WASHINGTON (CNN) – President Obama is asking Congress for $1.5 billion to fight the current swine flu outbreak.
In a letter to lawmakers on Capitol Hill, the president made the request "at an abundance of caution," and said the funds should be "provided with maximum flexibility to allow us to address this emerging situation."
He also suggested the supplementing of anti-viral stockpiles, and assisting international efforts to stem the outbreak could be good uses of the funds. He added that his administration has "carefully been monitoring the situation, coordinating state and local responses, assessing the risk here in the United States and cooperating with international organizations and health officials around the globe."
Robert Gibbs, Obama's press secretary, read the letter to reporters at the beginning of Tuesday's White House press briefing.
From CNN Politics
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I thought Congress was controled by Democrats? Has Obama started, talking to himself?
The republicans demanded that funding for pandemic issues be taken out of the budget cause we all know they just don't care and look what has happened.
AndyL: would you rather President Obama spend the money rebuilding Iraq like it has been?????? Or in AMerica?????
...of course he has. I thought there was nothing to worry about.
AndyL April 28th, 2009 4:01 pm ET
Obama has not found a problem that spending can't solve
Yeah, its finny how throwing resources and capital at problems has a peculiar way of solving them...
Doesn't this man know anything other than "I want money to spend" NOW???
By the end of this term, American will have to file for Bankruptcy!
I'm glad that he want's to be prepared for a pandemic, He may know something i don't about this disease but this guy uses The "Chin-American Express" Credit Card like it has no limit. . .
NO MORE SPENDING!!!
How about closing the border and stopping all flights out to into Mexico, just long enough for the US and Mexico get over this. The more people coming and going the higher the risk for the US.
We now have 2 deaths from this strain... Yes, we all get the flu but not one that is known to kill the healthy as this one is doing.
Get smart Obama... shut those borders and stop those planes and trains.
If the Republicans say no, I would send them all to Mexico
Hey rethugs I guess you'd rather our President spend money on Iraq and neglect this country like the last one did huh??? Why do you guys hate America?
Amazing that Cuba has prohibited travel to and from Mexico to protect itself against swine flu yet Obama still values political correctness more than the health and welfare of the citizens of the US.
I am sure they will throw a few earmarks in this. This guy has never met any dollar especially our dollars that he won't spend. Barack is the Pac Man Jones of politics(Let is rain baby!!!!!!!!!!!!)
To all the people critizing him for getting funds to control or fight this; what would you do? What is your plan that does not cost any money? I would like to hear it.
$1.5 billion with maximum flexibility? Um, no. I guess Mr. Obama hasn't learned that unless you put stipulations and make sure you know where every penny is going, that $1.5 billion will be spent on everything but what he wants it used for. *Cough* Bailout *Cough*
What is 1.5 billion for only 20 people have this.....Thats 20 people out of how many hundreds of million. This is crazy I dont think this president understand inflation. Its going to be a sad day in four years when we look back and look at how much liberty we lost and look at how much we are in debt.
I thought yesterday there was no need to panic? Yet today we need 1.5 billion?
The CDC has more than enough Tamiflu on hand, so why exactly 1.5 billion....
Every GOP'er is an idiot obviously, especially considering that the GOP eliminated the money that was to be spent for this from the stimulus!
You want a threat to a nation's economy? Mexico is entirely shut down right now. Can you imagine how much money they are losing?
What, so the right-wingers are happy to be paranoid and demand things to be done when they're afraid of something, but if it involves spending money its out of the question? Personally, I think the swine flu is being blown out of proportion, but there's nothing wrong with trying to save lives. Imagine if one of your loved ones had it...wouldn't you want something to be done? Stop worrying about money, worry about lives.
Spend, spend, spend. 1.5 billion is waaaaaaayyyyyyyy more than necessary. I'm not sure if people can quite comprehend how much money that really is. It's flabbergasting that he'd ask for that much, especially for a problem that he feel's isn't that big a deal. There has to be more to this than he's letting on.
Here's a suggestion obama. Why don't you open your checkbook and write a large check. Since you are getting paid about $500,000 a year? Instead of creating money, that the country doesn't have. And stop creating more debt for the middle class tax payers.
You dems didn't think the Senator from ME was so bad when she deserted the rest of her party to vote in Obama's Trillion Dollar Debt (I mean stimulus) package.
All of a sudden you turn on her! Nice..I hope Arlen Spector doesn't feel the knife going in to painfully.
blah blah blah...... Republicans bitch and moan while the rest of us, (the 80% who actually do love this country) recognize government trying to actually do what is right and applaud it.
OK Conservatives. Here is an example of a problem the nation is facing. What should your federal government do?
1. Let the free market solve it. Sick Americans can simply go to their doctors and hospitals and pay for treatment. Those who cannot pay should have planned better.
2. Encourage Americans to stop using birth control medication so as to replace those citizens who have died.
3. Let the local governments handle it. After all, the county health officer is more trustworthy than the distant, incompetent federal government.
4. Give blankets formerly used by swine flu victims to old people on social security. If they die, it will help reduce social security and medicare expenditures.
5. Call for stronger enforcement of immigration laws. Deport those who have swine flu.
6. Call for a Constitutional Amendment banning flag burning and gay marriage.
7. Give a speech about the second amendment to the Constitution. Americans should have the right to shoot swine flu victims who try to enter their homes.
8. Reduce taxes on the wealthy class.
Spend baby spend! Can they print up enough money for this man?
I hate to point out but Germany tried this type of thing and it led to the people needing a wheelbarrow to curry enough money just to buy a loaf of bread.
But then again we could be like Zimbabwe and have 1 trillion dollar bills in our wallets. Wont that be cool? Thank you Obama for making our money as worthless as you being the president!
Obama just charge it.