So the congress is happy to budget over 800 billion for next year’s defense budget but they are haggling over this? Really?
Senate Democrats and Republicans neared agreement on Thursday to slash an emergency coronavirus response package to $10 billion from $15.6 billion, as they worked to break a logjam over a stalled package of federal money urgently requested by President Biden for vaccines, therapeutics and preparation against future variants.
The day after Mr. Biden pleaded with Congress to approve the money, senators were discussing removing as much as $5 billion in aid for the global vaccination effort as they scrambled to resolve disputes over how to finance the package. Republicans have refused to devote any new funding to the federal pandemic response effort, arguing that unspent money that has already been approved should be used, but the two parties have been unable to agree on which programs should be tapped.
Without that consensus, it was not clear that they would have the votes to move forward in the evenly divided Senate, where 60 votes — including at least 10 Republicans — would be needed.
The package now under consideration would be less than half the White House’s original $22.5 billion request.
I feel like I’m losing my mind. Cutting global vaccination efforts when the virus is still evolving? Are they crazy?
I can’t believe they haven’t signed a blank check to vaccinate the world and keep the virus under control in the US, not to mention preparing for the inevitable next pandemic. What in the world are these people thinking? Are we just going to accept millions of deaths on an ongoing basis? Looks like it.