President Barack Obama on Tuesday called on the American people and Congress to support a request for scientific funding that will allow the country to prepare for outbreaks of deadly diseases and viruses.
“It’s not just insurance,” Obama said in a speech at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda. “It’s knowing down the road we’re going to have problems like this, particularly in a globalizing world. It’s important now, it’s important for our future and our children’s future and our grandchildren’s future.”
“We need to show the world how America leads.”
Obama thanked researchers at NIH who have worked to develop an Ebola vaccine that has shown promise in early human testing. He described efforts to prepare the country against an Ebola outbreak—including purchasing new equipment, expanding the network of treatment centers from three to 35 and increasing the availability of testing. He commended the doctors who treated Texas nurse Nina Pham at NIH.
“You reminded the world that it is possible to treat Ebola patients safely and effectively without endangering yourself or others,” Obama said.
Obama also pushed for additional funding to fight such deadly diseases as Ebola. Last month, Obama requested $6.18 billion in an emergency funding request to fight Ebola in West Africa and make domestic preparations against the disease.
“This has to truly be a global effort,” he said. “We cannot let down our guard for even a minute. Much of the progress we made and still need to make depends on funding…We cannot beat Ebola without more funding.”
Obama asked Congress to approve the emergency funding before members leave for the upcoming holiday recess. He called it a “smart investment for us to make.”
“There may and likely will come a time at which we have an airborne disease that is deadly,” Obama said. “In order to deal with that effectively we need to put in place an infrastructure, not just here, but globally.”
