Even as President Donald Trump sought to minimize fears about the chance of the coronavirus spreading through the United States, administration officials were warning members of Congress on February 25 about the dangers of the virus. When asked by Patty Murray, Washington State Senator, if there are currently enough of those items in the case of an outbreak, Alex Azar, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services responded: "Well, of course not, or we wouldn't be asking for a supplemental to seek more money to procure more of that for this circumstance."