The National Governor's Association released a statement on Monday calling for the resolution of budgetary discord between Congress and the White House regarding funding to combat the Zika virus domestically.
Over the past month, the White House and top Republicans have been engaged in a public squabble over Zika funds. While President Barack Obama has called for $1.9 billion to be dedicated to Zika prevention and treatment and redirected $510 million in surplus Ebola money to the cause, Republican leaders have called for more answers from the administration regarding how the $1.9 billion will be spent.
The governors wrote, "The nation is on the threshold of a public health emergency as it faces the likely spread of the Zika virus...as Congress returns from recess today, the nation's governors urge the Administration and Congress to work together to reach agreement on the appropriate funding levels needed to prepare for and combat the Zika virus. We also ask they act as expeditiously as possible to ensure those funds are available to states, territories and the public at large."
As of May 5, there have been 472 confirmed Zika infections reported in the 50 states and Washington, D.C.
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