The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 05, 2014

FACT SHEET: Emergency Funding Request to Enhance the U.S. Government’s Response to Ebola at Home and Abroad

Since the first cases of Ebola were reported in West Africa in March 2014, the United States has mounted a whole-of-government response to contain and eliminate the epidemic at its source, while also taking prudent measures to protect the American people.

Today, the Administration announced it is seeking $6.18 billion through an emergency funding request to Congress to enhance our comprehensive efforts to address this urgent situation.  To help meet both immediate and longer-term requirements, $4.64 billion is requested for immediate response and $1.54 billion is requested as a Contingency Fund to ensure that there are resources available to meet the evolving nature of the epidemic. 

The $4.64 billion for the Administration’s immediate response, as outlined below, is designed to fortify domestic public health systems, contain and mitigate the epidemic in West Africa, speed the procurement and testing of vaccines and therapeutics, and strengthen global health security by reducing risks to Americans by enhancing capacity for vulnerable countries to prevent disease outbreaks, detect them early, and swiftly respond before they become epidemics that threaten our national security.  These are the same activities that are necessary to combat the spread of Ebola and reduce the potential for future outbreaks of infectious diseases that could follow a similarly devastating, costly, and destabilizing trajectory.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - $2.43 billion:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - $1.83 billion. The request includes funding to prevent, detect, and respond to the Ebola epidemic and other infectious diseases and public health emergencies both at home and abroad for the following activities:

  • Fortify domestic public health systems and advance U.S. preparedness with support to more than 50 Ebola Treatment Centers through state and local public health departments. 
  • Improve Ebola readiness within State and local public health departments and laboratories.
  • Procure personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Strategic National Stockpile.
  •  Increase support for monitoring of travelers at U.S. airports.
  • Control the epidemic in the hardest hit countries in Africa by funding activities including: infection control, contact tracing and laboratory surveillance and training; emergency operation centers and preparedness; and education and outreach. 
  • Conduct evaluations of clinical trials in affected countries to assess safety and efficacy of vaccine candidates.
  • Establish global health security capacity in vulnerable countries to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to outbreaks before they become epidemics by standing up emergency operations centers; providing equipment and training needed to test patients and report data in real-time; providing safe and secure laboratory capacity; and developing a trained workforce to track and end outbreaks before they become epidemics.  These are the same activities that are necessary to combat the spread of Ebola and reduce the potential for future outbreaks of infectious diseases that could follow a similarly devastating, costly, and destabilizing trajectory.

Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund (PHSSEF) - $333 million.  The request includes $166 million for PHSSEF to immediately respond to patients with highly-infectious diseases such as Ebola, including for the purchase of and training on the use of PPE at hospitals across the United States and to support more than 50 Ebola Treatment Centers.  These Ebola Treatment Centers would be able to provide a higher level of definitive care in an isolated setting with point-of-care laboratory testing.  In addition, the request includes $157 million for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) for immediate response to manufacture vaccines and synthetic therapeutics for use in clinical trials.  The request also includes $10 million to aid in modeling and genetic sequencing of the Ebola virus.

National Institutes of Health - $238 million.  The request includes funding for immediate response for advanced clinical trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of investigational vaccines and therapeutics.

Food and Drug Administration - $25 million.  The request includes funding for immediate response for development, review, regulation, and post-market surveillance of an Ebola vaccine and therapeutics.

U.S. Agency for International Development - $1.98 billion: 

The request includes funding for USAID to scale up the U.S. foreign assistance response to contain the Ebola crisis in West Africa and assist in the region’s recovery from the epidemic.  USAID is the lead agency for the overall U.S. response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, partnering with CDC, which is the medical lead.  USAID's request expands emergency assistance to contain the epidemic, address humanitarian needs and support the recovery of affected countries in the region.  The request supports the medical and non-medical management of Ebola treatment units and community care facilities; provides them with PPE and supplies; helps establish the regional logistics network needed to support the international crisis response; increases the number of safe burial teams; addresses food insecurity and other second-order impacts in affected communities, such as adverse effects on maternal and child health; and bolsters community education efforts critical to prevent the spread of the disease.

The request also expands global health security activities to prevent Ebola from spreading, enhance local health care systems’ ability to report threats in real-time, and establish needed capability for expert personnel and equipment to stop health emergencies before they become epidemics.  This will help limit the spread of Ebola beyond Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea to other vulnerable nations and will increase preparedness and response capacity for future outbreaks. 

