst of the coronavirus for a 2018 decision to disband the National Security Council's global health unit, a decision former national security adviser John Bolton John BoltonDiplomacy with China is good for America The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by The Air Line Pilots Association - Pence lauds Harris as 'experienced debater'; Trump, Biden diverge over debate prep DOJ launches probe into Bolton book for possible classified information disclosures MORE characterized as a "streamlining."



"We clearly weren't prepared in this case, and we cannot waste time in establishing new organizations in the federal government that can identify and prepare for health threats before they become domestic crises," Murphy said in a statement.

Romney added that the U.S. response to the coronavirus had "exposed some glaring gaps in our nation’s capacity to respond to a pandemic."

"By establishing a health security council and dedicating a new NSC position to developing global health strategies and coordinating responses, our bill will better prepare us to confront the spread of another infectious disease," he said.



The bill would require Trump to create a Global Health Security Agenda Interagency Review Council, which would meet at least four times a year and consist of officials from across the federal government, to provide recommendations on and help carry out global health policy.



Trump would also have to appoint a coordinator for global health security, who would be responsible for coordinating the administration's response to global health emergencies, and would brief Congress at least twice a year.



Romney and Murphy are urging Trump to make the coordinator a person who has a "significant background and expertise in public health or emergency response management" and is a National Security Council employee.



The bill also reaffirms that global health is a "core national security interest" for the United States, and that it should be U.S. policy to work with other countries to detect and prevent the spread of the disease and to prevent infectious disease outbreaks.