Mediaboss Marketing

President Barack Obama is preparing to ask Congress for additional funding to combat Ebola, according to one White House official and a Capitol Hill official.

Obama, who has been criticized by Republicans for being too slow to respond to the appearance of the deadly virus in the U.S., could make the request as early as next week, said the Capitol Hill official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter.

Both officials declined to say how much additional funding Obama would seek. The White House official, who was also not authorized to discuss the request, said it has yet to be determined whether a spending package would be made on an emergency basis, meaning that it would not count against the federal deficit, or carved out of a special war-funding account for Overseas Contingency Operations. In either case, it could be rolled into legislation that would fund the rest of the federal government into next year.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said yesterday that the president has not made any decisions about whether additional resources are necessary. His deputy, Eric Schultz, declined to comment today but pointed to those remarks when asked about the size and scope of a possible supplemental funding request.

U.S. President Barack Obama, left, speaks to the media about the fight against the Ebola virus during a meeting with his Ebola Response Team, including Dr. Thomas Frieden, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the Oval Office at the White House, Oct. 16, 2014 in Washington, D.C. Close

U.S. President Barack Obama, left, speaks to the media about the fight against the... Read More

Close

U.S. President Barack Obama, left, speaks to the media about the fight against the Ebola virus during a meeting with his Ebola Response Team, including Dr. Thomas Frieden, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the Oval Office at the White House, Oct. 16, 2014 in Washington, D.C.

Obama has increasingly tried to show that he is actively engaged in efforts to prevent an outbreak of the virus in the U.S. After canceling two days of campaign events, Obama yesterday appointed Ron Klain, a former chief of staff to Vice President Joe Biden, as the administrations Ebola response coordinator amid increasing concern from the public about whether the government is equipped to contain an outbreak.

As part of the administration effort, Obama also plans to assign senior personnel to serve on the ground in Dallas, including an experienced Federal Emergency Management Agency coordinator and a White House liaison. They will be tasked with ensuring that all of the regions needs are being met, according to a White House statement yesterday.

Go here to see the original:
White House Said to Seek Additional Funds to Fight Ebola