Department of State - $127 million:

The request includes funding to expand the Department’s medical support and evacuation capacity to overseas posts in the affected region, provide additional repatriation assistance, and support other diplomatic operational needs including an Ebola Coordination Unit.

The request also includes resources to fund estimated U.S. contributions to the new United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) and provide a voluntary contribution to the World Health Organization (WHO) to enable it to continue to provide essential technical support for overall coordination, surveillance, and data collection in each Ebola-affected country.

Lastly, the request includes funding for biosafety training efforts as well as training for civil aviation staff to implement sound screening procedures in West African countries.

Department of Defense - $112 million:

The request includes funding for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to support immediate efforts aimed at developing technologies that are relevant to the Ebola crisis, such as providing immediate temporary immunity, including through the use of antibodies from survivors of Ebola and other infectious diseases that will help provide a stop gap until an effective vaccine is available, and developing new technologies that could shorten the vaccine development timeline from years to months.

Contingency Fund:

The Administration is requesting $1.54 billion for a Contingency Fund, with $751 million for HHS and $792 million for USAID and the Department of State. 

Given the changing nature of the Ebola epidemic, the Contingency Fund is requested to ensure that there are resources available to respond to the evolving situation.  If necessary, the Contingency Fund could support increased domestic efforts, such as expanded monitoring; a limited vaccination campaign that could target health care workers treating infected patients (if a vaccine is proven safe and effective); an expanded response in Guinea, Sierra Leone or other countries if the virus spreads; and, enhanced global health security efforts.  As the rapidly evolving and unpredictable outbreak progresses, it is necessary to have maximum flexibility to respond quickly.

Ongoing Activities:

The emergency funding requested today complements the ongoing efforts to combat the spread of Ebola, which includes deploying key medical and expert personnel to the affected countries, increasing the Department of Defense’s deployed presence of up to 4,000 service members, building a new hospital for infected health care workers, building Ebola Treatment Units, and reaching out to communities assisting with safe burials. Domestically, this funding expands upon the existing system that screens entrants from West Africa for Ebola symptoms, monitors at-risk individuals, identifies and treats Ebola patients at selected hospitals. Without these additional resources, agencies will be unable to help control the epidemic, mitigate economic, social and political impacts of the crisis, ensure adequate domestic preparedness, develop safe and effective treatments and vaccines or expedite global health security capacity to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to outbreaks before they become epidemics.  For these reasons, this emergency funding is needed to enhance the Administration’s current whole-of-government response to help end the Ebola outbreak in West Africa and support increased domestic preparedness.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 05, 2014

Letter from the President -- Emergency Appropriations Request for Ebola for Fiscal Year 2015

Dear Mr. Speaker:
 
Today, I ask the Congress to consider the enclosed emergency appropriations request for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 that includes $6.18 billion to implement a comprehensive strategy to contain and end the Ebola outbreak at its source in Africa, enhance domestic preparedness, speed the procurement and testing of vaccines and therapeutics, and accelerate global capability to prevent the spread of future infectious diseases.
 
The request includes $4.64 billion for immediate needs and $1.54 billion in contingency funding to ensure that there are resources available to respond to the evolving epidemic both domestically and internationally.  This funding structure was used by the Congress in 2009 for the emergency supplemental for the H1N1 pandemic influenza.
 
My foremost priority is to protect the health and safety of Americans, and this request supports all necessary steps to fortify our domestic health system and prevent any outbreaks at home.  Over the longer term, my Administration recognizes that the best way to prevent additional cases at home will be to contain and eliminate the epidemic at its source in Africa.
 
Specifically, the request includes resources for domestic hospital and State and local preparedness; resources to support training as well as the acquisition of appropriate protective equipment; medical and non-medical management of Ebola treatment units and community care centers; infection control; contact tracing; laboratory capacity; disease surveillance; emergency operation centers; education and outreach; burial teams; addressing food insecurity and other adverse impacts of the outbreak in affected areas; and testing and development of new vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.  
 
The request also includes resources to strengthen global health security by reducing risks to Americans by enhancing the capacity of vulnerable countries to prevent disease outbreaks, detect them early, and swiftly respond before they become epidemics that threaten our national security.  The Global Health Security Agenda will accelerate and expand international capabilities to deter infectious disease threats like Ebola, by:  standing up emergency operations centers; providing equipment and training needed to test patients and report data in real-time; providing safe and secure laboratory capacity; and developing a trained workforce to track and end outbreaks before they become epidemics.  These are the same activities that are necessary to combat the spread of Ebola and reduce the potential for future outbreaks of infectious diseases that could follow a similarly devastating, costly, and destabilizing trajectory.
 
