Equality Caucus Urges Inclusion of Monkeypox Funding in Upcoming Government Funding Legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following the Biden Administration's request today that Congress allocate $4.5 billion to address the monkeypox outbreak, the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus is urging inclusion of this funding in the upcoming government funding legislation.

Although anyone can get monkeypox, the current outbreak is disproportionally impacting LGBTQ+ people, especially men who have sex with men. 88 Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, led by Equality Caucus Chair David N. Cicilline (RI-01), Co-Chair Mark Pocan (WI-02), and Co-Chair Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18), recently sent a letter to the Administration requesting that officials send a formal request to Congress for supplemental funding to combat the spread of monkeypox.

"With this funding request, the Biden Administration took an important step in addressing the monkeypox outbreak. Congress has a duty to treat monkeypox as the public health emergency that it is and provide the resources to combat its spread," said Equality Caucus Chair Cicilline. "I look forward to working with my colleagues to appropriate these and any other necessary funds to address the monkeypox outbreak, prioritize our public health infrastructure, and protect the American people."

A summary of the Administrations funding request can be found here.

Founded in 2008, the mission of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus is to promote equality for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The Caucus, which is led by the nine openly LGBTQ+ members of the House of Representatives, is strongly committed to achieving the full enjoyment of human rights for LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. and around the world.

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