LATIMES.COM/OPINION WEDNESDAY,OCTOBER 28, 2020 A11

OP-ED Prepare for an even more deadly pandemic

By Thomas J. Bollyky The WHO needs more dedicated fund- and Stewart M. Patrick ing for its Health Emergencies Pro- gram and should be required to report he winner of the presi- when governments fail to live up to dential election, whether their treaty commitments. that is Donald Trump or Second, we need a new global sur- T Joe Biden, will need to over- veillance system to identify pandemic come the COVID-19 pan- threats, one that is less reliant on self- demic — the worst international reporting by early affected nations. An health emergency since the 1918 in- international sentinel surveillance net- fluenza outbreak — and also begin work, founded on healthcare facilities preparing the United States and the rather than governments, could regu- world for the next pandemic. larly share hospitalization data, using Patrick Semansky Associated Press Think it is too soon to worry about anonymized patient information. Pub- THE RUSHED confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett laid bare Senate Republican hypocrisy. another pandemic? World leaders lic health agencies in nations partici- have called the coronavirus outbreak a pating in this network, including the “once-in-10 0-year” crisis, but there is CDC, can assess that data, identify un- no reason to expect that to be true. A usual trends and more quickly respond Barrett could help flip the Senate new outbreak could easily evolve into to emerging health threats. the next epidemic or a pandemic that The U.S. should take the lead in spreads worldwide. As lethal as this forming a coalition to work alongside NICHOLAS GOLDBERG political ends. coronavirus has been, a novel in- the WHO to develop this surveillance And they did virtually nothing to stop further fluenza could be worse, transmitting network. We should also work with So now it is official: The same Russian interference in American elections. even more easily and killing millions like-minded G-20 partners, as well as Republican senators who in 2016 Norman Ornstein, a scholar at the American more people. private organizations, in this coalition refused to consider Merrick Gar- Enterprise Institute, has identified some of the Better preparation must begin to reduce unnecessary trade and bor- land’s appointment to the factors that have driven congressional Republi- with an unvarnished assessment of der restrictions; increase the sharing Supreme Court because, with cans to the right over the years and encouraged what has gone wrong in the U.S. and in of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnos- eight months to go, it was suppos- their take-no-prisoners approach to politics. He the global response to the current pan- tics; and work with international fi- edly too close to the presidential cites the no-tax pledge promulgated by conserva- demic and what can be done to pre- nancial institutions to provide foreign election, have now confirmed tive activist Grover Norquist and the anti-Wash- pare for the next one when it strikes, as aid and debt relief packages to hard- Amy Coney Barrett with just ington animus fostered by Newt Gingrich. There it inevitably will. hit nations. eight days left before the election. was the “Southern strategy” of Richard Nixon Preparedness needs to start with Third, responding to a deadly con- This is so unprincipled, so inconsistent and so and Barry Goldwater to win white votes in the investment. Despite multiple recent tagion requires a coordinated national cynical that it defies the imagination. It is the Southern states. threats, from SARS (2003) to H5N1 approach. Too often in this pandemic, flip-flop of the century, undertaken by the Repub- And there’s been the slow but steady disap- (2007) to H1N1 (2009) to Ebola (2013 - in the absence of federal leadership, licans for one reason: Barrett’s confirmation pearance of liberal and moderate Republicans. 