The Honorable Buddy Carter 2432 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515	The Honorable Scott Peters 2369 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Nicholas Langworthy 422 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515	The Honorable Mike Levin 2352 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515
The Honorable Mike Carey 1433 Longworth Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Representatives Carter, Peters, Langworthy, Levin and Carey,

The American Society for Microbiology (ASM), on behalf of more than 38,000 members in the United States and around the world, thanks Reps. Buddy Carter, Scott Peters, Nicholas Langworthy, Mike Levin and Mike Carey for introducing the Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions to End Upsurging Resistance (PASTEUR) Act. ASM is pleased to offer our support for the PASTEUR Act to address the rising problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). 

AMR is a serious public health threat that undermines U.S. public health preparedness, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting more than 35,000 Americans die annually as a result of AMR, and treating 6 of the leading AMR threats in the U.S. accounts for $4.6 billion in annual health costs. Passage of the PASTEUR Act is critical to stimulate antimicrobial discovery and development at a time when the current pipeline of novel products in development is insufficient to meet the continued threat of antimicrobial resistant pathogens.

The PASTEUR Act would establish a new avenue of federal support for the development of new antibiotics that are critically needed for patient care. ASM is also supportive of key improvements made to the bill, including a more objective and rigorous process for determining which drugs qualify for federal contracts to ensure the bill delivers the most clinically meaningful new treatments, as well as expanded antimicrobial stewardship provisions, which are essential to ensuring the antimicrobials we have are effective for as long as possible. 

ASM and its members stand ready to work with Congress to combat the rising problem of AMR. If we can be of further assistance, please contact JR Kane, Government Relations Manager at the American Society for Microbiology, at jkane@asmusa.org.

Sincerely,

Amalia Corby
Director of Federal Affairs
American Society for Microbiology