Sen. Ed Markey Edward (Ed) John MarkeySchumer: 'Nothing is off the table' if GOP moves forward with Ginsburg replacement Democrats see fundraising spike following Ginsburg death Democratic senator calls for eliminating filibuster, expanding Supreme Court if GOP fills vacancy MORE (D-Mass.) introduced legislation on Thursday requiring the administration to appoint a permanent pandemic prevention and response coordinator to the National Security Council (NSC) amid concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.

The proposed legislation follows President Trump Donald John TrumpUS reimposes UN sanctions on Iran amid increasing tensions Jeff Flake: Republicans 'should hold the same position' on SCOTUS vacancy as 2016 Trump supporters chant 'Fill that seat' at North Carolina rally MORE’s decision in 2018 to scrap the post, which was first created under the Obama administration to combat the Ebola crisis.

“Had the Trump administration not eliminated the global health chief position on the NSC in 2018, our response to the coronavirus pandemic would have been swifter and better informed,” Markey said in a statement. “This coronavirus is not the first, and will not be the last biothreat we face. The outcome will be inevitably better both for this outbreak and the next if we have in place a single qualified individual to help lead our global health efforts at the highest levels of our federal government.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Trump’s decision to eliminate the NSC position was thrust into the spotlight last week when he was pressed on why he disbanded the pandemic response team. While responsibility for monitoring threats from infectious diseases was shifted to another group within the NSC, the move was reportedly interpreted as a downgrading of his administration’s focus on global health security.

“Well, I just think it’s a nasty question,” Trump fired back when asked about the closure at a press conference. “I don’t know anything about it. I mean, you say we did that. I don’t know anything about it. Disbanding, no, I don’t know anything about it.”

The Trump administration faces lingering criticism over its early response to the coronavirus, with critics specifically pointing to what they say was a slow rollout of test kits.

More than 10,000 confirmed coronavirus cases have been reported in the U.S. as on Thursday morning, and more than 140 people have died, according to The New York Times’s tally.