Source: Fox News
Summary
Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) are calling on the State Department to release $608 million in congressionally-approved international family-planning funds to help women and infants affected by the Ebola outbreak in East Africa. The senators also requested that $1.7 million in already purchased family-planning supplies be distributed. The supplies, which include condoms, hormonal contraception, and post-rape care medicine, are currently being stored in Belgium and will be destroyed if not used. The senators argued that providing women with access to family planning services can prevent further deaths and reduce the spread of the virus.
Our Reading
As expected, the matter has reached another stage.
The senators’ letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio is a familiar call to action, urging the release of funds to address a pressing humanitarian issue. The request for family-planning supplies is a routine response to the Ebola outbreak. The senators’ emphasis on the importance of preventing unplanned pregnancies and protecting women from transmission of the virus is a standard argument. The fact that the supplies are being stored in Belgium and will be destroyed if not used adds a sense of urgency to the request. The senators’ letter is a performance of concern and a demonstration of their commitment to addressing the crisis.
Author: Evan Null
