CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Republican Gov. Chris Sununu is urging Congress to approve emergency funding in response to a new virus spreading around the world, weeks after the state’s Democratic delegation began asking the Trump administration to propose a spending plan.
More than 81,000 cases of COVID-19, an illness characterized by fever and coughing and in serious cases shortness of breath or pneumonia, have occurred since the new virus emerged in China. COVID-19 is caused by a member of the coronavirus family that’s a close cousin to the SARS and MERS viruses that have caused outbreaks in the past.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump requested $2.5 billion from Congress to fight the virus. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, of New York, countered with a proposal for $8.5 billion, and Trump said Wednesday he was open to spending “whatever’s appropriate.”
Sununu did not specify a dollar amount in his letter Wednesday to Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan, and Reps. Annie Kuster and Chris Pappas but urged them to take action.
“I have watched with great concern as this request has become ensnared by the hyper-partisan circus in Washington,” Sununu wrote. “It is critical that additional funding move forward quickly.”
Members of the delegation have been urging the Trump administration for weeks to increase funding and offer a robust plan to coordinate efforts to identify potential cases of the virus and mitigate its spread.
“There’s bipartisan agreement that the administration’s request is inadequate, which is why good-faith efforts are now underway in Congress to write legislation that provides additional resources,” Shaheen said in a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday. “I’m hopeful that Congress can make progress on this bill quickly and I’m pleased that the President made a commitment yesterday to support the legislation that is put on his desk.”
Hassan agreed, saying that in briefings with administration officials, members of both parties have made it clear that $2.5 billion will not be enough.
State health officials have taken numerous steps to prepare for the potential spread of the virus, including working with hospitals, community organizations and local health departments. They also continue to urge the public to take precautions such as frequent hand washing and staying home when sick.
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