Senators Break Deadlock Over Zika Funding, Set Vote For Next Week
May 13, 2016
Morning Briefing
The $1.1 billion negotiators have settled on is less than the $1.9 billion President Barack Obama proposed, but the administration voiced support for the action.
House Republicans Release Their 2017 Health Spending Bill
July 7, 2016
Morning Briefing
The measure includes increases to help combat opioid abuse and the Zika virus as well as a funding boost for the National Institutes of Health, which is lower than what the Senate OK’d last month. In addition, it also targets Obamacare by rescinding some of its existing funding.
House Passes $622M For Zika Funding, But CDC Says ‘It’s Just Not Enough’
May 19, 2016
Morning Briefing
On Tuesday the Senate passed its own $1.1 billion bill, and the two chambers are now facing tough negotiations in an effort to find a compromise. Meanwhile, the man who led the White House response to Ebola says Congress has failed to learn its lesson and is now failing Americans in the face of a slow-motion public-health disaster.
‘Something’s Wrong With Him’: A Family Discovers What It Means To Have A Child With Microcephaly
May 9, 2016
Morning Briefing
As federal officials brace for Zika — and, with it, the threat of microcephaly — one family shares its journey to unlock the mysteries of the condition.
CDC Confirms Zika Can Be Transmitted Through Anal Sex
April 15, 2016
Morning Briefing
Officials do not know how long the virus can live in semen. In other Zika news, experts are divided over what to tell women looking to get pregnant in affected areas, the White House gets an unlikely champion in its funding efforts and infections are confirmed in Florida and Ohio.
Senate Passes $1.1B In Zika Funding With Push From Southern Republicans
May 18, 2016
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, the House, ignoring veto threats and pleas from Democrats, has put forth legislation that would provide only $622 million in resources to fight the outbreak, about one-third of what President Barack Obama requested.
Bill To Incentivize Zika Drug Development Heads To President’s Desk
April 13, 2016
Morning Briefing
President Barack Obama is expected to sign the legislation, which allows the Food and Drug Administration to include Zika drug developers in the agency’s priority review voucher program. However, the measure comes with no extra funding to battle the virus.
Senate Set To Move On $1.1B For Zika Funding; House Introduces $622M Bill
May 17, 2016
Morning Briefing
Senators are expected to move today on a bipartisan plan to allocate $1.1 billion for the federal government’s response to the Zika virus outbreak, down from the $1.9 billion requested by the Obama administration. A measure unveiled this week by House Republicans cuts the funding further to $622 million.
Poll Reveals Americans’ Lack Of Knowledge On Zika
April 8, 2016
Morning Briefing
Even out of those following the outbreak closely, few know if there is a vaccine or treatment for the virus, a new poll finds.
Severity Of Damage From Zika Far Worse Than Seen With Textbook Microcephaly Cases
April 29, 2016
Morning Briefing
Experts have begun calling the constellation of maladies linked to the virus Congenital Zika Syndrome, because they go far beyond what happens with babies who just have microcephaly. In other virus news, the first test for Zika has won approval from the FDA, pregnant women brace for the summer mosquito season and a Hillary Clinton adviser travels to Puerto Rico to learn how it’s dealing with the outbreak.
Health Officials Release Guidelines For Employers In Effort To Protect Workers From Zika
April 25, 2016
Morning Briefing
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued the rules on Friday, which include providing insect repellent to employees, urging them to wear protective clothing, and allowing flexibility in travel to Zika-affected areas. Meanwhile, HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell will travel to Puerto Rico to talk about the virus.
Senate Vote To Fund $1.1B Zika Plan Sets Stage For Showdown With The House
May 20, 2016
Morning Briefing
The key difference between the competing versions of the bills is that House GOP conservatives insisted that spending cuts accompany the measure so that its cost isn’t added to the budget deficit.
Potential Political Fallout Lurks On Edges Of Zika Fight As Feuding Derails Funding Progress
April 27, 2016
Morning Briefing
Senate negotiators moved closer to a deal on funding to fight zika but Republicans are split on the effort, with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio leading the charge for increased funding. His state, an election battleground, is one that is most threatened by the virus.
Obama Doubles Funding Request For Zika Research To $277M
April 19, 2016
Morning Briefing
Meanwhile, Democrats are urging Senate Republicans to act and appropriate money to fight the virus before its too late.
Zika Funding Negotiations Could Wrap Up This Week, Sources Say
April 26, 2016
Morning Briefing
And in Dallas, health officials are taking pro-active measures to control the virus’ spread before mosquito season even starts.
First Zika-Linked U.S. Death Reported; Congress Leaves For Recess Without Approving Funding
May 2, 2016
Morning Briefing
Doctors say deaths caused by Zika complications are rare. Meanwhile, lawmakers left several unresolved issues, including a compromise that could allocate more than a billion dollars toward efforts to fight the virus, as they left on a week-long break.
In Hardest-Hit Latin American Countries, Zika Cases Beginning To Decline
April 1, 2016
Morning Briefing
Experts warn that the trend is limited to certain countries and does not mean the epidemic is starting to subside everywhere it has struck. In other news, the World Health Organization officially links the virus and microcephaly, and health officials are meeting at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters to map out a strategy to deal with Zika’s spread in Puerto Rico.
Viewpoints: Paul Ryan And High Risk Pools; Why Is Congress Delaying Zika Funding?
April 29, 2016
Morning Briefing
A selection of opinions on health care from around the country.
