Biden administration launches COVID website for 1-stop info

Finally!

I guess they need to kill some more people with Trump’s vaccines. /half sarc

Where is the discussion amongst We The People in the leadup to creating this web site? I’ve heard of no congressional committees, no debate about should we do this, no discussion of costs (financial and otherwise), no bill/statute/amendment, no appropriations, no details.

Just popping up now, as a proclamation for the subjects from the King.

The Constitution enumerates 18 things, has 19 things it was given to do. We pay them for that. If they do 20, that 20th would be an emolument violation. But they are doing thousands of things. I’m going to presume that a covid website is among the added-on thousands.

I still haven’t received an answer on who proposed, the legislation allowing and the votes to approve the payment of $Billions to the Iranian Mullahs under the BHO “administration…”

Now that it’s over.

Pathetic.

“Finally!”

Was that sarcasm?

It’s a landing page for predominantly CDC pages, plus to free masks and a direct link to vaccines.gov.

Nothing more than just wasted $$.

I did, ironically, learn one thing from this page:

A bureaucracy within DHHS which was previously unknown to me.

Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) (apparently created in the latter of 2021, the web page first crawled in Dec 2021)

“The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) provides an integrated, systematic approach to the development of the necessary vaccines, drugs, therapies, and diagnostic tools for public health medical emergencies such as chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) accidents, incidents and attacks; pandemic influenza (PI), and emerging infectious diseases (EID).

Together with its industry partners, BARDA promotes the advanced development of medical countermeasures to protect Americans and respond to 21st century health security threats.”

The page links to “BARDA Ventures”

https://drive.hhs.gov/ventures.html

“ABOUT BARDA VENTURES
BARDA Ventures, extends BARDA’s core principle of public-private partnerships to the investment community, creating, for the first time at HHS, a venture-style partnership that can make quick, agile investment decisions and de-risk transformative technologies so that they can be used for health security needs.

Under this new program, BARDA will be working with a nonprofit partner, Global Health Investment Corporation (GHIC), to accelerate the development of medical countermeasures that address gaps in health security as well as meet commercial market needs.

GHIC will launch a global health security fund using BARDA Ventures funds as well as matching capital from other investors. As the technologies and companies generate investment returns, proceeds will be returned to GHIC for reinvestment. This structure will help establish sustained and long-term investments in technologies critical for combatting future public health threats.”

“DRIVe (Division of Research, Innovation, and Ventures) was established by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR), within the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).”

BARDA Ventures was first crawled in June of 2019, at which time it stated:

“BARDA DRIVe seeks your feedback on a potential new novel public-private partnership that leverages venture capital practices and methods to disrupt the way BARDA invests in health security innovation
BARDA’s DRIVe is pleased to announce the expansion of its market research effort to identify potential partners and capture feedback to support its newest novel public-private partnership, DRIVe Ventures. The release of the DRIVe Ventures request for information (RFI), is a key component of BARDA’s Medical Countermeasure Innovation Partnership (MCIP) enabled in the 21st Century Cures Act. DRIVe Ventures will be responsible for establishing and managing a venture capital fund dedicated to the development of a portfolio of innovative medical countermeasure products and technologies to address systemic healthcare challenges that impact our response to influenza, emerging infectious diseases, and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats. DRIVe Ventures, through a third-party non-profit fund, will provide dilutive investment into promising health security products and technologies to enhance national health security preparedness and response. The MCIP initiative is a key priority of ASPR and BARDA, helping to ensure we fulfil our mission to save lives and protect Americans from 21st century health security threats.

DRIVe Ventures will have the ability to leverage “venture capital practices and methods,” similar to a corporate venture capital model. It will identify, invest-in, and promote the development of innovative medical countermeasures and address systemic challenges to ensure medical countermeasures are accessible when and where needed to enhance national health security.

DRIVe Ventures seeks to link innovators and investors, leveraging partnerships and resources to address strategic needs of the federal government. By combining the forces of ASPR and BARDA with the ingenuity and experience of the venture capital community, DRIVe will accelerate the development of critical lifesaving medical countermeasures to increase the preparedness posture of the United States.

BARDA DRIVe wants to hear from the venture capital community, including, but not limited to, venture capital firms, corporate venture capital, impact venture capital funds, and non-profit strategic investors with experience identifying promising innovative products and technologies. If your team has experience leveraging venture capital practices and methods, respond to the RFI by March 4, 2019, 5:00pm ET.”

Link to the RFI is archived below, now redirected to “Contract Opportunities”:

https://web.archive.org/web/20190620160645/https://drive.hhs.gov/ventures.html

&

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)

https://aspr.hhs.gov/AboutASPR/LeadershipBiographies/Pages/Leadership-Disbrow.aspx

The director, Dr. Gary Disbrow, came from a project which originated in the wake of 9/11, Project Bioshield:

“Project BioShield was established to help incentivize private industry to develop vitally needed medical countermeasures by providing multi-year funding to support advanced research, clinical development, manufacture and procurement. Without this secure source of funding, companies do not have the incentive needed to develop the medical countermeasures that are critical to national security.

The Project BioShield Act was signed into law on July 21, 2004. Since its inception, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) within the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response has managed the program and worked to develop the strong partnerships, clear direction, and market incentives needed to make the program a success. Project BioShield funding is used to address national security threats as identified by the Department of Homeland Security’s Material Threat Determination process.”

It’s worth a look if you - like I - care about this ‘public-private’ boondoggle which has resulted in the current status quo.

https://www.phe.gov/about/barda/Pages/Project-Bioshield.aspx

2019 to 2029:
The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019 (PAHPAIA) increased the authorization for Project BioShield from $2.8 billion over five years to $7.1 billion over ten years. However, this funding has not yet been appropriated by Congress.

2014 – 2018:
The 2013 Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act (PAHPRA) authorized funding through 2018 for buying medical countermeasures under the Project BioShield Act, and increased the flexibility of the program to allow for the support of advanced research and development programs for potential medical countermeasures. Under PAHPRA, BARDA was appropriated $415 million for advanced research and development and authorized for $2.8 billion over five years for Project BioShield for FY 2014 through FY 2018.

2004 – 2013:
FY2004 Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act. (PDF - 162 KB) (PL 108-90) and supplement (PL 108-106 Sec. 1201) created an initial discretionary reserve of $5.6 billion to fund the program through fiscal year 2013.