White House Seeks $1.4 Billion for Ebola Response After Budget Cuts Disabled Early Detection

The White House requested $1.4 billion from Congress on June 24 to combat Ebola outbreaks in the DRC and Uganda. The timing underscores a policy contradiction: five months earlier, budget cuts eliminated USAID's early-detection and rapid-response programs designed to contain outbreaks before they spread. Critics argue the administration is now funding emergency response to the exact crisis its prior cuts dismantled infrastructure to prevent.