Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Senate, House Negotiators To Begin Talks On Reconciling Zika Funding
The New York Times: Congress Will Work On $1.1 Billion Measure To Fight Zika, McConnell Says
With public health officials warning of a fast-spreading emergency, House and Senate negotiators will work to reconcile legislation aimed at providing up to $1.1 billion to combat the Zika virus and the mosquitoes that carry it, Senator Mitch McConnell said on Wednesday. The Senate last month approved $1.1 billion — far less than the $1.9 billion sought by the Obama administration — in a regular appropriations measure, after four months of sparring with the White House. The House, in turn, approved $622 million in a stand-alone measure that requires all of the money to be reallocated from existing programs, including efforts to fight Ebola. (Herszenhorn, 6/8)
The Associated Press: Senate Agrees To Negotiate With House Over Zika Funding
The Senate voted Wednesday to move ahead with negotiations with the House on a measure to fund the government’s fight against the Zika virus. The 93-2 vote paves the way for potentially tricky talks over how much money to provide to battle Zika and whether to pay for it with cuts elsewhere in the budget as demanded by House GOP conservatives. The virus can cause grave birth defects and can be spread by mosquitoes native to large swathes of the country. (Taylor, 6/8)
Roll Call: Senate Poised To Go To Conference On Zika Spending
Informal discussions between House and Senate leaders and appropriators have been ongoing for weeks, but it remains unclear how the chambers will bridge major differences in their Zika legislation. ... “This is the fight of the month,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn. “It sure better get done in this work period. What, are they going to go home for six weeks and not have any funding done for Zika as we go into these summer months? That would be atrocious.” Congress is scheduled to leave town July 15 and return Sept. 6, a break of more than seven weeks. (McCrimmon, 6/8)
The Hill: Dems Zing House GOP Over Zika Funding
It has been months since President Obama requested $1.9 billion to fight Zika, and lawmakers are still hashing out how — and how much — to tackle the issue. "We need to act yesterday," [Sen. Patty] Murray said. (Carney, 6/8)
Morning Consult: Zika Conference Committee To Begin Work ‘Right Away’
Rep. Hal Rogers, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee who was appointed as a Zika conferee, said the conference committee would start work right away. “The Senate is going to appoint conferees, I think today,” the Kentucky Republican said Wednesday before the Senate vote. “So we will immediately begin work. Our staffs have been discussing generally the matter, so we’re going to try to move it ASAP.” (McIntire, 6/8)
And in news from affected areas —
The Wall Street Journal: Zika Virus Swamps Embattled Puerto Rico
The Zika virus is creeping north toward the continental U.S., and Alberto de la Vega has started to detect its signs. In ultrasounds he gives pregnant women who are infected with the virus in this American territory, he has seen a 22-week-old fetus with serious brain damage and two others with stunted growth. He is bracing for more. ... Zika has blanketed three-quarters of this lush island over the past six months, say health authorities, who expect it to keep spreading now that it is prime mosquito season. More than 1,350 people have tested positive for Zika since the beginning of the epidemic here, including 168 pregnant women. One patient died. (McKay, 6/8)
Politico: Zika Could Cause 'Billions Of Dollars' Of Damage To Gulf Coast, Expert Warns
Zika virus is poised to spread across the U.S. Gulf Coast states this summer, and the human and financial toll could be on the scale of a massive disaster, warns a top public health expert. Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor, told POLITICO's "Pulse Check" podcast that the aedes aegypti mosquito could already be spreading Zika virus across the southern United States, but local officials don't have the resources to conduct adequate surveillance because of the monthslong battle over Zika funding in Washington. (Diamond, 6/9)
Miami Herald: Miami Is ‘Ground Zero’ For Outbreak Of Zika Virus, Doctor Warns
About 40 men and women attended Zika and Pregnancy: What You Need to Know at the Baptist Health Resource Center to ask questions and listen to presentations from Dr. Michael Jacobs, a reproductive endocrinologist, and Barbara Russell, director of infection control at the hospital. ... Miami-Dade County has the most Zika cases in the state, with 51 cases as of Wednesday. (Cochrane, 6/8)
Dallas Morning News: Science Vs. Sport: Should Olympic Games In Brazil Be Canceled Because Of Zika?
There’s a fight going on in science right now. Scientists can’t agree on whether the Olympics in Brazil should be canceled. The reason for the argument is Zika – a tiny virus spread by a tiny mosquito. (Yasmin, 8/8)
Meanwhile, researchers are trying to find ways to prevent mosquito-borne infections —
Health News Florida: Mosquito Trap Could Help Prevent Zika If Professors Can Get It To Market
Professors from the University of Florida have developed a mosquito trap that they say could help prevent the spread of Zika virus. Professor Phil Koehler says the trap is proven to catch and kill mosquitos but the public might not be able use it this summer because it’s awaiting federal approval. (O'Brien, 6/8)
Associated Press: Malaria-Proof Mosquito? Tool Promising But Needs More Study
A powerful new technology holds the promise of rapidly altering genes to make malaria-proof mosquitoes, eliminate their Zika-carrying cousins or wipe out an invasive species, but a report Wednesday says these “gene drives” aren’t ready to let loose in the wild just yet. Advisers to the government say lots more research is needed to learn to safely use gene drives and understand the ecological and social consequences of essentially hijacking evolution, spreading genetic changes through populations of insects, animals or certain plants faster than nature. (Neergaard, 6/8)
