The Zika Virus: Be Prepared
As we move into the warmer months of the year, many Wisconsinites are rightly concerned about the Zika virus. However, the good news is twofold: The spread of the Zika virus is not expected in Wisconsin, and Congress has, and will continue to, take decisive action to halt the spread of the virus.
About the Zika Virus
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide background on the Zika Virus:
“Zika virus disease (Zika) is a disease caused by the Zika virus, which is spread to people primarily through the bite of an infected Aedes species mosquito. The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week after being bitten by an infected mosquito. People usually don’t get sick enough to go to the hospital, and they very rarely die of Zika. For this reason, many people might not realize they have been infected. However, Zika virus infection during pregnancy can cause a serious birth defect called microcephaly , as well as other severe fetal brain defects. Once a person has been infected, he or she is likely to be protected from future infections.”
If you want more information on the Zika virus, including prevention tips, click here .
There have been confirmed cases of the Zika virus in Wisconsin , but these individuals had recently traveled outside of the country before their return to our state. A number of Wisconsin’s health officials have said they are confident Zikawill not spread across Wisconsin , but it is still important to be prepared. If you are traveling outside of the country, make sure you and your family are safe: Click here to get current information about Zika.
What We Are Doing
As your member of Congress, I am proud to support a number of actions taken on the federal level over the past several months to ensure an appropriate and timely response to the threat the Zika virus poses.
The reality is that Congress has been on top of the Zika threat from the beginning. Over the past several months, it has made available the money necessary to prepare for an outbreak. Put simply: There is no funding shortage. There never has been.
As Appropriations Committee member Tom Cole (R-OK) put it , “In this fiscal year, Congress gave twice the increase [the president] requested for the National Institutes of Health and increased expenditures beyond his request at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
To Rep. Cole’s point, the House approach to Zika funding has been three-pronged: First, get existing money out the door to address the immediate threat. Second, allocate needed resources for the remainder of the fiscal year. Finally, commit additional resources in the regular fiscal year 2017 appropriations process.
To recap, here are some of the major steps taken by the House to address Zika this year:
- February 18, 2016: When the Zika threat emerged early this year, Congress made clear to the administration that the quickest and most efficient way to get money out the door was to use existing funds.
- April 6, 2016: The administration finally heeded the advice of Congress and reprogrammed $589 million of unobligated Ebola funds to address Zika. House and Senate Republicans have pledged to provide even more money beginning October 1 of this year in the FY 17 appropriations bill.
- April 12, 2016: The House passed S. 2512 , bipartisan legislation to encourage the development, testing, and distribution of a vaccine or treatment for the Zika virus. The president signed this bill into law on April 19.
- May 18, 2016: The House passed the Zika Response Appropriations Act , which appropriates $622 million in new funding that is fully paid for. On top of the $589 million already repurposed, this bill means Congress currently allocated $1.2 billion to fight Zika in this fiscal year.
- May 24, 2016: The House passed H.R. 897, the Zika Vector Control Act , which removes regulatory barriers to killing mosquitoes carrying the virus.
- May 26, 2016: The House moved to go to conference with the Senate to resolve difference on the Zika Response Appropriations Act and the Zika Vector Control Act.
- June 23, 2016: The House passed the Conference Report to H.R. 2577, the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2017, which includes $1.1 billion in new Zika funding. This is on top of the $589 million already repurposed. In total, approximately $1.7 billion has been provided to fight Zika.
This is a significant step forward in the fight against Zika. It is a responsible plan that assures the administration will continue to have the needed resources to protect the public. Given the urgency of the Zika threat, I hope Senate Democrats will rise above politics so we can get this done.
Congress takes the threat that the Zika virus poses seriously. Actions have been taken to provide significant resources through the reprogramming authority as well as by authorizing new money in the pipeline.
If you want more information on the virus and how to keep your loved ones safe, click here .
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