Florida now has documented 56 locally transmitted cases of Zika infection, presumably passed by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes that are active almost year round in south Florida. The GOP plan would deny the group money to provide contraception to women in Puerto Rico, which has the most Zika cases of any state or territory.
Advertisement
“Republicans were more interested in attacking Planned Parenthood and flying the confederate flag”.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, said Republicans were “more interested in attacking Planned Parenthood” than “protecting women and babies from this bad virus”.
Congress voted down the spending package by a 52-46 vote-falling short of the 60 votes needed-due to a movement from Senate Democrats who protested wording that they believe would limit funding to Planned Parenthood.
Read the full story at The Hill here. Even House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., has said he wants to keep negotiating into the fall on full-year spending measures.
Four cases of microcephaly were reported with women who didn’t have Zika symptoms and were not part of the study, which is consistent with the normal expected number of cases. Senate Democrats blocked a Republican measure to battle the virus.
Congress has been gridlocked on Zika funding for months, though the number of people in USA states and territories with the virus continues to grow. The House passed the bill, but it’s since stalled in the Senate.
Since Planned Parenthood offers safe abortion access and contraceptive care, it is a valuable defense against the virus.
“Let’s stop this monkey business”, Nelson said in a speech on the Senate floor.
“Earlier this year, Democrats tried in vain to bring Republicans to the realization that Zika was imperiling the health of all, but especially women of child-bearing age”, Reid added. It was mostly repurposed funding from other programs, notably efforts to clean up after the Ebola epidemic that killed 11,000 people in West Africa in 2014-15.
A bill aimed at combating the Zika virus failed to get past the Senate Tuesday.
With the money quickly running out, national legislators will need to act quickly to create a funding package for the Zika virus as soon as possible.
Because of the Senate standoff, the Zika funding likely will be included in a fiscal year-end stop-gap measure meant to keep the federal government operating until Congress returns after the November 8 election or longer.
Advertisement
“I’ve seen pictures and information of what Zika can do and I think it’s a very, very sad thing that can be avoided if we just take some precautions”, Slezak said. “It seems to defy common sense that we haven’t been able to do it yet”, he said, adding he’s “optimistic” funding will be approved by month’s end. After contracting Zika, the CDC recommends waiting at least eight weeks from your first sign or symptom before trying to get pregnant.
