Floridians Cannot Wait for Action on Zika Funding

On July 29th, Florida health officials announced locally transmitted cases of the Zika virus. For the first time, Zika has been transmitted by mosquitoes in the continental United States, and it happened right here in our state.
 
The World Health Organization declared an international public health emergency over the Zika virus back in February. At the time there were nine cases of Zika in Florida. As of today, there are well over 500 cases in our state alone.
 
Zika is a serious health crisis that directly impacts our families. It calls for swift action and bipartisan solutions. Instead, Congressional leaders dragged their feet and then recessed Congress without providing the necessary funding. This inaction is unacceptable.

Early on, I addressed the Zika virus with the urgency and the common-sense approach it required. In February, I hosted a Zika briefing with the United Solutions Caucus. Democrats and Republicans met with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to discuss the federal response to this crisis.

I also visited the Scripps Research Institute where I met with scientists doing critical research to find a Zika vaccine. To aid their efforts, Congressman Curt Clawson and I came together to introduce a legislative package to reduce the spread of the virus. This multifaceted approach includes tax credits for organizations like Scripps that are working to develop a Zika vaccine. 
 
Additionally, after hearing from local scientists about the need for more location-based live samples for insights into mutations of the virus to aid their vaccine development, I requested the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ assistance in providing researchers with these resources.
 
In Congress, I fought for a bill to expedite approval of new Zika prevention and treatment efforts. I was proud to see this bill passed into law. I also introduced the Strengthening Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health (SMASH) Act to provide resources to local mosquito control districts to help fight the spread of the virus.
 
This public health crisis requires collective action, with all levels of government working together on the long-term solutions to combat this virus — including the state expanding Medicaid and restoring family planning funding — that will be critical in this fight.
 
These are important actions needed to address Zika, but they are not enough. President Obama requested $1.9 billion in emergency Zika funding in February. This request contained detailed plans for prevention, detection, and response efforts. I have consistently urged Congress to pass this emergency funding, and it is beyond frustrating that Congress left for the summer without passing a bill for the President to sign.
 
Now with more than 30 non-travel-related Zika cases reported in Florida, we cannot wait any longer for action. I am calling for Congress to reconvene immediately and pass a clean emergency funding bill to provide the resources needed to fight this virus. We don’t have time to play politics with a serious health crisis. This virus is spreading, Florida is directly impacted, and we need leadership to get our state critical funding to protect our families.