Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton promised Wednesday to create a Public Health Rapid Response Fund if she is elected president.
The fund would better enable organizations like the CDC, HHS and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to "quickly and aggressively respond to major public health crises and pandemics," she said in a campaign statement.
Public health spending has fallen more than 9 percent since 2008, according to a 2015 study Ms. Clinton cited in the statement. Meanwhile, Zika, Ebola, water-borne illnesses and extreme weather, among other threats, must be dealt with using emergency appropriations, according to Ms. Clinton. If Congress does not make those appropriations, communities can be left without resources, she added.
Ms. Clinton's endorsement of this fund puts her in step with congressional Republicans, who have recently voiced support for the idea, as well as Democrats who have long supported it, according to The Hill.
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