The Obama administration is giving $5 million to Puerto Rico to help fight the Zika virus that has been raging inside the country.
The funding will be given to 20 health centers. The Tuesday announcement comes as the administration is fighting with Congress over whether to approve President Obama’s full $1.9 billion emergency funding request for Zika.
The virus has hit the U.S. territory hard, with the federal government reporting 474 cases. Unlike the continental U.S., the virus is spreading via mosquito bites there.
Administration officials have projected limited outbreaks of the virus in the U.S. once summer hits and mosquitoes flourish. More than 350 cases have been found in the U.S., but almost all are from people who recently traveled to regions where the virus is spreading via mosquitoes.
Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell is traveling to Puerto Rico on Tuesday as part of a two-day trip. She said the funding would be used to expand voluntary family planning services that include offering contraception.
The move comes as the administration has approved roughly $500 million to fight the virus.
The administration wants Congress to approve a $1.9 billion funding request, but GOP lawmakers say the administration hasn’t answered enough questions on how the money will be spent.
