Page 1 GAO-25-108032 HHS Priority Recommendations
Comptroller General
of the United States
May 7, 2025
The Honorable Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Secretary
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, D.C. 20201
Priority Open Recommendations: Department of Health and Human Services
Dear Secretary Kennedy:
Congratulations on your appointment. The purpose of this letter is to call your personal attention
to three areas based on GAO’s past work and 35 open priority recommendations, which are
enclosed.
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Additionally, there are 417 other GAO open recommendations that we will continue
to work with your staff to address.
We are highlighting the following areas that warrant your timely and focused attention.
Specifically:
Improve leadership over public health emergency preparedness and response.
Deficiencies in the nation’s preparedness for public health emergencies have hindered the
nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 mpox outbreak, and a variety of other
past emergencies. HHS’s leadership and coordination of public health emergencies remains
critical to address emerging and concurrent threats that could affect the nation’s health and
security, such as avian influenza with pandemic potential, and was added to our High-Risk List
in 2022.
For example, the Strategic National Stockpile is a multibillion-dollar inventory of drugs, vaccines,
supplies, and other medical countermeasures that can be used in emergencies. To prepare for
public health emergencies, we recommended that HHS develop an approach for regularly
managing the risks associated between gaps in the stockpile’s inventory levels and
recommended quantities. To ensure transparency and effective collaboration, we also
recommended that HHS develop and document plans for restructuring the Public Health
Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise, the interagency group of experts that advises
on prioritizing, developing, procuring, deploying, and effectively using medical supplies and
other countermeasures for the Strategic National Stockpile.
Ensure effective Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight. FDA has a critical role in
ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of the millions of medical products used by Americans
each day, as well as the safety of our nation’s food supply. This extends to products and food
that are manufactured both domestically and internationally. Given that strengthening the food
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GAO considers a recommendation to be a priority if when implemented, it may significantly improve government
operations, for example, by realizing large dollar savings; eliminating mismanagement, fraud, and abuse; or making
progress toward addressing a high-risk or duplication issue.
