WASHINGTON _ The White House sent a $45.8 billion supplemental spending request to Congress on Tuesday night to bolster funding for federal agencies' response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Administration officials stressed that the appropriations request is completely separate from a $1 trillion economic stimulus package that Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is working on with Senate Republicans. The money is needed to deal with a surge in confirmed cases that is stretching the U.S. medical system, officials said.
The Veterans Health Administration accounts for the bulk of the supplemental request, or $16.6 billion. Officials there expect a major increase in patient care related to the coronavirus. Other departments receiving major portions are Health and Human Services with $11.5 billion; Defense, which would receive $8.3 billion; and Homeland Security, which would get $3.2 billion.
The request includes funds in smaller amounts for multiple other federal agencies.
The new funding would come on top of $8.3 billion Congress provided in early March, largely to help public health agencies prepare, finance research and development of vaccines and new drug treatments, stockpile medical supplies and help overseas disease-fighting efforts.
It wasn't clear how quickly Congress would act on the new funding request. The Senate is working on a House-passed bill to help individuals and families affected by illness and work stoppages, and several committees are already engaged in working on the broader stimulus package Mnuchin discussed Tuesday.
