Medill News Service article - Published: Nov. 6, 2001

Anti-terror measure to help health system, Schakowsky says

By Patrick Cooper
Medill News Service

Chicago-area Rep. Jan Schakowsky said Tuesday that a $7 billion Democratic proposal before the House of Representatives is necessary to adequately fund domestic health and security measures against bioterrorism.

Standing outside the Uptown Neighborhood Health Center, 845 W. Wilson Ave., Schakowsky said the Bioterrorism Protection Act, or BioPAct, most importantly would ease current and future burdens on the health care system.

"We are clearly underprepared to meet the potential challenges ahead," she said, pointing out long lines of patients at the Health Center. "Our current capacity is strained even without any type of threat."

But with the specter of bioterrorism laying heavy on the public mind, the legislation would spend $3.5 billion on national security and an equal amount on improving the readiness of public health systems.

"The anthrax scare has dramatically and intensely focused our attention on our public health infrastructure," said Schakowsky, who represents the 9th Congressional District. The money for the health systems would "only be a down payment on the needed improvements."

Created by the Democratic Homeland Security Task Force, of which Schakowsky is a member, the bill would finance federal efforts to boost local preparedness and national communications to face bioterrorist threats.

On the public health side, the bill would spend $1.4 billion to make vaccines and treatments available to all Americans, $1 billion to prepare emergency response workers and facilities, $600 million to encourage emergency planning and coordination, and $500 million to strengthen surveillance, communications and technology in the health system.

In broader security measures, the bill appropriates $1.1 billion for intelligence efforts, $870 million for law enforcement agencies, $800 million to secure food and water supplies, and $720 million to help the military handle domestic terrorism situations.

BioPAct will have to compete in Congress with a bill sponsored in the Senate by Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican, and Edward M. Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat. The Frist-Kennedy bill would spend $1 billion to aid public health systems.

The Bush administration has proposed a plan that includes $509 million to acquire enough smallpox vaccine for every American and $630 million for expanding the national supply of emergency equipment and medicine.

Schakowsky claimed, however, that the Bush plan would put only $175 million toward state and local health systems. "We simply cannot do this on the cheap," she said.

When asked how BioPAct would be paid for, the congresswoman said federal officials had to allocate the necessary funds. "The public health infrastructure is going to have to be paid for by public dollars."

"A good public health system involves the public," said Dr. Quentin Young, former president of the American Public Health Association. Speaking with Schakowsky, Young called the state of government health systems "undernourished, underfunded and underappreciated."

Although scheduled to attend, Chicago Public Health Commissioner Dr. John L. Wilhelm did not appear. Schakowsky instead read from a letter Wilhelm sent to her that said he felt "distress regarding the administration's proposal."