Albuquerque, NM (March 11, 2021) — Today, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO) released the following statement applauding the passage of a clean fuel standard in New Mexico: “The passage of a clean fuel standard in New Mexico will have a profound impact on igniting the green economy in the nation’s third-largest oil-producing state,” said Gene Harrington, BIO’s Director of State Government Affairs. “Not only will New Mexico’s clean fuel standard help to reduce emissions, it will provide new revenue streams for farmers to sell their crops and animal waste for fuel and will incentivize sustainable agriculture. And the increasing support for a clean fuel standard from the private sector is further proof that policies supporting sustainable fuels are also good for business. BIO and the New Mexico Clean Fuels Coalition look forward to working with state lawmakers to implement the clean fuel standard and begin decarbonizing the state’s transportation sector.”

Today, Congress passed the “American Rescue Plan” – a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package aimed at alleviating some of the economic and health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Upon passage of the bill, Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath, president and CEO of the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), released the following statement:   “The passage of this legislation is critical to getting much needed relief to those hardest hit by the pandemic, ensuring that more people in the U.S. and around the globe have access to vaccines, therapies and testing, and making sure we are better prepared for the next pandemic.  “BIO is supportive of many provisions in this bill that will increase our members’ ability to respond – and bring an end to – the current COVID-19 crisis, better prepare us for future pandemics, and aid in our economic recovery from coronavirus-related closures. “I thank lawmakers for seeing the value of investing in science and our nation’s public health infrastructure to keep Americans safe today and tomorrow. BIO looks forward to working alongside this Administration and Congress to end this pandemic and create policies that fuel future biomedical innovation.” The bill includes several important provisions designed to strengthen our pandemic response and preparedness, including: Providing coverage and no cost-sharing for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments for Medicaid beneficiaries Covering vaccines and treatments at no cost to beneficiaries under the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Encouraging states to cover vaccine and treatment costs for uninsured populations through their Medicaid programs Increasing the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) to 100% for vaccine costs during that period The package also includes additional funding for Health and Human Services Department’s (HHS) pandemic response, including: $47.8 billion for testing and tracing activities $7.5 billion for vaccine activities at the…