WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Jeanne Shaheen introduced the Epidemic Barrier and Outbreak Leadership (EBOLA) Act which would require President Trump to rejoin and immediately collaborate with the World Health Organization (WHO) to respond to the Ebola outbreak and other infectious disease outbreaks.
“Viruses don’t stop at borders,” said Hickenlooper. “Protecting American families means collaborating with global health experts, not walking away from them.”
“As the world is facing the worst Ebola outbreak in history, the Trump Administration still refuses to partner with the WHO, which is leading the global response,” said Shaheen. “The Trump Administration’s withdrawal from the WHO last year, cuts to foreign assistance programming and the stalling of funds to critical vaccine organizations like Gavi have exacerbated the crisis and left Americans more vulnerable. I urge the Senate to swiftly adopt this legislation and ensure the United States government is fully cooperating with the WHO to reduce transmission and prevent Ebola from again reaching America’s shores.”
The EBOLA Act comes as an Ebola outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa surpasses 1,000 confirmed cases two months after it was detected. Making matters worse, is an active conflict between the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Rwanda-backed M23, hindering humanitarian access to areas where Ebola is spreading.
President Trump’s withdrawal from the WHO and gutting of U.S. foreign assistance has significantly impeded America’s ability to coordinate with international partners in response. The WHO and the African Centers for Diseases Control are coordinating the global response to the outbreak.
Specifically, this bill would:
- Require the President to rejoin the WHO no later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of the bill.
- Require the U.S. to immediately collaborate with the WHO to respond to the Ebola Disease outbreak in Central and Eastern Africa.
- Authorize appropriations for membership contributions to the WHO as well as voluntary contributions or programmatic support to prevent the global spread of Ebola transmission.
Full text of the bill can be found HERE.
###