Senate

Coons: We must do more to fight Ebola

Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) called on the White House to designate a point person to deal with the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

“It is time for the rest of us to step up,” Coons said on the Senate floor Thursday.

{mosads}Coons also suggested that the U.S. military provide logistical support and that the administration provide more financial aid.

“The U.S. government has contributed so far more than $100 million,” Coons said. “But the fact remains we need more.”

Coons said he introduced a Senate resolution expressing such priorities and called for the United States to quickly develop a vaccine.

The Ebola epidemic emerged earlier this year and has killed nearly 2,300 people across five countries.

Coons serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is the chairman of the subcommittee on Africa.