16 ); many blue ribbon reports and nu- states and cities competed for test kits ensures a conservative majority on the high court In 2012, Ornstein, with Thomas E. Mann of the merous national intelligence assess- and scarce medical supplies and for the foreseeable future. Brookings Institution, called the GOP “ideolog- ments; international assistance for adopted divergent policies on reopen- But here is one good thing that could come of ically extreme, scornful of compromise; unmoved pandemic preparedness has never ing their economies. The next admin- this shameful episode. With millions of people still by conventional understanding of facts, evidence amounted to more than 1% of overall istration needs to clarify the responsi- casting their votes before Nov. 3, and science.” Today, Ornstein says international aid for health. bilities of the federal government, perhaps the Barrett confirmation the problem is worse. “Now it’s not The United States devoted an even states and 2,634 local and tribal public will open Americans’ eyes, once Democracy aparty but a cult.” smaller share of its foreign aid budget health departments in pandemic pre- and for all, and show them who The GOP today is the anti- in 2019 — $374 million out of $39.2 billion paredness and response. Elected lead- they’re dealing with. Perhaps it will only works when immigration party, the party of —to prepare for a pandemic that has ers, starting with the president, must persuade them to reject the radical racial division and the party of now cost the country trillions of dollars. also put public health officials at the and hypocritical Senate Republi- the parties Trump. It has squandered any Meanwhile, funding for the Centers for forefront of communicating science- cans at the polls. compromise reputation it may once have had Disease Control and Prevention’s sup- based guidance and defend those offi- Barrett’s confirmation, after all, for principled fiscal conservatism, port to states and territories has fallen cials from political attacks. is only one of many irresponsible through presiding over costly and irrespon- by more than a quarter since 2002. Over Finally, the U.S. must do better by moves by the Senate majority, led sible tax cuts designed to win the last decade, local public health de- its most exposed and vulnerable citi- by the craven Mitch McConnell discussion and votes. It largely rejects bipartisan- partments have cut 56,360 staff posi- zens. More than 35% of deaths in the (R-Ky.), who long ago threw his lot ship, as we saw clearly during the tions because of lack of resources. U.S. from COVID-19 have been nursing in with President Trump. In recent deliberation. Obama administration. Preparation isn’t only about invest- home residents. Many others have years, he and his caucus have Democracy only works when ing more money. It is also about em- been essential workers, who are dis- grown not just more extreme in rules and norms are in place. It bracing the public health fundamen- proportionately Black and Latinx and their ideology but more unscrupulous in their only works when the parties compromise through tals that allowed some nations to move from low-income communities. Fed- tactics. aprocess of discussion, deliberation and voting. rapidly and aggressively against the eral, state and local governments Not only did they refuse a hearing to Garland Unquestionably, both political parties have coronavirus. The United States has should direct public health invest- (giving that seat instead to Trump appointee Neil made bad decisions over the years; both are sus- been hard hit by this pandemic, but all ments to these groups as a matter of M. Gorsuch), but not long after, McConnell and his ceptible to the tugs of partisanship. Democrats countries were dealt this hand. social justice and preparedness for fu- colleagues rammed Brett M. Kavanaugh’s nomina- and Republicans alike have engaged in tit-for-tat But we can do better. Here are four ture threats. tion through without a comprehensive investiga- tactics that make compromise more difficult. measures, outlined in a new report All of this will require leadership tion of the sexual assault allegations against him. For me, though, the turning point was the mis- from the Council on ForeignRelations, and marshaling support at home and The Senate majority also slow-walked the treatment of Merrick Garland. The Republicans that would make Americans and the abroad. The next president need not confirmation of lower court judges during the flatly blocked an elected president from exercising rest of the world safer. be doomed to replay this current ca- final years of the Obama administration — and his constitutional duty to name a new justice. First, the United States must re- tastrophe — provided he acts on the then sped them up when Trump came into office. That was shocking enough. But now, with the main a member of the World Health tragic lessons learned from the The Senate majority ignored evidence, disre- Barrett confirmation, they’ve brazenly reversed Organization, while working to reform COVID-19 pandemic. garded facts and refused to hear additional wit- their own logic, proclaiming their hypocrisy for it from within. The agency is hardly nesses before acquitting Trump in a half-baked the world to see. perfect, but it prompted