HIGH STAKES

Biden Administration Says It May Need $7 Billion to Fight Monkeypox

The memo, obtained by The Washington Post, is based on discussions among Democratic lawmakers and White House staff.

The Washington Post obtained a memo in which the Biden administration told Congress that it may need nearly $7 billion to adequately respond to the monkeypox outbreak. Federal officials have confirmed 3,500 monkeypox cases in the country, almost all of which are among men who have sex with other men, but warn that the virus will spread to other demographics. The memo—which is based on early discussions among Democrats and White House staff and does not amount to a formal request to lawmakers—specifies that the money would be used for monkeypox tests, vaccines, and treatments. The spending package is one of several options being considered, the most pared-down of which requires only $500 million. Democrats are asking the federal government to mount a robust response to the crisis, which the WHO declared a global health emergency, yet cannot pass any spending package without Republican support in the evenly-split Senate.