AAMC joined a June 6 community letter to House Conferees urging them to provide the highest possible level of funding to fight the Zika virus, and to provide new funding rather than repurpose funds from other high-priority public health programs. The Senate June 8 voted to conference with their House colleagues to finalize a spending bill to address Zika virus.
The AAMC has supported various efforts urging Congress to adequately and quickly approve funds to address Zika virus [see Washington Highlights, May 20]. AAMC joined 60 organizations in a May 18 letter to House members urging them to “provide emergency supplemental funding to combat Zika virus “at or near the President’s requested levels, and to reject proposals that fall far short of those amounts, particularly those that would fund efforts against Zika by cutting other vital public health programs and priorities.”
The AAMC also joined more than 50 organizations in a Feb. 23 letter to appropriators in support of the White House’s request. The letter also urges Congress “to allocate new money for the response, rather than repurposing funds that are designated for Ebola response and global health security”