WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, 16 corporate leaders, representing Fortune 100 companies and more in global business, sent a letter to Congress calling for new global pandemic response resources to address escalating risks to the U.S. economy, including massive delays in supply chains. Click here or view below for the full letter.

February 16, 2022

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House
U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Minority Leader
U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Charles Schumer Majority Leader
United States Senate Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Mitch McConnell Minority Leader
United States Senate Washington, DC 20510

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader McCarthy, Majority Leader Schumer, and Minority Leader McConnell,

Thank you for your leadership in the U.S. Congress to ensure that America continues to invest in confronting the threat of COVID-19 around the world to protect our economy here at home.

As you know well, the continued risks to our nation, our economy, and our citizens are real if we don’t fully address the global response to the pandemic. The projected damage to the global economy is grim with estimated losses of $5.3 trillion over the next five years if we fail to deliver enough vaccines to developing countries, according to the IMF. From the massive delays in global supply chains to increasing conflict, hunger, and migration, COVID-19 has become the ultimate global disrupter with lasting consequences our nation’s economic wellbeing.

With vaccine rates still in the single digits in dozens of low- and middle-income countries, we believe that if the U.S. does not get this right and fully step up the global response at this critical moment, the economic costs for our own nation will only increase in the coming days and months. In the face of the continued destabilizing impacts of the virus around the world, we fear these risks will only escalate for our businesses, our workers, and our customers.

Americans can be proud in leading the world in donating vaccines globally and responding with therapeutics and other diagnostic treatments, but we agree with global health experts that new and targeted emergency global supplemental resources will be necessary to confront the pandemic’s ongoing threat. Our nation must lead by example and rally like-minded allies and partners around the world to mitigate the risk to U.S. lives and livelihoods. The rapid spread of Omicron on our shores and potential future variants is yet another stark reminder of what’s at stake if we don’t step up our global response.

As bipartisan negotiations continue on finalizing Fiscal Year 2022 spending, including a potential new emergency supplemental, we urge you to prioritize new U.S. emergency resources for the international response to the pandemic and its economic and humanitarian impacts, alongside critical domestic priorities. Your leadership will be essential to ensure our nation’s international affairs investments meet critical needs across key areas, including the global health response, international economic and humanitarian programs, and our frontline operations through the State Department and USAID.

We’re committed to doing our part in the private sector to marshal our resources – and we are grateful for your bipartisan leadership in Washington at this critical time.

Thank you for your consideration. Sincerely,

Elizabeth Woody
Senior Vice President, Public Affairs
Becton Dickinson and Company

Candi Wolff
Executive Vice President, Global Government Affairs
Citigroup, Inc.

Karan Bhatia
Vice President, Government Affairs & Public Policy
Google

Jane Adams
Vice President of North America U.S. Federal and Canada Government Affairs
Johnson & Johnson

Andrew Tisch
Chairman
Loews Corporation

Geralyn Ritter
Head of External Affairs & ESG Management
Organon

Selina Jackson
Senior Vice President, Global Government Relations & Public Policy
Procter and Gamble

Penny Naas
President, International Public Affairs and Sustainability
UPS

Michelle Grogg
Vice President, Corporate Responsibility
Cargill

Jake Cusack
Managing Partner
CrossBoundary

David Wilhelm
Chief Executive Officer
Hecate Global Energy

John Ellenberger
Executive Director
Land O’Lakes Venture37

Michael Okoroafor
Chief Sustainability Officer
McCormick & Company

Lionel Johnson
President
Pacific Pension & Investment Institute

Ann Fairchild
Senior Vice President, General Counsel, and Secretary
Siemens

Jack Leslie
Chairman
Weber Shandwick

CC:
The Honorable Patrick Leahy – Chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee
The Honorable Richard C. Shelby – Vice Chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee
The Honorable Christopher Coons – Chairman, Senate State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee
The Honorable Lindsey Graham – Ranking Member, Senate State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee

The Honorable Rosa DeLauro – Chairwoman, House Appropriations Committee
The Honorable Kay Granger – Ranking Member, House Appropriations Committee
The Honorable Barbara Lee – Chairwoman, House State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee The Honorable Harold Rogers – Ranking Member, House State-Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee