1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

I am writing with grave concern regarding the horrific Ebola outbreak currently spreading through the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. Reports describing the growing humanitarian crisis should alarm every elected official in Washington. The failure to adequately confront this threat is not simply a distant tragedy—it is the consequence of policy choices that have weakened our global health defenses. The sweeping budget cuts enacted by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have undermined critical international disease surveillance, outbreak response programs, and public health partnerships that help contain deadly pathogens before they spread. By reducing support for these essential systems, we have left health workers with fewer tools to stop dangerous viruses at their source. Because this outbreak involves the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, there are currently no approved vaccines available. While several experimental vaccine candidates are under development, including promising messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine approaches, progress depends on sustained funding and international cooperation. The failure to invest aggressively in next-generation mRNA vaccine technology may ultimately be remembered as one of the greatest public health mistakes of our time. The Trump administration’s lack of support and funding for these emerging vaccine platforms has slowed our ability to prepare for outbreaks like this one and future pandemics. When the United States retreats from its leadership role in global health security, the consequences are measured in human lives. Infectious diseases do not respect borders, politics, or budget cuts. I urge you to restore critical global health funding, accelerate support for mRNA and other Ebola vaccine development programs, and rebuild the containment infrastructure necessary to prevent this outbreak from becoming a broader international catastrophe