Murphy, United Solutions Caucus To Host Bipartisan Zika Virus Briefing With Top CDC Official

Statement

As co-founder and co-chair of the bipartisan United Solutions Caucus (USC), U.S. Representative Patrick E. Murphy (FL-18) will be hosting a meeting between caucus members and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Principal Deputy Director Dr. Anne Schuchat this Thursday morning on Capitol Hill. USC members will be briefed on the federal government's readiness and response efforts by Dr. Schuchat and discuss how members of Congress can help support these ongoing efforts as well as coordinate between federal, state, and local officials. The meeting will be closed to the press, with Murphy having availability for phone interviews after its conclusion at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 25th. Members of the press interested in Congressman Murphy's press availability must email Erin.Moffet@mail.house.gov to arrange.

"With almost 30 cases of Zika reported in Florida, strong action both nationally and locally to combat this virus is especially important in my home state. I am looking forward to being briefed further by Dr. Schuchat on the CDC's efforts to prevent and combat the Zika threat," said Rep. Murphy. "It is great to have this briefing in a bipartisan setting with the United Solution Caucus because this is not a partisan issue, and it is important that it stays that way. I have been pleased to see our Florida Congressional Delegation already working together across party lines to tackle this challenge that is currently facing our state."

In addition to organizing Thursday's briefing, Murphy joined Congressman Curt Clawson (FL-19) last week to introduce a legislative package aimed at reducing the spread of Zika in the United States. The package takes a multifaceted approach to address the threat posed by the virus through three bills to: 1) Support prevention efforts through a 10% tax credit for qualified research and development costs incurred by any company developing a vaccine for the Zika virus; 2) Reauthorize a $200 million a year grant program for 5 years to fight against mosquito-borne diseases, allowing states to use it in mosquito control programs in order to conduct assessments and to prevent and control mosquito-borne diseases; and 3) Authorize the use of excess HHS Ebola funds for Zika response and preparedness. While the funds could still be used for Ebola as necessary, this bill would expand the availability of the funds to also be used in the fight against Zika.

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