Zika continues to advance, Congress continues to play games

Mark Sumner

Daily Kos Staff

Thursday June 16, 2016 · 11:37 AM PDT

2016/06/16 · 11:37

RECIFE, BRAZIL - FEBRUARY 01: David Henrique Ferreira, 5 months, who was born with microcephaly, is held by his mother Mylene Helena Ferreira as they see a doctor on February 1, 2016 in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil. Ferreira says she spends up to eight hours per day in transit on buses, three days per week, to visit a litany of doctors with David. In the last four months, authorities have recorded thousands of cases in Brazil in which the mosquito-borne Zika virus may have led to microcephaly in infants. The ailment results in an abnormally small head in newborns and is associated with various disorders including decreased brain development. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Zika virus a Òpublic health emergency of international concernÓ today. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) — Child in Brazil born with microcephaly following Zika infection.

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The numbers keep growing. As of Thursday, the CDC reports 413 women in the United States known to be infected with the Zika virus. The total number of Zika cases has exceeded 2,100. At the same time, a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that Zika can cause birth defects for women infected during the first two trimesters of pregnancy. And even when those women show no symptoms, their babies can still suffer the most terrible, debilitating effects. In fact, some women didn't even know they'd been infected until it was far too late.

Among the cases of microcephaly investigated from January 2016 through April 2016, four patients had laboratory evidence of congenital ZVD; all were born to asymptomatic mothers who were not included in the ZVD surveillance system.

In the United States, the score is now three children delivered alive with severe birth defects attributed to Zika infection, and three stillbirths from defects caused by the Zika virus.

These numbers reflect poor outcomes among pregnancies with laboratory evidence of possible Zika virus infection reported to the US Zika Pregnancy Registry.

Meanwhile, the same Republicans in Congress who were so quick to generate fear over Ebola when they saw it as a potential political weapon against President Obama just can’t get all that interested in saving children from Zika.

Lawmakers say Washington is dithering while a dangerous epidemic threatens American shores. They suggest darkly that the government is playing down the risk to avoid panic. They warn: Don’t wait for it to arrive at the airports and establish a perilous foothold.

It’s been four months since Obama requested $1.9 billion to fight the threat from Zika. Since then the Senate has—slowly—advanced one bill for just over half that amount, while the House has—slowly—moved on another that is actually a relabeled version of a bill aimed at stripping power from the EPA. Republicans then—slowly—tried to find some unified position before the Senate finally voted last week to take the two utterly dissimilar bills to a futile conference committee.

The Party of Life, folks.

Last week — almost four months later — the Senate voted to begin negotiations to try to resolve differences among the House, Senate and White House approaches. Democrats are demanding a resolution by the Fourth of July recess, but there is no guarantee that the funding legislation can be completed by then.

However, since the White House redirected funds still needed to protect against a resurgence of Ebola into fighting Zika, Republicans are feeling no concern.

“I think we are fine,” said Senator Jeff Flake, Republican of Arizona, predicting that Republicans had done what they needed to avoid a political backlash.

No political backlash? Well, it's good that they've taken care of what's really important to them.

Zika continues to advance, Congress continues to play games

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