Medics transport a man on a stretcher into an ambulance at the Life Care Center of Kirkland, a long-term care facility linked to several confirmed coronavirus cases, in Kirkland, Washington, U.S. March 3, 2020.
David Ryder | Reuters
U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday unveiled more than $7 billion in emergency funding to address the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
The emergency supplemental spending plan was revealed as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 129 cases of coronavirus had been identified in the U.S.
At least nine U.S. deaths have been counted, according to the CDC and state health officials.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Richard Shelby announced the deal in a press release.
“This should not be about politics; this is about doing our job to protect the American people from a potential pandemic,” said Shelby, an Alabama Republican.
“We worked together to craft an aggressive and comprehensive response that provides the resources the experts say they need to combat this crisis. I thank my colleagues for their cooperation and appreciate President Trump’s eagerness to sign this legislation and get the funding out the door without delay.”
The proposal, which followed days of negotiations on Capitol Hill, provides a total of $7.767 billion to combat the coronavirus outbreak. The bulk of that funding – 85% – will be spent domestically, according to Shelby’s statement.
The chairman’s statement notes that the final funding bill requests more than triple the Trump administration’s original request, which Democrats such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., had called inadequate.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
