He met with Rubio, at the same time as criticized Nelson for voting against a Zika funding House measure last week. “It’s important that we have a vaccine”. And even babies who seem normal at birth, but whose mothers were infected with Zika late in pregnancy, can suffer serious developmental problems later on. “That’s all this is about”.
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The United States and its territories have recorded more than 19,600 Zika infections, and Florida is seeing a rise in locally transmitted cases of the virus which is particularly risky for pregnant women because it can cause microcephaly, an irreversible deformation of the brain and skull, in infants.
McConnell said that it was a good meeting focused on resolving the funding issue.
Lawmakers from Louisiana want billions for flood relief. Pass the clean bill. Now. Several more babies have been delivered with Zika-related birth defects in the U.S. “The bigger, the better”, he said. “We’ve had storms. We’ve had flooding”.
Citing the 756 Zika cases in his state, Nelson said: “I can tell you that the people in Florida are pretty agitated”.
“The cupboard is bare”, Rep. Xavier Becerra of California, a House Democratic leader, said Wednesday.
The CDC also reports 15,600 confirmed cases in Puerto Rico, nearly all of the locally contracted. I’ve been asking for 10,000 Zika-prevention kits for pregnant women. Now back in Washington, lawmakers have again rejected a bill to fund the Zika fight – a failure Congress must reverse before its month-long session is over.
The bipartisan measure would authorize 29 projects in 18 states for dredging, flood control and other projects overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “Zika funding is not done; it’s a work in progress”.
“I am not of the opinion that Sen”. “The specifics are still being worked out”.
“I thought we had something last Friday”, Reid said. Let’s build friendships and build bridges rather than call each other out. “We’re talking about mosquitoes, but do we need to talk about the birds and the bees at the same time?” “And they’ve all been helpful”.
“These are questions that must be answered”, she said. Curt Clawson, Florida Republican and member of the fiscally conservative House Freedom Caucus.
Obama has been calling on Congress since February to approve $1.9 billion to help eradicate the mosquitoes that spread the virus and to develop a vaccine, but the House and Senate have not been able to agree on a bill because of a threatened Democratic filibuster in the Senate over Planned Parenthood and other issues. “Planned Parenthood should not be part of Zika funding”.
Democrats have accused Republicans of inserting language targeting Planned Parenthood into the Zika funding legislation to bait them into blocking it.
Scott repeated frustrations with the CDC, claiming it has been slow to send Zika-prevention kits and provide lab support. “Don’t be a partner in a year”.
The short-term funding bill would keep the government operating until December 9, effectively moving the budget deadline to after Election Day.
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President Barack Obama will meet with congressional leaders at the White House on Monday afternoon to try to forge a plan to fund the government past the end of September and resolve a months-long partisan standoff over additional funding to combat the Zika virus.
