Senators Strike Deal To Reallocate $10 Billion In Unspent COVID-19 Funds

Senate Republicans and Democrats on April 4 struck a deal for $10 billion in additional funding for the United States’ COVID-19 response, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced. The funding will provide urgent COVID-19 needs and therapeutics by repurposing unspent COVID funds primarily from the Democrats’ American Rescue Plan. The $10 billion will be allocated to the Department of Health and Human Services, of which $9.2 billion will go to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). At least $5 billion of the $9.2 billion funding has been earmarked to research, develop, manufacture and purchase, and administer COVID-19 therapeutics, and at least $750 million is being set aside for research and clinical trials into emerging variants of the virus and to expand vaccine manufacturing capacity if needed. For example, the new bill will withdraw $500 million from a fund to support colleges and universities during COVID-19, $2,3 billion that was made available to the Department of Transportation,  » Read full article