DeLauro Statement on Congress’s Failure to Address the Zika Virus in Puerto Rico and on U.S. Mainland

WASHINGTON, DC (June 24, 2016) — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) today released the following statement regarding Congress leaving for recess without finalizing funding to address the Zika virus, which has become a full-scale crisis in Puerto Rico.

"Thousands of Puerto Ricans, including hundreds of pregnant women, are already suffering from the Zika virus, yet Republicans in Congress have essentially told them, ‘You're on your own.' Republicans continue to delay acting on the Administration's request, leaving millions more people in Puerto Rico and on the U.S. mainland at risk of contracting it.

"When Republicans forced a bill through Congress early Thursday morning and left in the dark of night, they did so without giving the health experts the tools they need to fully address this crisis. We cannot continue to leave the Zika virus unaddressed, as it runs rampant in Puerto Rico, and as the threat to the U.S. mainland heats up as summer begins. Congress must take immediate action, deliver the resources necessary to Puerto Rico, and prepare the U.S. mainland for the virus's imminent arrival."

On Thursday morning, DeLauro voted against the Conference Agreement for the Zika Appropriations Act, which contained $130 million less for Puerto Rico than the Administration budgeted in its original emergency supplemental request.

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