Vice Chairwoman Mikulski Statement on President Obama’s Zika Funding Announcement
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement in response to President Obama’s efforts to stop the spread of the Zika virus:
“The President has done the right thing for public health today, providing resources to combat the Zika virus. Republicans have done the wrong thing, continuing to refuse to consider the President’s emergency request for supplemental Zika funding. The mosquito cycle is not the same as the Appropriations cycle. The mosquitos are coming. You can’t build a wall to keep them out. And the mosquitos can’t pay for it. The President’s action was necessary, but we need to stop robbing Peter to pay Paul. Ebola may be contained, but it remains a global threat. The President should not be forced to use money for one public health threat to fight another. As Vice Chairwoman of Appropriations, I will continue to fight to put money in the federal checkbook, using the regular Appropriations process and emergency supplemental funding to respond to public health crises from Zika and Ebola to opioid abuse and lead in our drinking water.”
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