Delaware is receiving more than $4.5 million in federal funding meant to fight the spread of the novel coronavirus.
All three members of Delaware’s Congressional delegation voted in favor of the emergency spending package totaling $8.3 billion this week.
It puts more than $3 billion into research into vaccines, $2.2 billion to supporting local public health agencies and $1 billion for medical supplies including test kits. It also puts $1.25 billion towards addressing the coronavirus overseas.
“It makes it clear this is a serious threat,” said Sen. Tom Carper (D-DEL). “We need to be serious about it, and that includes funding the threat and making sure we have the resources.”
In a statement, Sen. Chris Coons (D-DEL) said he’s “extremely encouraged by how closely the Senate and House are coordinating on a bipartisan basis to address this outbreak.”
Carper says he supports President Trump’s decision to appoint Vice President Mike Pence to lead the coronavirus taskforce.
“One of the things I think has been done well is one person who has stature within the administration needs to be named to lead the effort, and the president wisely named his vice president,” said Carper. “Vice President Pence is a former governor, I know him a little bit from those days and I think it was a good choice.”
Carper does, however, criticize the president’s initial ask of $1.25 billion to deal with the virus. Carper also criticizes Trump’s use of the word “hoax” to describe Democratic disapproval of the administration’s response to the virus.
Carper applauds the efforts of Delaware-based pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca and Incyte to develop a vaccine for the virus.