Congressman Ami Bera

As a leader on the Foreign Affairs Committee, co-chair of the Tuberculosis Caucus, and a founding member of the Congressional Global Health Research and Development Working Group, Congressman Bera has been a leading champion in Congress for global health innovation. Long before the COVID-19 pandemic brought global health security to the fore, Rep. Bera advocated for proactive US investments in strengthening health preparedness. When the Trump administration proposed cutting Ebola funds that were financing global health security programs and dismantling a key National Security Council global health office, he led congressional opposition to these plans. When COVID-19 emerged, he sounded the alarm bells, chairing the first congressional hearing on the crisis. From the beginning of the pandemic, Rep. Bera has consistently championed the need for the US government to support the international response, including globally focused research efforts. He has fought for funding for the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and introduced legislation to authorize US participation in it.

As a medical doctor and first-generation American, Rep. Bera appreciates the difference access to health interventions can make in the lives of people worldwide. “As a doctor, I believe the greatest symbol of American leadership is our investment in global health,” he said.