China to noti- Thomas J. Bollyky is director of the impeachment trial in February, thereby giving the That kind of disingenuous politics needs to be fy the world of the coronavirus and it global health program and Stewart imprimatur of the upper house to the president’s rejected. Over time, the U.S. needs to rebuild a has coordinated the better-than-ex- M. Patrick is director of the global high crimes and misdemeanors. system that allows men and women of different pected response to the pandemic in governance program at the Council Senate Republicans have refused to stand up parties, ideas and ideologies to work together in developing nations. Yet, the agency on Foreign Relations. They are to Trump as he politicized every part of the gov- good faith to solve the serious problems facing the has no authority to make member co-directors of the bipartisan ernment from the post office to the census to the country. states comply with their obligations CFR-sponsored Independent Task Justice Department, and even as he turned the and less than half of the annual budget Force on Preparing for the Next conduct of American foreign policy to his own @Nick_Goldberg of New York-Presbyterian Hospital. Pandemic. What’s wrong with joy Please don’t tell on the campaign trail? Kamala I’m with her

ROBIN ABCARIAN it’s not Harris. Noonan didn’t come I don’t want to jinx the race. My family sees me as a right out and use the word “unlady- bad-luck charm — and begged me not to support her. One of the great like.” She didn’t have to. You can pleasures of watching accuse Harris of lots of things, but of Marcus Yam Los Angeles Times Sen. Kamala Harris being an embarrassing lightweight? KAMALA HARRIS has come By Jerry Goldfeder on the campaign trail Harris, the first Black woman under attack for laughing and is the extraordinary and Asian American on a major dancing. A double standard? y family has been beseeching me not to support the amount of joy she American presidential ticket, is a Biden-Harris ticket. I’m a lifelong Democrat, so this exudes. United States senator and former can’t laugh or dance or show joy might sound a bit strange. But when I’ve thrown my She smiles, she California attorney general. She has because then you aren’t serious.” support behind presidential candidates before, the Mroad has gotten bumpy. laughs, she dances. She’s tough and amply demonstrated her intelli- And really, what is there for Har- smart, and having the time of her gence and competence … and that ris to do but laugh when confronted In1980, I was for Ted Kennedy. Four years later, I managed Califor- life. An upbeat attitude at a time like she likes to dance to Mary J. Blige. with an absurd question, as when nia Sen. Alan Cranston’s ’84 presidential campaign in New York and this? Yes, please! “When you’re a white woman and Norah O’Donnell of “60 Minutes” then helped run Walter Mondale’s campaign. In ’88, I supported Illi- Her optimism speaks to the part aRepublican, there’s just certain asked Harris if she would provide a nois Sen. Paul Simon’s presidential bid. I was one of only a handful of of my soul that has been battered stuff culturally that you don’t know President Biden with a “socialist or party leaders who supported Jerry Brown’s 19 92 campaign in New and bruised by the current presi- jack bleep about,” said MSNBC’s progressive perspective.” York City. In 2000, Bill Bradley was my guy, and then I backed Al Gore. dent, a downright ugly person who Nicolle Wallace, aghast at Noonan’s Listen, as someone who has In 2004, I was a campaign lawyer for Dick Gephardt and then trained is especially vicious to women, par- remarks. “And you should keep your spent much of her journalism career poll watchers for John Kerry. As a New Yorker, of course I was for Hil- ticularly women of color. mouth shut when other people on the features side of the shop, I lary Clinton in 2008. In 2016, I was on Clinton’s “leadership council” — Iwasn’t surprised when Donald dance.” will always defend stories that in- and assured everyone I was going to break my losing streak. Trump called Harris a “monster” Shortly before former Vice Presi- clude colorful details about how a Well, you get my point. As this year’s presidential race started after her debate with Vice President dent Joe Biden selected Harris as candidate looks and talks, as long as heating up, I tried to be careful. I wanted to avoid jinxing a campaign. Mike Pence. Or that he has mocked his running mate, a group of high- the information is not gratuitous. When my family gathered to celebrate Hanukkah in December her laugh. Or that he and other male powered women representing