Today, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing entitled, “Examining Our COVID-19 Response: Improving Health Equity and Outcomes by Addressing Health Disparities.” This is the third hearing on the coronavirus pandemic the Committee has held in the 117th Congress. In his opening remarks, Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-NC) acknowledged the shortfalls in the nation’s pandemic response in underserved communities, including seniors, children, Americans with disabilities, and rural communities. Additionally Ranking Member Burr underscored the importance of maintaining flexibility as part of the nation’s emergency response and leveraging new technology to better analyze, prepare for, and respond to the next public health emergency. March 25, 2021