House-Senate Conferees Fight Over Zika Funds As FDA Approves More Assays

 
• By Sue Darcey

Emergency funding to battle the summer's mosquito-borne Zika threat is trapped in a military/VA spending bill. Conferees must find a compromise between the House's $622m bid and the Senate's $1.1b offer in the thin stretch of time when both chambers will be session before they adjourn on July 15. In the interim, FDA has authorized more Zika tests.

With Congress adjourning July 15 for presidential nominating conventions, precious little time is left to iron out House and Senate differences on emergency spending to fight the Zika virus this summer. The House wants to devote $622m and the Senate $1.1 billion on efforts to counter the Zika virus by various HHS agencies and the military. Congressional leaders decided to attach the proposed dueling funding measures to a Military Construction/Veterans Affairs appropriations bill (H.R. 4974

), which is now being finalized by a House/Senate Conference committee.

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