Lawmaker introduces rabies vaccine bill following fox bite on Capitol hill


After being bitten by a fox while walking on Capitol Hill, Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) has introduced legislation that would reduce the cost of rabies vaccinations for uninsured Americans, The Washington Post reports.
"After being bit by a rabid fox, I was fortunate to have access to readily available and low-cost vaccines," Bera said in a statment released Wednesday, also World Rabies Day. "But for too many Americans, the costs of treatment would break their banks."
Bera encountered the rabies-stricken fox while walking near the Russell Senate Office Building back in April. After feeling a small animal lunging at the back of his leg, he expected to turn around a see a dog. Instead, he saw a fox, and began beating the animal back with his umbrella until it fled toward other Senate buildings, per the Post. After multiple sightings, animal control officials eventually caught a fox on U.S. Capitol grounds. It was unclear, however, whether the captured fox and the fox that bit Bera were the same.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Rabies can be potentially fatal, but a treatment known as post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) "is nearly 100% effective at preventing rabies if received before symptoms start," per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Bera's bill, The Affordable Rabies Treatment for Uninsured Act, would create a program to reimburse healthcare providers who provide PEP to uninsured patients.
"I encourage all Americans to remain vigilant around wild animals and to seek medical attention if bitten or scratched," Bera said. "Costs should never be a barrier for individuals seeking life-saving treatment."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.
-
Today's political cartoons - April 20, 2025
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - Pam Bondi, retirement planning, and more
By The Week US
-
5 heavy-handed cartoons about ICE and deportation
Cartoons Artists take on international students, the Supreme Court, and more
By The Week US
-
Exploring the three great gardens of Japan
The Week Recommends Beautiful gardens are 'the stuff of Japanese landscape legends'
By The Week UK
-
China accuses NSA of Winter Games cyberattacks
speed read China alleges that the U.S. National Security Agency launched cyberattacks during the Asian Winter Games in February
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Russian strike kills dozens in Ukraine
Speed Read The Sumy ballistic missile strike was Russia's deadliest attack on civilians this year
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
South Korea court removes impeached president
Speed Read The Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol after his declaration of martial law in December
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Myanmar quake deaths rise as survivor search intensifies
speed read The magnitude-7.7 earthquake in central Myanmar has killed a documented 2,000 people so far, and left scores more trapped beneath rubble
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
'Like a sound from hell': Serbia and sonic weapons
The Explainer Half a million people sign petition alleging Serbian police used an illegal 'sound cannon' to disrupt anti-government protests
By Abby Wilson
-
Israel detains director after West Bank settler clash
speed read The director of Oscar-winning documentary 'No Other Land' was arrested and beaten
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Turkey arrests Istanbul mayor, a top Erdogan rival
Speed Read Protests erupted in Turkey after authorities detained Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu
By Peter Weber, The Week US