Slaughter: Underfunding Zika Response Puts Americans at Risk

WASHINGTON, DC — Congresswoman Louise Slaughter (NY-25) released the following statement ahead of a vote expected tonight on a proposal that would provide only a third of the president’s emergency request to fight the Zika virus. Yesterday, Slaughter led a coalition of more than 120 House Democrats calling on Speaker Paul Ryan to hold a vote on fully funding the Obama Administration’s request for $1.9 billion in emergency appropriations to fight the spread of this virus.

“The Zika virus is making inroads across the country and its impact is clear. More than a thousand Americans have already been diagnosed with confirmed cases of Zika, including more than 100 pregnant women. Public health officials have made clear that this threat will only grow unless we take immediate action. President Obama requested $1.9 billion in emergency funding months ago to tackle this virus and develop a vaccine, accelerate testing, and enhance preventive programs. The continued refusal of Republican leaders in the House to hold a vote on providing full funding to combat Zika puts our country and countless Americans at risk. As the only microbiologist in Congress, I know how important it is to trust the experts. I cannot support this drastic underfunding of this public health emergency. It is shameful and no way to legislate a crisis. Republican leaders should bring legislation to the floor to finally provide the resources we need to help prevent the spread of this virus.”

In February, Slaughter and more than 100 colleagues called on Republican leaders in Congress to increase access to reproductive health care worldwide in response to the alarming spread of this virus. The Zika virus poses a major threat to pregnant women and their unborn children and has been linked to microcephaly, abnormal smallness of the head, a congenital condition associated with incomplete brain development.

The Zika virus has spread rapidly in other parts of the world and we are seeing the same pattern here in the U.S. There are at least 503 reported cases of Zika in the U.S. to date and at least 701 reported cases in U.S. territories. Among these, pregnant women account for 113 cases.

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