A group of nine Senate Democrats on Friday unveiled legislation to provide an additional $9 billion for global efforts to combat COVID-19, including restoring funding to the World Health Organization.
Led by Robert Menendez, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the group hit back at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s decision to reopen the chamber as the coronavirus outbreak continues.
“Since Majority Leader McConnell believes it is appropriate to reopen the Senate right now — in direct contravention of the advice of health care experts and at great risk to the hardworking men and women who keep the Capitol running — approving this common-sense legislation should be at the top of his agenda to help ensure the United States government can increase our capacity to prevent, respond and detect epidemic and pandemic threats, including COVID-19,” Mr. Menendez, New Jersey Democrat, said in a statement.
If approved, the legislation will unfreeze funding to the United Nations-backed WHO after President Trump announced he would suspend the U.S. contributions because the funding wasn’t put to good use and that WHO failed to vet and share information in a timely fashion.
The bill, dubbed the COVID-19 International Response and Recovery Act (CIRRA) would also authorize $4 billion for urgent humanitarian assistance and global epidemic preparedness programs, and provide $15.7 million for emergency evacuations of U.S. nationals during the coronavirus pandemic.
“While we care for and protect Americans at home, we have an obligation to engage around the world to stem the health, economic and social challenges others are facing with COVID-19 or they will circle back and have serious consequences for our nation and people,” said Sen. Ben Cardin, Maryland Democrat and co-sponsor of the legislation.
He said there has been an “absence of leadership” and called on Congress to “force the Trump administration to engage with other nations in a comprehensive manner that will save lives while benefiting both humankind and America’s national security.”
More than 1.2 million people in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the novel coronavirus, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker. The virus has killed over 75,000 within the U.S. and 195,000 have recovered.
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