Biden calls on world leaders to boost Covid efforts as U.S. funding dwindles

Biden calls on world leaders to boost Covid efforts as U.S. funding dwindles President Joe Biden plans to urge world leaders to do more in the fight against Covid as the White House struggles to secure additional funding from Congress. YahooNews

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden urged world leaders Thursday to do more in the global fight against Covid as the White House struggles to secure additional funding for U.S. efforts at home and abroad.

Biden made the request at the White House’s second virtual Covid summit, where U.S. officials are focused on expanding vaccinations and booster shots, improving access to tests and treatments and preventing future pandemics, a senior administration official said.

"I encourage every leader to ask yourself, what more can I do? How can we work more closely together to help more people? How can we save more lives?" Biden said in pre-recorded remarks.

The U.S. surpassed 1 million Covid deaths on Wednesday, with the president urging Americans not to "grow numb" and to "remain vigilant" against the pandemic in a statement released by the White House. Biden ordered federal flags to be flown at half staff to mark the grim milestone.

"Now is the time for us to act, all of us together. We all must do more, we must honor those we have lost by doing everything we can to prevent as many deaths as possible," Biden said in his remarks. "Today, we’re at a new stage in fighting this pandemic. Facing an evolving set of challenges."

The Biden administration is searching for a way to get enough congressional support for more domestic and overseas funding to fight the pandemic.

The White House requested $22 billion from Congress in March as part of a wider spending bill, but the money was stripped out over opposition from Republicans and some Democrats. Last month, lawmakers appeared to reach a deal on $10 billion in Covid funding that no longer included $5 billion for overseas efforts to fight the virus, but the legislation has stalled.

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