Congress has missed the “deadline” to fund public health officials’ plan to combat the Zika virus, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Thursday.
“In many ways you could say that the deadline for this funding has passed,” Earnest said.
Three weeks ago the director of the National Institutes of Health said publicly that he doesn’t have enough money to do everything he thinks is necessary to best protect Americans from the mosquito-born virus, Earnest recalled.
“By that standard, which is an entirely reasonable one, Republicans have missed a deadline; and that puts the American people at risk,” Earnest said. “And I don’t know how they’re going to explain it when they go on recess next week,” he said.
Lawmakers are returning to their home states and districts next week for a scheduled break in their Washington calendar.
Congress has not approved the Obama administration’s emergency request for $1.9 billion to fund vaccines and help communities prevent and deal with potential Zika outbreaks.
House Republicans have said they have too many questions still about exactly how the money would be used to authorize its release.
