House Passes Bill to Fight the Zika Virus

Congressman Bradley Byrne (R-AL) joined a majority of his House colleagues in voting to increase funding to fight the Zika virus. The bill passed by a vote of 239 to 171.

The legislation, H.R. 2577, includes $1.1 billion to fight the Zika virus. The funding is split between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, biomedical advanced research and development, and global health operations.

A large portion of the funding is offset by using leftover money from the Ebola response, as well as unused administrative funding from the Department of Health and Human Services.

Byrne said: “On the Gulf Coast, we are especially susceptible to an outbreak of the Zika virus, so I believe it is important Congress put forward adequate funding for Zika prevention, research, and treatment. I am especially pleased our legislation includes fiscally responsible offsets while also promoting accountability. This is not the end of our response to the Zika virus, but this is an important step toward protecting families on the Gulf Coast and around the country.”

The bill also includes funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and military construction. The bill includes $74.4 billion in funding for the VA, including a boost in funding for hepatitis C treatment, long-term care, and homeless programs. The bill also directs money to help cut down on the disability claims backlog.

Click here to learn more about the legislation.