White House asking Congress for $2.5 billion to fight coronavirus

The Hill ^ | February 24, 2020 | PETER SULLIVAN

[Reno89519]

The Trump administration announced Monday night that it will ask Congress for "at least $2.5 billion" in additional funding to fight the coronavirus.

The request indicates that the administration is seeking to step up its response to the virus as it spreads to more countries.

However, the request met quick resistance from Democrats. Just $1.25 billion of the request is for new funding, with the rest requested to be taken from existing health programs, including $535 million from fighting Ebola.

"The Trump administration’s request for emergency funding is woefully insufficient to protect Americans from the deadly coronavirus outbreak," said House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.).

She said the request would "raid money Congress has designated for other critical public health priorities" and still falls short of the total amount of funding needed.

Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) went farther, assailing President Trump's response and calling the request "indicative of his towering incompetence."

House Democrats said they would instead draft their own funding bill for the virus.

[Mariner]

“Careful, you’re falling for the deep state narrative that’s hoping to be able to blame this on Trump.”

Call it as you will.

But I will say this:
POTUS has direct authority over every Federal agency.

If they don’t do their job, he didn’t do his.

It is that binary.

[Jane Long]

Stock market was way overdue for a correction. Still more room, to correct, actually.

It’s a(lmost) a buying opportunity.

2.5B is a MINIMAL investment in getting our precious meds and med supplies properly stocked and brought back here, for manufacturing. Something that BOTH Dems & Repubs have NEGLECTED, for the past two decades.

Yeah...I think he’s trying to tell us something, alright. And, I like what I hear him saying.

[Drago]

I trust the new $1.25 Billion is coming out of a “FedGov rainy day emergency fund” and isn’t going to be additional “printed $$$”? {/sarc}

[kidd]

Build the wall before infected Mexicans and Central Americans flood the border.

Disease containment is a very valid reason for a wall.

[R_Kangel]

..... Sure Democrats ...... Tack on an extra 10 Billion for Border Wall construction ... And we have a deal ....

[DoughtyOne]

COVID-19 Spreadsheet using JHU data

File XLSX

File XLS

[JoSixChip]

POTUS Trump should be able to declare a national emergency and move funding from the obola BS.

[proust]

2.5 billion? but they said we only have around 50 cases in the US. And more die of the flu each year yadda yadda...

[Track9]

My thought too. They’re so mean AND crazy.

[rfp1234]

Dow Jones & Co. could fix that by dropping Boeing from the index, and replacing it with Newmont Mining or other gold producers [/sarc].

[rfp1234]

Just $1.25 billion of the request is for new funding, with the rest requested to be taken from existing health programs, including $535 million from fighting Ebola.

How about taking away 100% of funding from all "climate change" research across several agencies? After all, the "science is settled", so who needs more redundant B.S. studies?

[Reno89519]

Yes, good reprogramming of funds. We have immediate need to address the Chinese Coronovirus Plague and 10+ years until the world ends according to AOC.

[Pollard]

But we need a good deal on the new AF1 and India is about to spend a whole lot of money, some of which will go to Boeing. Might be why Trump, ever the deal maker, said stocks are looking good to him today. Just signed a yuge deal.

still the best President eva

[rfp1234]

Good point. It would also be great to increase the proportion of prescription drug components made in India for U.S. consumption, as the China supply chains are now less reliable.

[spokeshave]

Yes, we need a Manhattan Project to shift production back to the US and to trusted allies, such as Canada.

Forget Canada ..they are going green, oil-less and cold

India is big on low cost pharmaceuticals.

[nathanbedford]

The single greatest threat to the reelection of President Trump is the coronavirus threat to lives.

The second greatest threat to the reelection of President Trump is the threat to the economy posed by the coronavirus.

The third greatest threat to the reelection of the president is the healthcare/health insurance issue.

All three of these threats coalesce in how the president handles the pandemic which is sure to engulf America. How he is seem to be handling a massive health, economic and and health insurance coverage problem will decide the election. Not incidentally, we lost the 2018 election and along with it the House of Representatives mainly on the healthcare/health insurance issue.

The federal government spends about 4 1/2 trillion dollars a year and goes into deficit to do that to the tune of $1 trillion. Put it into perspective: the Trump administration is leaving itself open to losing the winning majority on all of these threats for a lousy couple of billion dollars from $4.5 trillion!

The administration should double, triple or quadruple the amount of money it is submitting to Congress. This is one issue where the Republicans should never let the Democrats get to their left. This is the decisive issue of the election. Do not get behind, do not play catch-up.

I've been saying for weeks, the Republicans have got to get in front of this issue and stay there. This is no place to be penny wise.

[Paul R.]

What time did Pres. Trump tweet that?

At ~ 3 pm EST the DJI looked like it was making a nice, steady, partial recovery.

The other factor, as I understand it, was that it was mostly Asian stocks that took the hit, with US companies and many fundamentals looking ok.

[NachOsten]

And the PURGE has begun.

Time to get rid of the masses... Us serfs. Bankrupt whole countries. The march has begun....

Hang tight....

[Reno89519]

Yes, maybe $25 billion. Close the borders, build the wall, check and quarantine everyone entering or returning, fund research. Tied to this, need to give tax breaks or something to companies to relocation medical and medicine production back to the US. Maybe do this for all offshored production.

[Mariner]

“This is the decisive issue of the election.”

It likely will be.

And I’m not sure POTUS has awakened to it yet.