Ending the Pandemic and Preparing for the Next One

Max believes the number one priority for our government is to end the pandemic and get our lives back to normal.

When COVID-19 hit, Max took action. Max did what few would have done: he deployed with the National Guard during the midst of the storm and stood up a COVID-19 hospital on Staten Island in just days, overseeing the creation of a 262-bed COVID-only field hospital right here in our district.

He worked with the state to open the first drive-through testing facility in New York City on Staten Island. He introduced the COVID-19 Help Ensure Loan Protection (HELP) for Healthcare Providers Act to create a new federal lending program so our hospitals and healthcare providers can get the help they need to keep their doors open and recover. And he fought to bring a Navy hospital ship to New York City to treat COVID-19 patients.

Max also hires people who get the job done. His staff worked tirelessly to support our constituents when COVID-19 hit, helping them secure small business aid, unemployment benefits, and getting our hospitals, nursing homes and first responders PPE, COVID-19 tests, and more.

Max voted to pass the bipartisan Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which provided more than $40 billion to New York, including vital support for first responders and medical workers on the front lines. Additionally, Max led the call for finally using the Defense Production Actto ensure that we have enough PPE, tests, and vaccines.

After his time in Congress, Max answered the call once again, serving as a Senior COVID Advisor to the Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon. Max understands that America must build a system of pandemic preparedness that incorporates disease surveillance, expansive testing, global lab networks, and the production onshoring of essential supplies. Max also is fully committed to ensuring that America has the infrastructure in place for the rapid production and distribution of future vaccines, enabling it to respond to future pandemics. He introduced the Director of Pandemic and Biodefense Preparedness and Response Act, which would establish the Cabinet-level position of Director of Pandemic and Biodefense Preparedness and Response to ensure we’re never unprepared for a pandemic or biological attack again.