Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
White House Wants $30 Billion More To Fight Covid
AP: AP Sources: White House Seeks Another $30B For COVID Battle
The Biden administration is telling Congress that it needs an additional $30 billion to press ahead with the fight against COVID-19, officials said. Two people familiar with the administration’s plan confirmed key details on Tuesday: $17.9 billion for vaccines and treatments, $4.9 billion for testing, $3 billion to cover coronavirus care for uninsured people, and $3.7 billion to prepare for future variants. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss deliberations between the administration and lawmakers over the supplemental funding. (Miller and Alonso-Zaldivar, 2/16)
CBS News: Biden Administration Wants $30 Billion More In Federal Funding For COVID-19 Response
The issue of additional aid has been the subject of discussions across Washington in recent weeks, and White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed the administration is seeking more money to address future needs. "While we continue to have sufficient funds to respond to the current Omicron surge, in the coming weeks, our goal has always been to ensure that we are well-prepared to stay ahead of the virus," Psaki said at a White House briefing on Tuesday. (O'Keefe, 2/15)
In related news —
Reuters: U.S. Says It Could Spend $22 Mln A Month Testing Unvaccinated Federal Employees
The U.S. government said it faces "significant harm" if an a appeals court fails to reverse an injunction barring enforcement of President Joe Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for government workers, and that testing unvaccinated employees could cost up to $22 million a month. White House Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director Jason Miller disclosed in an declaration cited late on Monday by the Justice Department that the government would be hurt on several fronts if it cannot enforce the vaccine requirements. (Shepardson, 2/15)
Drug pipes and vaccine mandates are debated on Capitol Hill —
The Wall Street Journal: Sen. Marsha Blackburn Drops Stopgap Spending Bill Hold Over Drug Pipes
Sen. Marsha Blackburn lifted a hold on a stopgap bill needed to avoid a partial government shutdown this weekend after she won a commitment from the Biden administration that it wouldn’t fund pipes for smoking illicit substances through a substance-abuse program. ... In a letter Tuesday, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra wrote that “no federal funding will be used directly or through subsequent reimbursement of grantees to put pipes in safe smoking kits.” He had previously issued a similar statement through a press release, but not in a letter to Congress. (Hughes, 2/15)
Houston Chronicle: Ted Cruz, Chip Roy Threaten Government Shutdown Over Biden Vaccine Mandates
Texas Republicans are again threatening a government shutdown over President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandates as the Senate works to pass a short-term funding bill by the end of the week. Sen. Ted Cruz is among a group of four Senate Republicans who have signed a letter led by Rep. Chip Roy of Austin refusing to support any bills funding the federal government that include money for the enforcement of COVID-19 vaccine mandates at “any level of government.” (Wermund, 2/15)
