Senator Carper on Partisan Zika Bill: Irresponsible to combat this public health crisis by creating others

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), top Democrat on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, released the following statement after voting against a partisan measure that fails to combat the public health threat posed by the Zika virus in a responsible way.    

“People are understandably concerned about the threats posed by the Zika virus, especially those living in warmer parts of the country or those thinking about starting a family. With a potential public health crisis upon us, Americans are looking to Congress to set politics aside and address the impending threat of this virus in a responsible way. Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues insist on putting partisanship ahead of prevention.

“The controversial measure put forward today is vastly different from the bipartisan compromise that this body passed just last month. Now is not the time to play politics with this critical funding, and  I’m disappointed by efforts to politicize our response to this public health emergency. We must continue working quickly toward a responsible, bipartisan solution that combats the Zika virus without creating other health and funding crises we’ll be forced to solve down the road.”