Reluctant Republicans Edge Closer To Taking Zika Action. Sort Of.

International Center for Journalists fellow Paula Minozzo contributed reporting. WASHINGTON -- The threat posed by the spreading Zika virus has been alarming health officials across the Americas since last year. Republicans in Congress on Wednesday finally started show signs they were getting concerned. At least, some of them. Emerging from a weekly meeting with fellow Republicans in the House of Representatives, several members said House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) mentioned that a top priority was dealing with the virus that causes birth defects and other ailments. Still, none of them were willing to embrace the emergency request for $1.9 billion that the Obama administration made in February to support research and slow a disease that's already claimed at least one American life. As of May 4, the number of Americans who got the virus while traveling had reached 472. "There is no easy solution here,” said Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.). "Throwing money at it is not the ultimate solution. The debate you are hearing now is that the president and the Senate say let’s throw $2 billion at it, but at the House, we are more mindful of our budget, saying where is it going? And at the end what does it accomplish?" Health officials have told Congress that what they want to do is ramp up research on prevention and a vaccine, as well as build out robust response teams, all while figuring out better ways to control the mosquitoes, and educate doctors and the public -- all eno...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news