Washington, D.C. -On Wednesday, March 11, 2020, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the Chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, will hold a hearing to examine the Trump Administration’s preparedness for, and response to, the outbreak of novel coronavirus.
In the afternoon, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, will hold a hearing to examine reports of travel insurance companies refusing to cover consumers who cancel travel due to coronavirus.
BACKGROUND
* The first coronavirus case in the United States was reported on Jan. 21, 2020. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first instance of possible “community spread" of coronavirus in the United States on Feb. 26, 2020, meaning the origin of the patient’s exposure is unknown.
* Since December 2019, coronavirus has infected more than 109,000 people and killed more than 3,800 people in 105 countries.
* Press reports have indicated limited availability of testing kits, flaws in those that were made available, and narrow testing requirements, raising concerns about the Trump Administration’s readiness to efficiently and accurately diagnose coronavirus.
* Last week, Chairwoman Maloney, Economic and Consumer Policy Subcommittee Chairman Raja Krishnamoorthi, National Security Subcommittee Chairman Stephen F. Lynch, and Government Operations Subcommittee Chairman Gerry Connolly requested key data from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the CDC regarding the testing, diagnoses, and costs of treating coronavirus. They also sought information about how HHS plans to ensure that the uninsured and underinsured are tested and treated for coronavirus.
* In addition, on March 4, 2020, the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy sent letters to Allianz Global Assistance USA, Travel Guard Group, Inc., and Generali Global Assistance, Inc. regarding reports that travel insurance companies are not covering trip cancellations connected to coronavirus.
FULL COMMITTEE HEARING
WHERE: 2154 Rayburn House Office Building
WHEN: Wednesday, March 11, 2020
TIME: 9:30 a.m. EST
The hearing will broadcast live here.
WITNESSES
Dr. Anthony Fauci
Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
National Institutes of Health
Dr. Robert Redfield
Director
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Dr. Robert Kadlec
Assistant Secretary, Preparedness and Response
Department of Health and Human Services
Dr. Terry M. Rauch
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Readiness Policy and Oversight
Department of Defense
Mr. Chris Currie
Director, Emergency Management and National Preparedness
Government Accountability Office
SUBCOMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC AND CONSUMER POLICY
WHERE: 2154 Rayburn House Office Building
WHEN: Wednesday, March 11, 2020
TIME: 2:00 p.m. EST
The hearing will broadcast live here.
WITNESSES
Robert Gallagher (Invited)
Chief Executive Officer
Travel Guard Group, Inc.
Michael Nelson (Invited)
President and Chief Executive Officer
Allianz Global Assistance USA
Christopher Carnicelli (Invited)
Chief Executive Officer
Generali Global Assistance, Inc.
