Although a stalemate persists in Congress over funding to address the Zika virus, senior Republican leaders have worked for weeks behind the scenes to create an emergency fund for public health crises, according to The Hill.
House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Appropriations Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) and other leaders are working to create a reserve fund called "FEMA for public health," a nod to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which provides aid to communities afflicted by natural disasters.
The creation of the fund was revealed in a GOP health spending bill. It would hold $300 million to confront crises such as the Zika virus and Ebola, and would give top disease control officials "immediate access" to the funds, according to the report.
Rep. Rogers said he discussed the idea numerous times with Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC. "I've talked to him again about this, along with the leader in the house, and we were all in agreement that we need to have this type of fund," he said Thursday at a subcommittee meeting, where the spending bill was approved, according to the report.
The bill will go to the full appropriations committee next week, where it is expected to gain approval from the rest of the Republican members. Democrats have long supported the idea of a reserve fund, according to the report.