When House Appropriations Committee chair David Obey sought $900 Million in funds for pandemic preparation to be included in the stimulus bill, he generated bitter opposition from Republicans. The GOP claimed that this was not economic stimulus. Well, with the prospect of the swine flu outbreak upon us, and its potential for damaging the already fragile economy, we now see the truth.
Obey and other advocates for the spending argued, correctly, that a pandemic hitting in the midst of an economic downturn could turn a recession into something far worse — with workers ordered to remain in their homes, workplaces shuttered to avoid the spread of disease, transportation systems grinding to a halt and demand for emergency services and public health interventions skyrocketing. Indeed, they suggested, pandemic preparation was essential to any responsible plan for renewing the U.S. economy.
But former White House political czar Karl Rove and key congressional Republicans — led by Maine Senator Susan Collins — aggressively attacked the notion that there was a connection between pandemic preparation and economic recovery.
Oh, and the markets are sharply down this morning, in part based on pandemic fears.
This reminds me of the Republicans and volcano monitoring.
Update: Video of Susan Collins’ opposition: