1. United States
2. Va.
3. Letter

The United States is barreling toward the next public health disaster with its eyes wide shut. Experts—who were ignored before COVID and are being ignored again—are warning us that we are less prepared now than we were in 2020. That’s not a policy failure. That’s a deliberate act of sabotage by political cowardice, culture war nonsense, and a refusal to protect the people of this country. We’ve gutted our public health infrastructure. We’ve fired the experts. We’ve stopped monitoring viruses. We’ve let measles and bird flu gain ground without the coordinated, transparent, and swift responses we should have learned from last time. Scientists like Angela Rasmussen have issued dire warnings: we now have “essentially no pandemic preparedness.” And still, Congress sits on its hands. I am demanding that you wake up and fight. Stop pretending we are past the pandemic era—we are not. Rebuild the pandemic response infrastructure now: restore funding, reinstate scientific advisory boards, and expand disease surveillance and public communication. Hold hearings. Introduce legislation. Make noise. This is not a drill. If you don’t, the next outbreak will come, and more Americans will die needlessly—because of your inaction. Enough with the pleasantries. Show us you have the courage to defend this nation before it’s too late.