The Trump administration has withdrawn a request to rescind funding dedicated to fighting Ebola, as efforts to stave off the virus are currently underway in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Trump had initially asked Congress to withdraw $252 million in Ebola response funds as part of a larger package that would rescind $15 billion in government funds that haven’t been spent. A vote on that package hasn’t been scheduled in the House yet.
When a president uses this measure, committees in Congress have 25 days to either approve or reject the measure, or make changes. If they do not take action, then the proposal can go to the full House and Senate for action.
The Ebola funds had been set aside in 2015 during an epidemic that spread in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea, killing more than 11,300 people. The virus had largely been abated, but is now making a resurgence in a rural area and in a larger city in Congo.
Healthcare workers there are currently trying an experimental vaccine in order to cut off the spread of the illness, which causes body aches, bleeding, vomiting, and diarrhea. The World Health Organization last reported that at least 46 people are suspected to be infected and that 26 have died.
The U.S. is contributing $8 million toward the fight.
The House is expected to approve the president’s rescission request. A rescission package has been introduced in the Senate and can pass with a simple majority, meaning the Senate can pass it if they can get the support of all of its 50 voting Republican members.
