CDC denies Democrats' claim Trump slashed funding to anti-pandemic programs

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pushed back on claims from Democratic lawmakers that President Trump slashed funding to the department's anti-pandemic efforts.

Amid nationwide concern regarding the federal government's ability to contain the spread of the coronavirus, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer blasted Trump late last month for “drastic cuts to the global health division at CDC," likely referring to a five-year, nearly $600 million supplemental package that ran out in September 2019.

"All of the warning lights are flashing bright red. We are staring down a potential pandemic, and the administration has no plan," the New York Democrat said. "We have a crisis of coronavirus, and President Trump has no plan, no urgency, no understanding of the facts, or how to coordinate a response."

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