Journal News - Delays in Zika Funding Spark Democratic Outcry

News Article

By: Brian Tumulty

Foot-dragging by Senate and House Republicans is delaying emergency funding for combating the Zika virus, congressional Democrats say.

"It has been nearly four months since the World Health Organization declared Zika a public health emergency and President Obama announced the need for $1.9 billion in emergency funds to respond to the crisis and to prevent the spread of Zika both at home and abroad,'' Rep. Nita Lowey, ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said Tuesday.

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer and other Senate Democrats expressed similar dismay at a news conference Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol.

The House voted May 18 to provide $622 million for the Zika response through Sept. 30. A day later, the Senate approved $1.1 billion.

"We all agree that the Zika virus is a real threat and needs to be addressed,'' Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Wednesday. "Republicans and Democrats worked together to pass a bill here in the Senate to provide funding and resources. The House passed its own version. We are now ready to go to conference and complete a final bill.''

But Senate Republicans have not yet announced members of their negotiating team.

Schumer warned that Senate Democrats consider the Senate $1.1 billion funding "a floor for these negotiations, not a ceiling.''

"House and Senate Republicans need to get on the same page and quickly get our experts the funding they need to keep the American people safe from Zika,'' Schumer said.

Lowey, who will negotiate on behalf of House Democrats, said she's pushing for the full $1.9 billion requested by the White House. She's critical of the House GOP plan that would divert funds to Zika that previously were allocated to prevent another Ebola outbreak.

"Summer is here, mosquitoes are biting and U.S. travel-related (Zika) cases continue to rise,'' Lowey said in a conference call with reporters. "Congress just cannot drag its feet any longer to provide the resources for public health professionals to protect our communities.''

New York State has 127 Zika cases to date, all involving people who became infected while traveling abroad.

New York has a "surprisingly high risk for the Zika virus,'' said Edward McCabe, chief medical officer for the March of Dimes, who joined Lowey on her conference call.

"Our region is home to both types of mosquitoes that can transmit Zika and we have a very high number of travelers from areas where Zika is circulating, like Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and other countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean,'' McCabe said.

The March of Dimes is dedicated to preventing birth defects and infant mortality. Zika is linked to severe birth defects.

"We don't have another day to waste,'' McCabe said.

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