Coronavirus Relief Bill: Trump Administration Looks To Zero Out Funding For CDC And COVID-19 Testing

President Donald Trump is being slammed by his critics, and some Republican senators, for reportedly planning to phase out $50 billion in funding for COVID-19 testing and tracing by states, and from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) .

Specifically, the Trump administration wants to do away with federal funding for coronavirus testing provided for in the new coronavirus stimulus bill being hashed out in the Senate, sources told The Washington Post. Of the $50 billion total, $25 billion will be grants to states for testing and contact tracing, $10 billion will be funding for CDC and $15 billion for the NIH.

Funding may also be slashed for initiatives needed by the Department of Defense and the Department of States to battle the pandemic.

It's unclear why Trump wants the $50 billion removed but some pundits see this as part of Trump's minimizing the federal government's role in fighting the pandemic. Trump has repeatedly said states and not the federal government should lead in testing.

On the other hand, some officials contend Congress has already approved billions of dollars for testing and some of this money remains unspent. A senior White House official said Trump "is fully committed to a robust aid package that addresses real needs," according to ABC News. The official, however, did not deny the administration wants to cut back funding.

The alleged move has angered some GOP senators. A source cited by the Post said GOP lawmakers intend to ensure the $50 billion stays in the bill Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky, is expected to unveil this week. The source clarified the talks were still fluid.

The GOP is also bracing for blowback from Democrats. Democrats in their HEROES Act want $3 trillion in new stimulus while Republicans plan a more modest influx of $1 trillion. Democrats and Republicans remain far apart on the issue by a compromise solution is expected within the month. They expect the new bill, or the fourth stimulus package, to be signed into law by August.

The United States is threatening to be overwhelmed by a dangerous resurgence in the COVID-19 pandemic that begun after Memorial Day. New COVID-19 cases have jumped in 37 states. As of Sunday, the U.S. has 3.8 million out of a world total of 14.6 million confirmed cases.

Trump has repeatedly claimed the dramatic jump in new COVID-19 cases over the past months is only due to the U.S. conducting more testing. His claim is being unanimously contradicted by the medical community, which rightfully points out the positivity rate has increased dramatically.

While testing in the U.S. has risen 37%, the positivity rate has jumped 194%. This data confirms the disease's more rapid spread can't only be attributed to more testing.

There were fewer than 20,000 new cases per day nationwide before Memorial Day. As of last week, there were more than 76,000 new cases per day.

The campaign of Democratic Party presidential candidate Joe Biden assailed the Trump administration's bid to reduce testing funds as cases continue to soar in the U.S.

"Donald Trump is turning his back on his most important responsibility to the American people because, in the words of his own advisers, he 'doesn't want to be distracted by' the worst public health crisis in 100 years," said Andrew Bates, Biden campaign spokesperson, quoted Business Insider.