The Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, which Congress created in 2022 after the COVID-19 pandemic to make sure we're never caught flat-footed by a devastating global health crisis ever again, sat completely empty for more than a year following the resignation of its previous chief in June of 2025.
And now, amid the worst domestic measles outbreak in 35 years, a growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a cruise-ship hantavirus outbreak, and a lettuce parasite currently sickening thousands with explosive diarrhea, Trump has staffed the OPPR with exactly one employee. Oh, and she’s a dyed-in-the-wool, MAHA vaccine skeptic. One person. Staffing the federal government’s official pandemic response office. Seriously.
Tell Trump to fully staff the OPPR with qualified public health experts now!
A former White House official stated the painfully obvious while talking to reporter at NOTUS: “You can’t run an Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy as an army of one.”
Pandemic preparedness isn't optional. The next outbreak is not a matter of if, but when. A fully staffed OPPR could literally be the difference between containing the next outbreak and reliving the nightmare of COVID-19, or worse. Congress created and funded this office for very good reason. Tell Donald Trump to fully staff it, before the next pathogen delivers the worst “I told you so” in American history.
Tell Trump to fully staff the federal pandemic response team with public health experts now!
By signing this petition, you may receive periodic updates from Dose of Democracy and its partners. You may unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please visit our privacy policy.
Cheri
July 29, 2026 07:25 PM
John AND Jean
July 29, 2026 07:24 PM
Michael
July 29, 2026 07:23 PM
Margo
July 29, 2026 07:22 PM
Linda
July 29, 2026 07:21 PM
Judith
July 29, 2026 07:20 PM
Carol
July 29, 2026 07:19 PM
Anonymous
July 29, 2026 07:19 PM
CHERYL
July 29, 2026 07:17 PM
Carolyn
July 29, 2026 07:16 PM
By signing this petition, you may receive periodic updates from Dose of Democracy and its partners. You may unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please visit our privacy policy.