WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, on Wednesday released the following statement on supplemental funding bill to address coronavirus and urged Congress to pass it immediately:

“The growing coronavirus epidemic is serious and we must come together as a country to confront it. That’s exactly why Congress released a supplemental funding bill today that will actually fund real efforts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus—here and abroad. But this supplemental funding is just the first step, and President Trump has a long way to go to show the American people that his administration is taking this public health crisis seriously,” said Murphy.

Murphy continued: “From day one, this administration has actively undermined our public health programs, leaving us vulnerable to potential global pandemics like coronavirus. Trump has reduced our ability to detect and address pandemics abroad, eliminated critical leadership positions that handled international pandemics, and actively sabotaged health care for millions of Americans at a time when they need it most. The American people deserve better, and we must continue to press this administration to take this public health crisis seriously.”

Murphy blasted the president’s emergency coronavirus funding request earlier this month as well as the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus outbreak. Murphy also questioned Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Deputy Director Dr. Anne Schuchat and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephan Hahn on the emerging threat of coronavirus and what officials are doing in response just this week. Murphy also signed onto a letter with U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in urging the FDA to ensure the safety and supply of pharmaceuticals, food and medical supplies amid the growing epidemic and the FDA responded. Murphy also joined other senators in pressing the Trump administration to request emergency funding for coronavirus response.

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