“It is probably a logistical problem as much as anything else, but yes, it is a concern,” said the Republican. Senator John Cornyn of Texas.
As negotiations between the White House and Senate Republicans have increased in recent days to include more testing funds in the next round of stimulus, the White House lobbied against more money over the weekend, arguing that thousands millions still go unspent. But lawmakers and aides, who estimate the remaining amount at about $ 7 billion to $ 8 billion, say they have been unable to get a clear answer as to why that money was not touched in the first place.
In April, Congress passed legislation that included $ 25 billion in additional funding for testing and contact tracing. The money, which included $ 11 billion earmarked for the states, went to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund. Months later, aides and lawmakers say they are unsure why so much has not been spent yet.
“They never believed we should do the test,” Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, told CNN. “We have to keep pushing.”
A Democratic aide familiar with the money discussions said there was speculation that it had been tied up at the Office of Management and Budget level, but there was no clear evidence if the heist had happened for any particular reason or was just a symptom of pushing billions out the door quickly.
Behind the scenes, lawmakers on both sides have asked the administration to explain why the money is not used. Four Democrats on the Senate Appropriations Committee sent a letter directly to President Donald Trump this week asking for answers.
“In April, Congress allocated $ 25 billion through the Paycheck Protection Program and the Health Care Improvement Act specifically to expand testing capacity and conduct surveillance and follow-up contacts to ensure we were prepared for another spike in cases. However, according to the latest information from the Department of Health and Human Services, three months later, less than half of the money provided has been forced by the federal government and capacity gaps Testing and contact tracing are widespread, “read the Democrats letter, signed by Murray along with Sens. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, Richard Durbin of Illinois and Jon Tester of Montana.
The letter also required the administration to explain why billions of funds had not been used to build the National Strategic Reserve, as reports show that states are once again struggling to find the right personal protective equipment to weather the pandemic.
However, almost four months later, the Administration has committed only half of the funds that Congress provided to the SNS (and only part of this was spent on PPE) and the Department of Defense. you have informed us that you intend use almost 70 percent of DPA funds for shipbuilding, aircraft development and other defense programs, “the letter reads, referring to the Defense Production Act.
Republicans have urged the administration in recent weeks to increase its response to the coronavirus, as polls have shown that the president is lagging behind in key key states and dragging grassroots Republicans for reelection with him.
“We have to improve our game in testing. This is a global problem,” Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina who is a close ally of Trump, told reporters.
Republicans also strongly reprimanded the administration’s argument that no more funding was needed for testing and contact tracing in the upcoming stimulus bill, saying the position not only put the country’s testing capabilities at risk, it also ignored the political realities of the situation.
“I would have to work very hard to get to a deaf position,” said a Republican aide over the weekend.
On Monday, members rejected the Trump administration’s position that no more money was needed for the tests.
“I think that’s wrong,” said Senator Roy Blunt, a Republican from Missouri.
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