Senator wants Obama to pay NYC back the $20 million it took to treat Ebola patient
Dr. Craig Spencer was cured of Ebola at Bellevue Hospital in the Big Apple, where he was treated by around 100 health care workers. Now, because Ebola is "a threat to the nation," New York Sen. Chuck Schumer (D) is asking that the rest of the country chip in to help cover the expenses involved in Spencer's treatment.
"The world-class response mounted by New York City and Bellevue HHC was not free," Schumer said Sunday. "The bottom line is local communities and local taxpayers should not foot the whole bill for handling an infectious disease that is a threat to the nation."
Schumer believes that the city and the hospital "should be compensated in the same way that communities are compensated following a natural disaster," according to the New York Post.
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Schumer isn't stopping at $20 million, though: He's also proposing setting up an "Ebola Contingency Fund" to fund states and localities in the event of an outbreak. The CDC already has similar funds in place for other diseases.
New York state is set to receive $14.6 million of the $6.1 billion that President Obama has requested for Ebola funding to cover "preparedness activities."
Schumer's planned "Ebola Fund" will be be considered during the lame duck session as part of the Fiscal Year 2015 omnibus bill.