My Administration requests that the funding described above be designated as emergency requirements pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.
 
I urge the Congress to act expeditiously in considering this important request, the details of which are set forth in the enclosed letter from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Sincerely,
 
BARACK OBAMA
 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 04, 2014

Readout of the President’s Meeting on Ebola

The President on Tuesday afternoon convened his national security and public health teams to discuss Ebola preparedness at home and the whole-of-government approach to contain the epidemic at its source in West Africa. The President’s advisors noted the Department of Health and Human Services-led effort to ensure hospitals and our broader health system are prepared to identify and isolate an Ebola case and, as necessary, stabilize, transport, or treat the patient. The President’s team then updated him on the rigorous, multilayered measures in place to screen individuals traveling from the affected West African countries. His advisors also discussed the monitoring requirements to which these individuals are subject upon arrival in the United States. They noted that many states have adopted measures that track closely with the science-based federal guidelines that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued last week. On the international front, participants agreed that, despite initial signs of progress in Liberia, we must continue to tackle this challenge aggressively with all of the tools, both civilian and military, at our disposal—and in close coordination with the selfless health care workers who have admirably chosen to deploy to the frontlines. The President reminded his team that only by containing and ending the epidemic in West Africa will we be able to ensure there are no additional cases domestically.

Participants:

  • The Vice President
  • Chuck Hagel, Secretary of Defense
  • Sylvia Burwell, Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • Jeh Johnson, Secretary of Homeland Secretary
  • Denis McDonough, Chief of Staff
  • Susan Rice, National Security Advisor
  • Rajiv Shah, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (via video teleconference)
  • Samantha Power, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations (via video teleconference)
  • Lisa Monaco, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism
  • Ron Klain, Ebola Response Coordinator
  • Thomas Frieden, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • Rand Beers, Deputy Assistant to the President for Homeland Security
  • Nancy Powell, Ebola Coordinator, Department of State
  • Gayle Smith, Senior Director for Development and Democracy, National Security Council

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 04, 2014

Statement by the Press Secretary on the President’s Travel to Asia

The President will travel to China, Burma and Australia from November 10-16.  In China from November 10-12, President Obama will attend the APEC Leaders Meeting and APEC CEO Summit.  Upon the conclusion of the APEC Leaders Meeting, the President will participate in a state visit with President Xi Jinping of China.  In Burma from November 12-14, President Obama will attend the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the U.S.-ASEAN Summit in Nay Pi Taw, and hold a bilateral meeting with President Thein Sein.  In Rangoon on November 14, the President will participate in a town hall event with participants in the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) and meet with Aung San Suu Kyi.  In Brisbane, Australia from November 15-16, the President will participate in the G20 Leaders Summit and deliver a speech on U.S. leadership in the Asia-Pacific.  Details on additional meetings and events will be forthcoming. 

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 03, 2014

President Obama Signs Hawaii Disaster Declaration

The President today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Hawaii and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by the Pu’u ‘Ō’ō volcanic eruption and lava flow beginning on September 4, 2014, and continuing.

Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency protective measures taken as a result of the Pu’u ‘Ō’ō volcanic eruption and lava flow in Hawaii County.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures in Hawaii County.

W. Craig Fugate, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Kenneth K. Suiso as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area. 

FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 03, 2014

Readout of the President’s Meeting with Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen

The President and Chair Yellen met today in the Oval Office as part of an ongoing dialogue on the state of the economy, financial reform, and other economic issues. They discussed implementation of the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act—which includes the most sweeping set of financial regulatory reforms since the Great Depression and the strongest consumer protections in history that have afforded millions of hard-working Americans new rights and protections within the financial sector. They also discussed the near and long-term growth outlook, both in the United States and globally.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 03, 2014

Statement by NSC Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan on the Illegal Separatist Elections in Eastern Ukraine

The United States condemns the illegitimate, so-called “elections” held on Sunday by Russia-backed separatists in parts of Donetsk and Luhansk.  These sham elections contravened Ukraine’s constitution, the law on “special status,” and the most basic electoral norms.  Both Russia and its separatist proxies had agreed to honor Ukraine’s special status electoral law when they signed the Minsk Protocol of September 5.  They therefore violated the terms of that protocol with these so-called “elections” on November 2.   As we have said previously, the United States will not recognize the authority of any individuals claiming to represent parts of Donetsk and Luhansk on the basis of this illegal vote. 

