Will expand Ebola program

Obama is expected to announce the expansion of a $763 million U.S. plan to help West African nations combat the Ebola virus later Tuesday during his visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Officials say the administration has asked Congress for an additional $88 million for the program. The Department of Defense, which is heading up the program, has requested the re-programming of $500 million. The expansion will include deploying 3,000 troops to the Liberian capital, according to a White House statement:

U.S. Africa Command will set up a Joint Force Command headquartered in Monrovia, Liberia, to provide regional command and control support to U.S. military activities and facilitate coordination with U.S. government and international relief efforts. A general from U.S. Army Africa, the Army component of U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), will lead this effort, which will involve an estimated 3,000 U.S. forces.

The White House says ‘many’ of the troops will be stationed at an ‘intermediate staging base’ where they will supervise movement of medical staff, supplies and heavy equipment.