Are Republicans Worsening the Zika Threat?

Parallax News presents big issues broken down into multiple perspectives. This brief looks at 3 different perspectives on funding to fight Zika in the U.S.

The Zika virus, transmitted mainly by mosquitos but also by sexual intercourse, is most notorious for causing microcephaly in newborn babies. The recent Zika epidemics have mostly been concentrated in Latin America, but nearly 2,000 people in the U.S., including around 500 pregnant women, have now tested positive for the virus. Other than in a handful of cases, Zika has been contracted by Americans when traveling abroad. Still, there is reason to believe that local cases will increase, as the species of mosquito that spreads Zika is prevalent in southern states like Florida, Texas, and Louisiana. Nonetheless, U.S. political leaders agree that there is no adequate plan in place for preventing Zika’s spread.

I. Barack Obama

President Obama, speaking last Thursday, repeated his warning that Republicans in Congress are preventing an adequate Zika response. “Our experts at the [Centers for Disease Control], the folks on the front lines have been doing their best in making due by moving funds from other areas,” Obama said, “but now the money we need to fight Zika is rapidly running out.” Obama requested $1.9 billion to fight Zika earlier this year, but he was spurned by GOP lawmakers, who “worked to cut it” down to $1.1 billion and then ultimately failed to pass an appropriations bill. Urging Americans to press their legislators, Obama predicted an increase in local Zika cases and said it was likely that any potential vaccine would be delayed by political inaction.

II. John Cornyn

Senator John Cornyn (R — Tex.) has led GOP criticism of Obama’s Zika response. Cornyn believes the president has politicized the issue, making an inappropriate funding request and subsequently demonizing Republicans for refusing it. Cornyn argues that the right way to allocate such funds is through Congressional appropriations that include strict spending guidelines. Under the president’s request, the $1.9 billion could be rerouted for unrelated purposes. Republicans in Congress instead attempted to pass a $1.1 billion Zika-fighting package, but it was defeated by Democrats. Cornyn also notes that, of the almost $600 billion in contingency money available, the administration has left roughly $400 billion unspent. The senator sees this as a further sign that Obama is sitting on his hands while loudly blaming Republicans for the growing Zika threat.

III. Ilyse Hogue

Ilyse Hogue is the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, a group that opposes strict abortion laws. According Hogue, the GOP is failing to protect women from Zika for ideological reasons. Hogue believes the threat of Zika to pregnant women calls for easier access to abortion and contraception. Prominent pro-life Republicans like Senator Marco Rubio have spoken out against making exceptions for Zika-infected fetuses, even though microcephaly is a devastating condition that inflicts lifelong suffering along with millions in family medical bills. At the same time, Hogue notes that Republicans continue to oppose universal coverage for birth control, which would help low-income women prevent Zika pregnancies before they happen.

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Further Reading: Politico / Daily Signal / HuffPost

This brief was written by Jared Metzker.

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