Florida delegation continues push for funding to combat Zika

U.S. Reps. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) continued their push on Friday for federal funding and resources to help combat the spread of Zika virus.

As of Thursday, 165 cases of Zika have been reported in Florida, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) was monitoring 340 cases of pregnant women with confirmed or possible Zika infections in the United States and its territories.

“Congress needs to take this threat seriously and approve funding immediately to confront this serious public health threat,” Buchanan said. “Every day we delay increases risk for vulnerable populations.”  

The Department of Defense has taken steps to prevent the transmission of Zika at U.S. military installations. A Pentagon memo reported that mosquitoes capable of carrying Zika could be found at 190 military installations in 27 states and territories.

“Every day brings more bad news about the potential impact of the mosquito-borne virus,” Buchanan, who has supported President Barack Obama’s proposal to authorize $1.9 billion to confront Zika, said.

Curbelo, meanwhile, said in a press conference that Congress must “sufficiently fund Zika eradication efforts.”

“The latest reports from the Florida Department of Health suggest that there have been 50 cases of Zika in Miami-Dade County alone, while the state of Florida accounts for 21 percent of all Zika cases in the United States according to the CDC,” Curbelo said. “I urge my colleagues to act and pass viable long-overdue Zika legislation as soon as possible. We must ensure that the federal government provides adequate funds to combat this dangerous virus in order to keep Americans and our families safe.”

Curbelo also applauded U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) for his leadership on combating Zika and said that both chambers of Congress must work together to do so.