Washington D. C. (WTAQ) – U.S. Senator Ron Johnson this week introduced legislation to provide federal funding to combat the spread of the Zika virus.
Ron Johnson’s bill would use the unused funds that had been set aside for combating the largely controlled Ebola outbreak of 2014. We’re talking in the neighborhood of $3 billion.
“lets face it…I think an awful lot of the preventative measures we’re going to be using to address Zika are very compatible to what we would have to to do with another Ebola outbreak, or really any kind of pandemic that threatens us”
The President has asked Congress for nearly $2 billion in new money for the same thing. Johnson says the excess Ebola cash is already in play and doesn’t need a long, drawn out debate in Congress.
The Oshkosh Republican says the money can be used for education, a zika vaccine, and wiping out mosquitos…
“we just have to use our technology and brain-power to try and combat this and knock down the mosquito population”
The virus may pose dire risks to unborn children during pregnancy. Johnson believes this health crisis will get worse as the world travels to Brazil this year for the Summer Olympics, then head back home carrying the virus.
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