Blunt Addresses Funding for Coronavirus Response

With corona-virus increasingly becoming a global concern, Republican leadership in Congress is pledging to work with the president to ensure that an adequate amount of funding is available to meet the immediate needs in responding to the issue. Missouri Senator Roy Blunt says the 2019 spending bill included a $105-million infectious disease fund. The fund is administered by the Health and Human Services Agency with more funding currently still available, if needed…

Blunt made his remarks during a Labor-HHS hearing following a request for another $2.5 billion in funding to respond to the corona-virus outbreak. In the meantime, Blunt has also indicated that Congress will continue to work with all parties concerned in determining the right amount of funding needed to meet the health challenges presented by the spreading virus.