After Trump Admin Left US Vulnerable To Disease Outbreaks By Abandoning Leadership In Global Health, Leader Schumer Demands Admin Immediately Launch An Ebola Response Plan To[...]

Washington, D.C. - Today, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) demanded that the Trump administration immediately release a detailed Ebola response plan in light of the worsening outbreak. Leader Schumer underscored that the administration's actions have continually undermined U.S. leadership in global health, including withdrawing from the World Health Organization, disbanding USAID, eliminating the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, and allowing DOGE to fire CDC experts on infectious diseases.

The Trump administration has left the United States vulnerable on a global stage. Since he has taken office, Trump has capitulated America's leadership in public health by withdrawing from the World Health Organization, disbanding USAID, firing experts, and shuttering vital offices. As a result, Trump has left Americans more exposed to outbreaks, infections, and health disasters. Now, with a worsening Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Americans don't feel they can trust in our leadership to safeguard their health.

Today, Leader Schumer is fighting back by demanding that the Trump administration release a detailed Ebola response plan in light of the growing outbreak.

"Since the start of this outbreak, this administration has failed to quickly stand up a comprehensive and coordinated response and disclose information on how the administration is using existing tools to protect Americans' health," wrote Leader Schumer. "Without a clear chain of command, quarantine plan for repatriated Americans, protocol for how to treat Americans infected or showing symptoms abroad, or coordination with state and local public health leaders, there are more questions than answers when considering how ready the United States is to handle the growing Ebola outbreak in the DRC."

Leader Schumer directly tied his concern over Ebola to the administration's systemic dismantling of U.S. leadership in global health. He noted that in doing so, the United States has severely weakened the international response to public health challenges such as the Ebola outbreak.

"The divestment has undoubtedly contributed to the scale and severity of the outbreak as well, which the CDC classified as in need of "large-scale, rapid public health action" or else the outbreak may grow to "one of the largest Ebola epidemics in history." It is not unprecedented for Ebola to reach the U.S., and of much higher likelihood during one of the largest outbreaks in history and with millions of people traveling to the U.S. for the FIFA World Cup matches in the coming weeks. New York alone receives 9.8 million international visitors per year on average. "I remain concerned that the scale of the outbreak and the anticipated uptick in international travel will put Americans at greater risk," Leader Schumer continued. "Despite those gaps, the administration has failed to articulate any clear plan to overcome these challenges and identify the tools at the U.S.'s disposal to respond to international disease threats. In preparation for a worsening outbreak, ongoing heightened international travel to the U.S. for the FIFA World Cup, and significant divestment from global health assistance and preparedness, I urge you to immediately release an Ebola response plan that details the leadership for a coordinated response as well as gives the American public the assurances and information they need to stay safe."

The administration has not outlined any clear plan for addressing these gaps or detailing how the U.S. will respond to ongoing international disease threats. In the absence of a clear course of action, Leader Schumer demands that the administration immediately release a detailed Ebola response plan that includes information regarding:

1. Agency leadership and chain of command for decision-making related to Ebola response both for Americans inside and outside of the U.S.
2. The administration's timeline for releasing appropriated funding, including to multilateral organizations such as GAVI, to expedite vaccine development and eventual distribution.
3. The administration's timeline and plan for releasing and quickly programming appropriated funding to strengthen global health systems abroad, including the $1.9 billion in FY25 Global Health Funding that the administration has refused to spend under the wrongful guise of "USAID closeout costs," $550 million of which is funding appropriated by Congress for global health security and pandemic preparedness.

The full text of the letter can be found here.

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