US health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies. But GOP leaders see a political imperative to act as the summer mosquito season heats up. It cuts funds provided in 2014 to fight Ebola to help offset the cost of the additional Zika money.
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The Tulsa Health Department has put up special traps to catch mosquitoes prone to carrying the Zika virus. “We’ve never had a situation before where a single mosquito bite could result in you giving birth to a child with a bad birth defect that could change the rest of your life”.
Obama put nearly $600 million in previous appropriations, mostly funds left from Ebola funding, towards Zika when Congress hesitated to act. Republicans had been pushing for this funding re-appropriation as the first step in funding Zika and say that the pending measure will be enough until September 30 of this budget year.
On Tuesday, the Senate advanced a $1.1 billion measure to fight Zika that earned sweeping support from Democrats even though it’s less than the White House request. It will be added to an unrelated spending bill, which will become a problem as the House bill will proceed as a stand-alone measure.
He continued to push for the full $1.9 billion, but did not say the President would veto a bill if it Congress ultimately approved a plan similar to the $1.1 billion one that the Senate passed. Asked Wednesday about the compromise Senate measure, however, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said, “I don’t have a veto threat to issue”.
Breaking news about local government in D.C., Md., Va.
Buchanan, R-Longboat key, backs Obama’s proposal.
“When those disasters struck, we didn’t steal money from prior disaster response, like the emergency funding provided for hurricane damage in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida; storms in West Virginia; and tornadoes in Oklahoma and Kentucky”, said New York Democratic Rep. Nita Lowey, citing a bill approved past year for wildfires in the West and hurricanes on the East Coast. “Given the severity of the Zika crisis and the global health threat, we can not afford to wait on the Administration any longer”. The Obama administration has requested $1.9 billion. Top Republicans such as Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers of Kentucky have successfully pressured the administration to use unspent Ebola funds to finance nearly $600 million in anti-Zika efforts such as research on the virus and Zika-related birth defects, response teams to limit Zika’s spread, and helping other countries fight the virus.
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In response to the threat of the Zika virus in the USA, the House of Representatives signed a bill allotting a $622-million funding for the cause. Its cost is financed in part by further cutting unspent Ebola funding.
