While more people get infected with Zika every day, Roll Call reported this morning that the Obama administration is sitting on $385 million in funding that could be put to use immediately to curb infections, control mosquito populations and screen travelers coming back to the United States. Here’s the money graph from Roll Call:
The Obama administration is struggling to explain why it is pressing Congress for more money to fight the Zika virus while sitting on hundreds of millions of dollars that it already controls and could be used instead.
Some in Florida’s Congressional delegation jumped on the news:
Told @WashTimes: Obama Administration must allocate available $$$ to #Zika programs in #Florida w/o delay https://t.co/DKb5KmBq71
— Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (@RosLehtinen) August 2, 2016
With $385M immediately available to combat #Zika, I urge the Obama admin to put those $ to use in states like #FL https://t.co/rFy9HOKTs6
— Mario Diaz-Balart (@MarioDB) August 2, 2016
But others chose to ignore the news, on both sides of the political aisle:
The @SunSentinel is right: Congress must immediately reconvene and pass emergency #ZikaVirus funding → https://t.co/j16J5fca4m.
— (((Rep. Murphy))) (@RepMurphyFL) August 2, 2016
VIDEO: @fcn2go: Marco Rubio Calls on Congress to Return to Washington to Approve #Zika Fundinghttps://t.co/vlPndi3zTP
— Olivia (@olivia_pc) August 2, 2016
Meanwhile, new cases keep cropping up (we’re up to 15 and counting now), and just a few square miles in downtown Miami have become “ground zero” for the fight against the Zika virus. Florida governor Rick Scott held a press conference yesterday outlining his administration’s efforts to combat the spreading disease, and the Centers for Disease Control warned pregnant women to avoid traveling to the Wynwood area in Miami, releasing a map showing the not-quite quarantined area.
More coverage here:
ABC TV25: Governor Scott requests more funds for Zika preparedness.
CBS News (video only): Gov. Rick Scott confident Florida will control Zika virus
Washington Post: CDC issues travel advisory to Florida
Florida Politics: Gov. Scott: 10 new cases of Zika virus
CNN: CDC issues historic travel warning in Florida over Miami Zika outbreak
ABC News (video only): Community at heart of Zika scare seems unfazed
WLFA TV8: Zika concerns not impacting Florida tourism, so far
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