We are concerned by a Russian Foreign Ministry statement today that seeks to legitimizes these sham “elections.”  We also continue to be concerned by reports that Russia is once more moving its troops and military equipment to portions of the international border.  The Russia-Ukraine border remains unmonitored and outside of Ukrainian government control despite Russia’s commitment to facilitate the establishment of an effective international monitoring mission.  We are also concerned by OSCE reports that OSCE Special Monitoring Mission UAVs operating east of the control line have come under attack in recent days.  More broadly, Moscow’s continued failure to fulfill its obligations under the Minsk agreements calls into question its commitment to supporting a peaceful resolution to the conflict in parts of eastern Ukraine. 

We call on Russia’s leaders to adhere to the commitments they made in Minsk to include the full withdrawal of foreign forces, the restoration of Ukrainian control of its sovereignty over the border with OSCE monitoring, and local elections in accordance with the special status law, which set these for December 7.  As we have said repeatedly, Russia has a choice.  If it supports the peace process and adheres to its Minsk commitments, the costs for Russia’s destabilizing actions against Ukraine will lessen.  Should Moscow continue to ignore the commitments that it made in Minsk and continue its destabilizing and dangerous actions, the costs to Russia will rise.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 02, 2014

Statement by the President on the First-Annual International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists

History shows that a free press remains a critical foundation for prosperous, open, and secure societies, allowing citizens to access information and hold their governments accountable. Indeed, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights reiterates the fundamental principle that every person has the right “to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Each and every day, brave journalists make extraordinary risks to bring us stories we otherwise would not hear - exposing corruption, asking tough questions, or bearing witness to the dignity of innocent men, women and children suffering the horrors of war. In this service to humanity, hundreds of journalists have been killed in the past decade alone, while countless more have been harassed, threatened, imprisoned, and tortured. In the overwhelming majority of these cases, the perpetrators of these crimes against journalists go unpunished.

All governments must protect the ability of journalists to write and speak freely. On this first-ever International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, the United States commends the priceless contributions by journalists to the freedom and security of us all, shining light into the darkness and giving voice to the voiceless. We honor the sacrifices so many journalists have made in their quest for the truth, and demand accountability for those who have committed crimes against journalists.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 01, 2014

Readout of the President's Call with U.S. Service Members in West Africa

The President spoke by phone on Saturday afternoon with U.S. service members in Liberia and Senegal taking part in Operation United Assistance, the U.S. military mission to contain the Ebola outbreak at its source. The President, on behalf of the American people, offered his profound gratitude to the dedicated men and women providing logistics support, engineering expertise, construction services, and other elements needed to bring the epidemic under control. The President underscored that the civilian-led, whole of government strategy to tackle Ebola on the frontlines is the most effective way to prevent further spread of the disease and protect the American people from additional cases at home. He concluded the call by noting that, while we must not relent in this campaign, initial signs of progress in Liberia were a testament to the skill and determination of these service members and their civilian counterparts. Their service embodies American leadership at its finest.

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release
November 01, 2014

President Obama Announces More Key Administration Posts

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:

  • Leon Aron – Member, Broadcasting Board of Governors
  • Jeffery S. Hall – Member, Farm Credit Administration Board, Farm Credit Administration
President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts:
 
Dr. Leon Aron, Nominee for Member, Broadcasting Board of Governors

Dr. Leon Aron is Resident Scholar and Director of Russian Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, a position he has held since 1993.  He was a weekly Contributor at the Voice of America’s Russian language radio and television show Gliadya iz Ameriki (Looking from America) from 1990 to 2004.  Dr. Aron was previously an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University from 1994 to 1996 and a Senior Policy Analyst at the Heritage Foundation from 1987 to 1992.  He was awarded the Peace Fellowship from the U.S. Institute of Peace from 1992 to 1993.  Dr. Aron received a B.A. from Moscow State Pedagogical Institute and an M.A. and a Ph.D. from Columbia University.

Jeffery S. Hall, Nominee for Member, Farm Credit Administration Board, Farm Credit Administration

Jeffery S. Hall is the President of The Capstone Group, a firm he co-founded in 2009.  Mr. Hall was the State Executive Director in Kentucky for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Farm Service Agency from 2001 to 2009.  Previously, from 1994 to 2001, he served as the Assistant to the Dean at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture.  Prior to that, Mr. Hall was a Legislative Assistant in the Office of U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell.  He has held leadership positions in a number of non-profit organizations.  Mr. Hall received a B.S. from Purdue University.