Greg Burel retired as director of the Strategic National Stockpile at the end of 2019, and in an article for Domestic Preparedness Journal he makes a compelling argument for more than supplemental funding for preparedness
“There is now no more time to wait, to deliberate, or to put off funding a routine capability in the SNS and across federal agencies to acquire, sustain, and maintain capability to sufficiently respond to pandemic events. Congress must ensure that the SNS and the broader health response agencies have adequate funding for all stages of pandemic preparedness and response. This imperative must include funding to cover needs from basic personal protective equipment in the response to the development, procurement, and deployment of new specific medical interventions. In the supplemental funds delivered by Congress to fight the COVID-19 pandemic lies a critical opportunity – one the nation cannot afford to waste.”
We don’t doubt that he made similar arguments during his two decades as head of the SNS, but it’s too bad we’re now seeing the results of Congressional failures to fund.