Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Massachusetts Democrat, suggested Thursday that Congress is to blame for the spread of the Ebola virus, citing budget cuts for medical research.
“I want to remind everyone, Ebola is not new,” Ms. Warren, who serves on the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said during a question and answer period following remarks before the New England Council, The Boston Herald Reported.
“We knew about this many years ago and started funding research on it. And then, with all the spending cutbacks and all the pressure on the National Institute of Health, much of that research has been shelved. So now, we’re out spending millions, billions of dollars in emergency response. People have lost their lives, we’re all very worried, instead of spending the money in advance to do more of the research to avoid this kind of problem,” Ms. Warren said.
Ms. Warren, who is being urged by grassroots liberals to seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, said it is important for Congress to follow the recommendations of the scientific community.
“We want to use best science here. That’s how we’ll keep ourselves safe. So for me, part of this is the reminder it is powerfully important to make long-term investments, particularly in medical research,” she said.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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