Blumenthal Announces Hawai'i Governor Josh Green as Minority Witness at First PSI Hearing of 119th Congress

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI), announced today that Hawai‘i Governor Josh Green, M.D. will testify as the minority witness at a PSI hearing regarding vaccines on Wednesday, May 21 at 2 PM. As Lieutenant Governor of Hawai?i during the first two years of the pandemic, Green spearheaded critical emergency efforts that resulted in Hawai?i experiencing the lowest COVID-19 fatality rate of any state in the country.

“Governor Green offers an invaluable perspective not only as a physician but as an experienced leader coordinating effective responses to deadly public health threats. From the measles outbreak in Samoa to the COVID-19 pandemic in Hawai‘i, Governor Green has worked to save lives by providing people with the factual information about vaccines that they need to protect themselves and their loved ones,” said Blumenthal. “I look forward to Governor Green’s testimony and hearing more from him about how we can best protect Americans’ public health now and in the future.”

“It is a tremendous honor to be invited to testify before the esteemed members of this committee and I feel it a personal and professional responsibility to do so,” said Green.

Next week’s hearing comes as a nationwide measles outbreak continues to grow with more than 1,000 confirmed cases reported in 31 states and three confirmed deaths. The hearing also comes as the Trump Administration pursues deep funding cuts that would undermine public health programs, disaster preparedness and response, and critical research for vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics for emerging infectious diseases.

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