That said - it's still a bit amusing that at this point there might need to be some sort of second federal government to make up for the fact that the first one keeps fumbling everything.

If only we had a deep state - then maybe we'd get the things that need doing done.

The Western States Pact is in some sense a second parallel federal government.

https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/04/27/colorado-nevada-join-calif...

Of course state governments have previously formed multilateral agreements on other topics such as water rights.

It's been fascinating to watch several of these pop up, especially the big three (Western, Midwest, and Northeast).

https://twitter.com/johnrobb/status/1253455955666382848

A pandemic is very much an interstate problem, so it's in scope even using your narrow and outdated definition of the US government structure.

I just found this very relevant history:

1799 The first quarantine station and hospital in America was built in 1799 at the port of Philadelphia after a yellow fever outbreak in 1793.

1878 The National Quarantine Act was passed in 1878, shifting quarantine powers from state to federal government.

1944 The Public Health Service Act formed the federal government’s quarantine authority in 1944.

1967 CDC (National Communicable Disease Center) took over federal quarantine functions in 1967.

1970s CDC reduced the number of quarantine stations from 55 to 8 because infectious diseases were thought to be a thing of the past.

2004–2007 Number of quarantine stations increased to 20 because of concerns about bioterrorism after World Trade Center attack in 2001 and worldwide spread of disease after SARS outbreak in 2003.

https://www.cdc.gov/quarantine/quarantine-stations-us.html

So fighting pandemics officially became a function of the federal government almost a century and a half ago.

Sure, that’s why we have the Federal Emergency Do-Nothing Agency and the Centers for Disease Non-Control.

Yes, it's more of an intrastate disagreement with this particular infectious disease.