U.S. Officials Allocate Stopgap Zika Funds, Congress Urged to Take Action – Reuters

Federal Officials Push for Zika Funding as Concerns Grow in the U.S.

Federal health officials are intensifying their efforts to secure funding to combat the spread of the Zika virus within the United States. This comes as local transmission has been reported in Florida, prompting calls for Congress to return from its recess and take action.

In the previous week, the Florida Department of Health confirmed the first signs of local Zika transmission in the continental U.S. On Tuesday, the department announced it is investigating an additional case of locally acquired Zika, increasing the total number of infections linked to local mosquitoes in a single Miami-Dade County area to 15.

In February, President Barack Obama requested approximately $1.9 billion in emergency funds to manage Zika domestically and internationally and to facilitate vaccine development. However, Congress has yet to pass any funding legislation.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported allocating over $16 million to 35 states and five territories to aid in detecting cases of microcephaly and other conditions related to Zika. Health officials have established a link between Zika infections in pregnant women and microcephaly, a serious birth defect characterized by an abnormally small head size that can result in significant developmental issues.

The CDC clarified that the funding provided is temporary and drawn from other public health resources until Congress can approve dedicated Zika funding. Last month, the agency released an additional $25 million in similar stopgap funds.

Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida seeking re-election after an unsuccessful presidential campaign, urged the Senate to break from its summer recess to pass Zika funding legislation. "I hope we’ll return to Washington quickly, take a day and just pass this funding measure so we can start to get funds flowing," he stated.

A proposed compromise bill for $1.1 billion failed after Republican representatives included provisions that would restrict abortion and defund parts of the Affordable Care Act. Although Rubio favors the original $1.9 billion request, he believes there are sufficient votes in Congress to advance the $1.1 billion compromise.

Both Democratic Senator Bill Nelson of Florida and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid have echoed calls for Congress to reconvene and address Zika funding as well.

In a recent opinion article, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell attributed the failure to pass Zika funding to the Democrats. He encouraged the Obama administration to utilize existing funds to fortify the nation’s defenses against the virus, citing hundreds of millions of dollars that may remain unspent.

On Monday, the CDC advised pregnant women to avoid the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami due to the ongoing Zika infections.

The outbreak extends across large areas of Latin America and the Caribbean, with Brazil experiencing the most severe impact to date.