The White House is preparing to submit a request to Congress for more than $1.4 billion in new funding to tackle an escalating Ebola virus outbreak, possibly as early as Wednesday, according to a Trump administration official.
The funding package is expected to be folded into a larger supplemental spending request and includes several components targeting different aspects of the crisis.
A significant portion — $800 million — would be directed toward humanitarian crisis response efforts. That money would help establish a quarantine facility in Kenya for Americans who have been exposed to the virus, along with supplies, medical treatment, contact tracing, a regional logistics network, and infection control measures.
An additional $500 million in global health security funding is also being sought. Administration officials say that money is essential to keep the virus from reaching the United States. It would support disease surveillance, laboratory capabilities, coordination across international borders, and potential partnerships with multilateral organizations and private sector entities.
The remaining $90 million in the request would be used for diplomatic purposes, including evacuating American citizens and transporting those infected with the virus to appropriate treatment facilities.
The funding request had not been previously reported before this disclosure.
