Because Republicans refused to pass funds for Ukraine assistance tied to COVID-19 relief, the government is now left without options to continue funding its response to the pandemic. Despite repeated requests from the White House, Republicans continue to stonewall the vital funding needed to continue supplying tests, treatments, and vaccines to the American people. We are already feeling the effects of their stalling all over the country, and things will only get worse if Republicans don’t set aside their political games and pass additional funding as soon as possible.
Below are some recent headlines about the dire consequences of a lack of funding:
NBC News: With Covid Funding Stalled, White House Prepares For Vaccine Shortage In The Fall. “The official projected that without new funding, the U.S. will be able to make vaccines available to only the highest-risk people this fall, with the administration looking for spending cuts that would free up enough money to start the contract negotiation process… Projections by public health officials inside and outside the administration suggest the country is likely to experience another surge in cases in the fall and the winter as immunity wanes and the coronavirus is expected to continue mutating, the official said. To blunt the effects of the increase, the White House has been urging Congress for months to approve additional funding for new vaccines and treatments and to keep up domestic testing manufacturing.” [NBC News, 5/9/22]
CNBC: US Will Limit Next-Generation Covid Vaccines To High-Risk People This Fall If Congress Doesn’t Approve More Funding. “The U.S. will have to limit the next generation of Covid vaccines this fall to individuals at the highest risk of getting seriously sick from the virus if Congress fails to approve funding to purchase the new shots, according to a senior Biden administration official… Congress needs to pass funding within the next few weeks to ensure that contract negotiations between the federal government and the vaccine makers are in an advanced stage by July, the official said.” [CNBC, 5/9/22]
The Washington Post: Coronavirus Wave This Fall Could Infect 100 Million, Administration Warns. “The administration official said the latest forecasts are being shared with lawmakers on Capitol Hill as the White House seeks to restart stalled negotiations over appropriating more funding for the coronavirus response. While the White House had sought $22.5 billion, key Senate lawmakers clinched a bipartisan deal for $10 billion in covid aid last month. But a dispute over the administration’s decision to relax pandemic restrictions at the U.S. border upended swift passage of the deal, which has now languished for weeks.” [The Washington Post, 5/6/22]
STAT: White House Documents Detail A Looming Squeeze On Covid-19 Boosters. “Although Food and Drug Administration officials have hinted that all American adults may be encouraged to get second boosters this fall, right now, second booster doses are only available to people over the age of 50. The budget documents make it clear that if the administration does want to push second boosters, it will need more money to make it happen: it needs at least 87 million more vaccines for adult boosters, and another 5 million more for first boosters for kids.” [STAT, 5/6/22]
CNN: Biden Administration Warns Of Impacts To Updated Vaccine Production As It Pushes Lawmakers For More Covid Funding. “The Biden administration is ramping up its warnings of a potential fall and winter surge should Congress fail to pass additional Covid-19 supplemental funding, warning of effects to the production of updated vaccines, as well as other potential consequences to testing and treatments… That vaccine would be used in the fall and winter, the official said, but warned there will not be resources to procure and distribute a bivalent vaccine – a vaccine that would combine a currently approved vaccine with an Omicron-specific vaccine, for example – without additional funding from Congress.” [CNN, 5/9/22]