WH: Congress needs to return and approve Zika request

Republican refusal to approve the Obama administration’s $1.9 billion request to combat the Zika virus is hindering states’ ability to adequately guard against the mosquito-borne virus, a White House spokesman said Friday.

“We often get asked: ‘What is not being done because Congress hasn’t approved those funds?’ That includes everything from hiring more inspectors on the ground — this is something that local governments in Florida have asked for, yet, because Congress won’t act, we’re not able to supply enough funding for that,” deputy press secretary Eric Schultz said.