Rep. Chris Stewart introduces legislation that would boost federal funding to research the Zika virus by using money originally allocated to combat Ebola.
Reports The Hill:
According to Stewart’s office, close to half of the $2.4 billion in funding allocated by Congress in 2014 for fighting the Ebola outbreak was unused as of September. Under the provisions of his bill, agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) would have the option to use some of the remaining funds for Zika virus control efforts.
Stewart noted that the upcoming Olympic Games this summer in Brazil, which is one of the Latin and South American countries facing a Zika outbreak, made containment efforts more imperative.
“This virus is a global health threat that requires our immediate attention,” Stewart, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, said on the House floor.
