WASHINGTON, DC - The House Energy and Commerce Committee today announced a hearing before the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee for Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017, at 10 a.m. in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing is entitled, “Examining HHS’s Public Health Preparedness for and Response to the 2017 Hurricane Season."
#SubOversight will examine the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) preparedness for, and response to, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Members will also review HHS’ preparedness and response to the public health challenges that arose from the hurricanes, as well as identify lessons learned from past hurricanes and how they guided the department’s response so far this year.
During and following the recent series of hurricanes, committee leaders received bipartisan briefings covering a wide range of preparedness and response efforts. Those areas include: health care, energy, recovery efforts, damaged Superfund sites, and drinking water facilities.
Confirmed witnesses include:
* Robert P. Kadlec, M.D., Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;
* Scott Gottlieb, M.D., Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services;
* Kimberly Brandt, Principal Deputy Administrator for Operations, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; and
* Stephen C. Redd, M.D., RADM, Director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Both the Energy and Environment Subcommittees plan to announce hearings on state and EPA response efforts to the damage associated with this series of hurricanes.as they are posted.
