Letter: Support effort to fight tuberculosis

The smoke has lifted finally, and life can resume like normal in the Tri-Cities. As annoying as the smoke is, there are things far more dangerous we could be breathing in the air.

Toward the end of September, there will be a United Nations high-level meeting for global heads of state to come together and talk about the fight against tuberculosis. Tuberculosis spreads as easily as breathing the air that has been exhaled by an infected person, and it is currently the leading cause of death among infectious diseases globally.

A sign-on letter has been circulating through the U.S. House and the Senate to urge President Trump and his office to take a strong stance of support and leadership at this meeting. If the U.S. steps up and leads by pledging to aid the fight, it will encourage the other leading nations to do so as well.

I ask Rep. Dan Newhouse to sign onto this letter as well, taking a stance of leadership on this global issue and encouraging the White House to do the same.