na- We’ve probably exhausted the 2018 , the talk naturally turned to presidential politics after we passed Republicans have made a sport of tional feminist groups penned an subject of Trump’s hair at this point, around the latkes. Kamala Harris was a favorite in the room. I had mispronouncing her name. This is open letter to the media. They were but there was no way to avoid talk- met her several times and financially supported her 2016 U.S. Senate the sort of low-end behavior we have rightfully anticipating that Biden ing about it, at least at first. Like- race. She was, of course, veryimpressive — smart and engaging, with come to expect from Trump and his would select a woman of color, and wise, his bizarre face makeup and real leadership qualities. acolytes. wanted to preemptively caution strangely long ties have occasioned Over lunch the next day, I was among a few potential donors who But lately, the attacks on Harris’ against the tendency to use the plenty of perfectly valid commen- met with Harris as she mulled over whether to run for president. I demeanor have come from even kinds of “stereotypes and tropes” tary. At the end of his super- kicked off the discussion by telling her that several members of my moderate Republicans. Former about female candidates that are spreader-event rallies, he has taken family were in her camp. But I also told her I could not support her. Reagan speechwriter Peggy Noo- often “amplified and weaponized for to awkwardly dancing to the Village She stared at me as the room went silent. Her husband, Doug nan, for example, joined in the at- Black and Brown women.” People’s gay anthem “YMCA.” His Emhoff, standing off to the side, grew tense. tack on Harris in her Wall Street These include reporting on a moves may be a crime against Icleared my throat and explained: “Look, I think you’re terrific. Journal column the other day. Noo- woman’s ambition as if it is some- rhythm, but I haven’t seen them You’d be great. But, believe me, if I support you, your candidacy is nan, who bemoaned the “shallow- thing unusual, her likability, her used to show he’s unworthy of his doomed. Almost everyone I support for president loses. I can’t do ness with which politics is now done, appearance, tone of voice, doubts office. (He is unworthy of the office, this to you.” That broke the ice. Harris threw her head back and the absolute puerility of it” accused about her qualifications, or displays but not because he dances like a laughed uproariously — a sight now familiar to much of the world. Harris of being “giddy.” of anger to suggest that women are constipated dad.) In fact, the Asso- But I do carry some guilt. After all, maybe just my being in the “She’s dancing with drum lines “too emotional or irrational” as ciated Press called his dancing a room with her was enough to sink her presidential hopes. and beginning rallies with ‘Wassup, leaders. “rare moment of levity in an other- Ilater became part of Pete Buttigieg’s legal team. I hadn’t warned Florida!’” wrote Noonan. “She’s “The policing of who gets to wise miserable campaign year.” him about my bad luck, figuring he was such a long shot, he couldn’t throwing her head back and laughing smile, who gets to dance, who gets to On the campaign trail as in life, blame me if it didn’t work out. You know the rest of that story. aloud laugh, especially when no one demonstrate joy as a candidate or a the double standard for how the Harris is now on the cusp of the vice presidency. I hope for her said anything funny. … She’s coming leader in this country is really dis- genders behave is alive and well. sake — not to mention Joe Biden’s and the future of the republic — across as insubstantial, frivolous. turbing,” said Fatima Goss Graves, The way I see it, joy beats snarl- that my support won’t hurt. I do feel I’m backing a winner this time, When she started to dance in the rain the president and CEO of the Na- ing and lying any day. but, just to be sure, please don’t tell Kamala I’m with her. onstage to Mary J. Blige’s ‘Work tional Women’s Law Center and a Ihope Harris laughs and dances That,’ it was embarrassing.” coauthor of the open letter. “You all the way to the White House next Jerry H. Goldfeder is an election lawyer at Stroock LLP in New There’s a lot to unpack there, but can’t be too angry or too passionate week. York and teaches election law at Fordham Law School. He is a let’s just say someone has definitely because then you are an angry volunteer lawyer for the Biden-Harris campaign and has done something embarrassing and Black woman, but apparently you @AbcarianLAT represented many winning candidates.