Congress may have grown a collective brain as they have, once again, failed to fund a $1.1 billion Zika funding bill for Florida; yesterday’s vote- the third- was 52-46.
Despite Congress spending the latter part of Tuesday debating the bill, Senator Bill Nelson said the current bill doesn’t have a hope of passing because the bill also seeks cuts to Planned Parenthood. NBC 2 reports that many Floridians fear their politicians, just back from a 7-week vacation (and they make A LOT of money, too), aren’t looking out for their safety. I know they don’t care about my safety but I’m thankful this bill didn’t pass- maybe they won’t be spraying us again anytime soon?
From the article:
“Lee County Mosquito Control predicts Southwest Florida will be at risk without funding. The county has about $7 million of its own savings to fight the disease. They admit that money though could go fast if there was a Zika outbreak.
“The spread of Zika does not wait for the partisan bickering in Congress,” said Congressman Curt Clawson (R-19th District). “It is time for governing and doing the right thing for Florida and the nation. It is time for members to pull all levers in both chambers of Congress to get a funding measure to the President’s desk.”
Governor Rick Scott, our good buddy who has quite the vested interest in the spraying, has his mind on areas damaged by Hurricane Hermine right now. Perhaps that will also help us from getting sprayed and losing more bees.
To date, Florida has had 56 home-grown cases and 577 travel-related cases, of Zika virus- with 80 of the infections involving pregnant women.
Source: NBC 2
