Chris Lange, FISM News
The White House is asking Congress for an additional $30 billion to fight COVID-19, according to multiple sources close to the situation.
On Tuesday, Health and Human Services (HHS) hosted a call with congressional staff which reportedly revealed that the supplemental funding would include $17.9 billion for vaccines and treatments, $4.9 billion for testing, $3 billion to cover pandemic care for uninsured people, and $3.7 billion to prepare for future variants.
“These resources would help us continue expanding the tools the country needs to stay ahead of the virus and help us move toward the time when COVID-19 will not disrupt our daily lives,” said an HHS spokesperson.
The news has been met with bipartisan skepticism, with some lawmakers pointing out that the Biden administration still hasn’t spent all of the money from the last relief bill.
“Most Republicans and a substantial amount of Dems think there’s already enough out there through [the American Rescue Plan],” said an unnamed House Democrat familiar with the subject, according to Axios.
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), citing a discussion with HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, said senators have asked the administration for information concerning how other COVID-relief funds have been spent, “and frankly, in the categories they are asking for money, the other money has all been spent or committed,” according to an AP report.
House Budget Committee Ranking Member Jason Smith recently said the Biden administration’s continued lack of transparency concerning how pandemic-relief funds have been spent and their unpreparedness for the Omicron surge show that the administration does not deserve additional COVID funds.
“Failing to answer simple questions as to how their last ‘COVID-19’ spending binge has seemingly left our country less equipped to handle the virus, is the very reason not another dime of so-called ‘COVID-relief’ dollars should be handed over to this White House, regardless of how noble the cause may sound,” Smith wrote in a Fox News op-ed.
Republican lawmakers are also concerned about the prospect of adding even more debt to America’s crippling deficit at a time when inflation is at a 40-year-high.
Additionally, there are concerns that another bill will tie up Congress, as most legislative measures have moved at a snail’s pace through the evenly divided Senate.
“I’m not eager to add anything. It has taken several months of negotiation to get where we are,” said Vermont Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy.
The administration, however, believes they need additional funds to ensure they have an ample supply of testing kits and antiviral drugs to fight future variants.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday made a case for the need for more pandemic relief money without specifying the amount being sought.
“While we continue to have sufficient funds to respond to the current Omicron surge in the coming weeks, our goal has always been to ensure that we are well prepared to stay ahead of the virus,” she said at a press briefing. Psaki told reporters that most of President Biden’s 2021 coronavirus relief bill has either been spent or allocated, with 90% going toward vaccines, testing and support for schools.
According to the press secretary, the U.S. has shipped roughly 440 million COVID-19 vaccine doses around the world, providing around 10 million free doses per week to underserved nations, though she admitted that some countries have declined. When asked by a reporter if any nations have deferred their donations due to supplies outweighing capacity, Psaki responded, “There have been moments, yes, where countries are not able to receive the doses that we’re able to provide.”
According to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, Congress has already approved $5.8 trillion in pandemic-related spending through a slew of massive bills.
By and large, Republicans want to see any additional pandemic relief funds go to businesses still struggling to regain lost income due to forced closures and staffing-related challenges brought on by the pandemic while progressive Democrats want the federal government to underwrite even more global vaccinations which they say could help ward off another potential coronavirus variant.
An unnamed senior administration official said additional COVID-19 funds are crucial to ensure the country is prepared for the next variant. “You need to order within the next several months to have vaccines and therapeutics available for later this year. You can’t wait until the next surge,” said the official.