Dear Colleague on Removing COVID Funding from the Omnibus

Dear Democratic Colleague,

As you know, the Administration has requested that we include in our omnibus package additional funding to continue our battle against COVID. The funding requested will protect against potential new variants and help vaccinate the world.

Republicans resisted this deeply needed funding, demanding that every cent requested by the Administration be offset, including through state and local funds scheduled to be released this spring. Democrats fought to ensure that no localities saw their funding cuts, while negotiating that only half of the Administration's $15 billion request be offset through remaining funds from expired programs.

Because of Republican insistence — and the resistance by a number of our Members to making those offsets — we will go back to the Rules Committee to remove COVID funding and accommodate the revised bill. We must proceed with the omnibus today, which includes emergency funding for Ukraine and urgent funding to meet the needs of America's families.

It is heartbreaking to remove the COVID funding, and we must continue to fight for urgently needed COVID assistance, but unfortunately that will not be included in this bill.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

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