Senate Advances $1.1 Billion In Emergency Funding To Fight The Spread Of Zika

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, voted to advance $1.1 billion in emergency funding to fight the spread of the Zika virus. The Senate is expected to approve this bipartisan emergency funding legislation with a final vote occurring as early as this evening. 

“Zika is a public health emergency,” said Senator Schatz, a member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. “This is our government’s most basic responsibility – keeping us safe.  I am glad that senators from both sides of the aisle have finally come together on a deal to provide the critical funding needed to address Zika. These emergency funds will make sure the CDC has the resources it needs to fight the spread of Zika and protect communities in Hawai‘i and across the country.”

The $1.1 billion will fund research on the virus and Zika-related birth defects and support efforts to fight Zika through mosquito control, maternal and child health programs, and public education campaigns. 

In April, Senator Schatz visited the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) headquarters and met with top officials to discuss the CDC’s response to outbreaks of dengue and Zika.  During the meetings, Senator Schatz called for stronger vector-control programs to fight the spread of mosquito-borne viruses. Zika and dengue are transmitted by the same mosquito population, making vector-control programs a key component of preventing outbreaks. Schatz also led eight senators in calling on the Senate Appropriations Committee to increase funding for vector-control programs at the CDC.  He also spoke twice on the Senate floor last week stressing the urgency of Zika and the need to fully fund the administration’s $1.9 billion request.

During an appropriations hearing in February, Senator Schatz urged the Director of the CDC, Dr. Tom Frieden, to coordinate with state and local governments to improve vector-control programs to help stop the spread of both dengue and Zika.

Earlier today, Senator Schatz spoke on the Senate floor to call on full funding to fight the Zika virus.  To watch video of Senator Schatz’s floor speech, click here.