WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement after the Obama Administration announced it is asking Congress for more than $1.8 billion in emergency funding to prepare for and respond to the Zika virus both at home and abroad.
“As the Zika virus continues to spread in the Americas, we should not wait any longer to take strong, decisive action to lead the fight against this virus,” said Senator Coons. “The Ebola crisis taught us that the United States is uniquely positioned to lead the international community’s response to global health crises. By applying our attention and unmatched resources, the United States can and should lead the international effort to stop this virus, and I applaud the President’s request for funding that will allow us to do just that. This funding will support critical research into the origins and outcomes of the Zika virus so that facts, not fear, determine the international community’s response, and it will support ongoing efforts to treat and control virus outbreaks. I urge my colleagues in Congress to grant this emergency funding request immediately.”
Senator Coons was a leading voice in the Senate in calling for a strong response from the United States in the fight against Ebola. In December of 2014, he became the first Senator to travel to Liberia after the virus started spreading there earlier that year.