Floor Remarks by Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
Senate President Pro Tempore
“Health and Human Services and Intelligence Community Coordination”
Thursday, December 18, 2025
I come to the Senate floor to give an update on one of my oversight projects. This is about an office within the Department of Health and Human Services that many people may not know much about. It’s called the Office of National Security or, in Washington-speak, “ONS,” for short.
This office informs HHS leadership about the threat landscape and also manages intelligence and counterintelligence.
In addition, ONS also aims to protect HHS from disclosure of confidential information and other efforts that undermine U.S.-led research.
I have done oversight of ONS since my chairmanship on the Finance Committee during the 116th Congress.
And during the COVID pandemic, I successfully fought to ensure that ONS had a seat at the table with the intelligence community, so it could lend its expertise however it was needed.
To fulfill its duties to the taxpayers, ONS needs to collaborate closely with national security partners.
And the U.S. needs to be ready to fight health threats head-on.
Especially, that includes domestic and foreign threats.
That threat landscape isn’t going away any time soon and it certainly isn’t getting any better as pathogens evolve.
Which means the right hand of government must talk with the left hand of government.
So, as part of my continuing oversight, on December 3 of this year, I wrote to HHS Secretary Kennedy and Director of National Intelligence Gabbard.
I asked Secretary Kennedy and Director Gabbard for updates on their level of coordination.
And I asked them about their efforts to ensure ONS is engaged with the broader Intelligence Community to ensure robust information sharing.
In the new year, I look forward to their responses.
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