III 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 579 

Encouraging the international community to remain committed to collaboration and coordination to mitigate and prevent the further spread of 

COVID–19 and urging renewed United States leadership and participation in any global efforts on therapeutics and vaccine development and 

delivery to address COVID–19 and prevent further deaths, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 14, 2020 

Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. SCHUMER, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. 

MENENDEZ, Mr. MURPHY, Ms. DUCKWORTH, Mr. COONS, Mr. UDALL, 

Mr. BENNET, Mr. BOOKER, Mr. VAN HOLLEN, Mr. BLUMENTHAL, Mr. 

REED, Mrs. GILLIBRAND, Mr. CASEY, Mr. BROWN, Ms. HASSAN, Mrs. 

FEINSTEIN, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. HEINRICH, Ms. WARREN, Mr. CARDIN, 

Ms. HIRONO, Mr. MARKEY, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. WYDEN, Ms. CORTEZ

MASTO, Mr. SANDERS, Mrs. SHAHEEN, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Ms. ROSEN, 

Mr. KAINE, Ms. SMITH, Mr. KING, Mr. WARNER, Mr. SCHATZ, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Mr. MERKLEY, and Mr. CARPER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Encouraging the international community to remain committed to collaboration and coordination to mitigate and 

prevent the further spread of COVID–19 and urging 

renewed United States leadership and participation in 

any global efforts on therapeutics and vaccine development and delivery to address COVID–19 and prevent 

further deaths, and for other purposes. 


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Whereas there is a rich history of coordinated global health 

collaboration and coordination, dating back to 1851, to 

strategically and effectively combat deadly diseases of the 

time, such as the spread of plague; 

Whereas the United States has long been an active and critical leader in such global public health efforts, providing 

financial and technical support to multilateral institutions, foreign governments, and nongovernmental organizations; 

Whereas international collaboration has led to a number of 

historic global health achievements, including the eradication of smallpox, the reduction of polio cases by 99 percent, the elimination of river blindness, the decline in maternal and child mortality, the recognition of tobacco as 

a health hazard, and countless others; 

Whereas there has been bipartisan support in the United 

States to lead efforts to address global health needs, as 

evidenced by initiatives such as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the President’s Malaria Initiative; 

Whereas, most recently, the United States led the global effort to stem the spread of Ebola, thereby avoiding a global pandemic and American deaths; 

Whereas these bipartisan investments in global health have 

helped not only save countless lives around the world, but 

also at home in the United States; 

Whereas an outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID– 

19) was first identified in December 2019, with a global 

pandemic declaration by the World Health Organization 

on March 11, 2020; 


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Whereas at least 82,400 individuals in the United States are 

known to have died due to COVID–19 as of May 13, 

2020, and a long-term, sustainable solution will require 

international access to a vaccine; 

Whereas the COVID–19 outbreak continues to place extreme 

pressure on health care systems and supply chains worldwide, impacting international travel, trade, and all other 

aspects of international exchanges, and requiring a coordinated global effort; 

Whereas the interconnectivity of our globalized world means 

an infectious disease can travel around the world in as 

little as 36 hours; 

Whereas United States Federal agencies have engaged in and 

supported certain research and clinical trial efforts into 

coronaviruses, which may yield potential discoveries related to vaccine candidates; 

Whereas domestic and domestically supported vaccine candidates for COVID–19 only comprise a small fraction of 

the potential COVID–19 vaccine candidates undergoing 

studies worldwide; 

Whereas only international collaboration and coordination can 

ensure equitable access to safe, effective, and affordable 

therapeutics and vaccines, thereby saving Americans and 

others around the world; 

Whereas the United States has not yet joined ‘‘Solidarity’’, 

an international clinical trial to rapidly identify effective 

treatments for COVID–19; 

Whereas the United States has not yet joined the Coalition 

for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, an innovative 

global partnership which works to accelerate the development of vaccines against emerging infectious diseases and 


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enable equitable access to these vaccines for people during outbreaks; 

Whereas United States opposition to stronger international 

efforts to combat COVID–19 has created a rift within 

the Group of 20 and undermined such collective efforts 

and possible access for the United States to their successes; 

Whereas, on April 24, 2020, the United States declined to 

participate in a virtual event led by a number of multilateral institutions, government leaders, and public health 

and industry leaders from around the world to accelerate 

new COVID–19 health technologies; 

Whereas, on May 4, 2020, the United States declined to participate in a subsequent virtual summit led by the President of the European Commission, where nations around 

the world—excluding the United States—pledged more 

than $8,000,000,000 to quickly develop vaccines and 

treatment to fight COVID–19; and 

Whereas, on June 4, 2020, the United Kingdom will host another virtual international summit on accelerating the development of a vaccine for COVID–19, including to support GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes the historic leadership role of the 

3 United States in stemming global health crises in 

4 the past; 

5 (2) commends the historic achievements of the 

6 international community in addressing global public 

7 health crises, such as the eradication of smallpox 


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1 and dramatic progress in reducing cases of polio and 

2 Ebola; 

3 (3) encourages the international community to 

4 remain committed to collaboration and coordination 

5 to mitigate and prevent the further spread of 

6 COVID–19; 

7 (4) commends the promising research underway 

8 to develop COVID–19 therapies and a vaccine within 

9 the United States and with support from Federal 

10 agencies; 

11 (5) acknowledges the vast international re12 search enterprise and collaboration underway to 

13 study an expansive range of drug and vaccine can14 didates; 

15 (6) urges renewed United States leadership and 

16 participation in any global efforts on therapeutics 

17 and vaccine development and delivery to address 

18 COVID–19 and prevent further American deaths; 

19 and 

20 (7) calls on the United States Government to 

21 boost funding for, and strengthen collaboration with, 

22 key multilateral institutions at the forefront of re23 sponding to COVID–19 such as the Coalition for 


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1 Epidemic Preparedness Innovations; GAVI, the Vac2 cine Alliance; and the Solidarity trial. 

Æ 


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