White House <br />Already Scaling Back, COVID Relief Plans, Amid Uncertain Funding.<br />On March 15, the White House stepped up its push <br />to convince Congress to appropriate billions<br />of dollars in coronavirus relief funding. .<br />On March 15, the White House stepped up its push <br />to convince Congress to appropriate billions<br />of dollars in coronavirus relief funding. .<br />'The New York Times' reports that the White House <br />has already scaled back plans to purchase monoclonal <br />antibody medicines to prevent and treat COVID-19. .<br />In addition to this, the government will also <br />stop reimbursing medical providers who <br />provide COVID care for the uninsured in April. .<br />The original $22.5 billion in funding that <br />the Biden administration was seeking <br />was cut down to $15.6 billion by Congress. .<br />The original $22.5 billion in funding that <br />the Biden administration was seeking <br />was cut down to $15.6 billion by Congress. .<br />Now, even that reduced figure is in doubt.<br />The push to have funding approved comes as <br />a Senate panel prepares to vote on opening an investigation into <br />the origins of the pandemic and the government's response. .<br />The push to have funding approved comes as <br />a Senate panel prepares to vote on opening an investigation into <br />the origins of the pandemic and the government's response. .<br />Earlier this week, the House approved a massive $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package. .<br />However, House Democrats were forced to remove <br />COVID funding from the package knowing that Senate <br />Republicans would refuse to approve the bill. .<br />Now, the fate of the COVID relief bill remains unclear <br />as House Democrats are hesitant to bring a bill before <br />the Senate they know Republicans won't approve.
