Authorizing Nearly $2 Billion to Manage the Zika Crisis (S. 2843)

What is S. 2843?

(Updated March 15, 2018)

This bill would authorize $1.9 billion in emergency spending to deal with the spread of the Zika virus by fully funding the Obama administration’s request to deal with the crisis. Much of it would be made available to the various subsidiaries of the Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) to spend on Zika-related efforts within their specialty area. Additional funding for counter-Zika would also be provided to the State Dept. and its international programs.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would receive $743 million to be used in Zika prevention and preparation efforts, in addition to responding to the virus in the U.S. and internationally. Spending would be authorized for the following purposes:

• Grants improving Zika preparedness and response capabilities at the state and local level;

• Purchasing products like vaccines that are then deposited in the Strategic National Stockpile;

• Purchasing or leasing property or equipment, and related construction, demolition, or renovation activities;

• Purchasing and insuring official cars in foreign countries;

• This funding could be transferred to specific CDC accounts at the HHS Secretary’s discretion.

$233 million in funding from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund would be made available to be spent on developing vaccines and purchasing medical supplies to counteract Zika and related diseases. 

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) would be authorized to spend $277 million on general Zika prevention and treatment. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would receive $10 million to spend on developing vaccines or other medical countermeasures, reviewing and regulating them, and monitoring their post-use effectiveness.

$325 million would be available to be spent on global health programs that may include multi-year funding commitments aimed at incentivizing the development of global health technologies.

Additional funding that this legislation would provide to the State Department is broken down as follows:

• $13.5 million for coordinated Zika response and research efforts with foreign governments, which would only be available until September 30, 2017;

• $10 million would be provided to the U.S. Agency for International Development to spend responding to the Zika virus;

• $8 million from international security assistance programs to support response efforts;

• $4 million for dealing with emergencies that happen within the State Department’s diplomatic and consular services;

• $1 million for direct loans supporting Zika response efforts.

Argument in favor

The Zika virus poses an imminent threat to the health of many Americans. Congress should fully fund the President’s request for $2 billion in counter-Zika spending before it is too late and the disease affects even more lives.

Argument opposed

There are nearly $600 million in unused Ebola funds that are being repurposed to be used to fight Zika, so maybe Congress and the administration should wait and see if that’s enough before requesting $2 billion more in taxpayer dollars.

Impact

People involved in the preventing, preparing for, and responding to the Zika virus; the State Department; and HHS.

Cost of S. 2843

A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.

Additional Info

In-Depth: Sponsoring Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) introduced this bill to quickly provide the federal government with funds needed to combat the Zika virus and fulfill President Obama’s request:

“This is truly an emergency. I’m calling on our colleagues to approve the president’s $1.9 billion in emergency funding request right now in the immediate future. Not later. The cost of this inaction would be far greater, and the consequences way too devastating.”

This legislation has the support of 32 cosponsors in the Senate, including 31 Democrats and one Independent.

Of Note: It is unclear whether this bill’s $1.9 billion authorization includes $589 million in repurposed Ebola funding that President Obama is transferring over to fight Zika. That announcement followed Congress’ passage of legislation allowing unused Ebola funding to be spent preparing for or responding to the Zika virus.

As of April 27, 2016 the CDC had confirmed 426 cases of Zika virus in the U.S., all of which were acquired by travelers while abroad or through sexual contact with someone carrying the virus. In Puerto Rico 572 people have acquired the virus, as the mosquitoes which carry the virus can survive in the territory’s climate.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases believes that human testing of a Zika vaccine will begin as early as August 2016, and the vaccine could be granted an accelerated  approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before the end of 2017.

Media:

• Sponsoring Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) 
• Florida Politics
• Tampa Bay Times