Obama Requests $6.2B In Emergency Funding For Domestic, West African Ebola Responses

News outlets report on a request made Wednesday by President Barack Obama for $6.2 billion in emergency funding for Ebola responses in the U.S. and West Africa. The White House released a fact sheet on the request.

Associated Press: Obama seeks $6.2 billion for Ebola fight
“President Barack Obama on Wednesday asked Congress for $6.2 billion in emergency funds to confront Ebola at its source in West Africa and to secure the United States against any possible spread…” (Kuhnhenn/Taylor, 11/5).

Bloomberg News: Obama Said to Seek $6.2 Billion in Emergency Ebola Funds
“…The funding will include about $4.6 billion for immediate actions and $1.5 billion in a contingency fund to assure access to resources as needed, according to a 28-page request to House and Senate leaders from the Office of Management and Budget…” (Allen/Drajem, 11/5).

CQ News: White House to Seek Billions in Emergency Ebola Funding
“…The administration is seeking $2.4 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services. About three-quarters of that funding would go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to respond to the outbreak and other infectious disease threats. The White House also asked for $2.1 billion for the U.S. Agency for International Development and other State Department humanitarian assistance; $157 million for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Agency to manufacture vaccines for clinical trials; and $112 million for the Pentagon and efforts by its Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s to address the virus, among other requests…” (Hallerman/Young, 11/5).

New York Times: Obama Requests $6 Billion for Ebola
“…The request comes just after the midterm congressional elections on Tuesday in which Republicans took control of the Senate, dealing devastating losses to Democrats across the country and a rebuke to Mr. Obama that will complicate his efforts to advance his agenda. The White House described the proposal as a chance for collaboration between the president and Capitol Hill…” (Davis, 11/5).

Washington Post: Obama seeks $6 billion from Congress to fight Ebola in Africa, United States
“…In a letter to House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio), President Obama said the money would fund a comprehensive strategy ‘to contain and end the outbreak at its source in Africa, enhance domestic preparedness, speed the procurement and testing of vaccines and therapeutics, and accelerate global capability to prevent the spread of future infectious diseases’…” (Achenbach et al., 11/5).

Associated Press: Comparing Ebola request to other health spending (11/5).
Foreign Policy: In About-Face, Obama Consults Republicans on Ebola, Islamic State (Francis, 11/5).
The Hill: New $6B Ebola funding request would dwarf previous commitment (Shabad, 11/5).
Reuters: Obama seeks $6.2 billion to combat Ebola: officials (Zengerle/Cowan, 11/5).
Vox: Why Obama wants Congress to spend $6.2 billion more to fight Ebola (Belluz, 11/5).

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