By W. Craig Vanderwagen and Jennifer B. AltonJune 16, 2026
Vanderwagen was the founding assistant secretary for preparedness and response from 2006 to 2009. Alton previously worked for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and drafted the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act.
The Trump administration has taken important steps to strengthen America’s national health security by preserving the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, known as ASPR, within the Department of Health and Human Services and recently nominating a new assistant secretary to guide the agency.
Congress should now build on that momentum by swiftly confirming the administration’s nominee and reauthorizing the law that provides ASPR’s authorities, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act.
As the founding assistant secretary for preparedness and response (Craig) and a lead Senate staffer on the original PAHPA legislation (Jenn), we played key roles in establishing ASPR.
