Key facts
- The White House is seeking over $1.4 billion in new funds from Congress for Ebola response.
- The request includes $800 million for humanitarian crisis response, supplies, treatment, and a quarantine center in Kenya.
- $500 million is designated for global health security to prevent the virus from spreading to the U.S.
- $90 million is allocated for diplomatic efforts, including evacuations of U.S. citizens.
- The funding is part of a larger $87.6 billion supplemental budget request.
The White House is requesting more than $1.4 billion in new funds from Congress to address the widening Ebola virus outbreak. This request is part of a larger $87.6 billion supplemental funding package submitted by the administration.
The proposed funds include $800 million for humanitarian crisis response, which will cover supplies, treatment, contact tracing, a regional logistics network, and infection control practices, including a quarantine center in Kenya for Americans exposed to the virus. U.S. officials are also seeking $500 million in global health security funds to prevent the virus from spreading to the United States. This funding would support disease surveillance, laboratory capacity, cross-border coordination, and partnerships with multilateral organizations and the private sector.
An additional $90 million is earmarked for diplomatic efforts, such as evacuations and transportation of U.S. citizens infected with the virus to treatment facilities. The Ebola outbreak in Congo, linked to the rare Bundibugyo strain, has infected over 1,000 people and caused 267 deaths, marking a significant number of cases within the first month of an outbreak. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has already made $107 million in emergency funding available for its response efforts.