Rep. Chu Meets With Officials on Zika Virus

Washington, DC – On Thursday, May 12, the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee hosted a hearing entitled “The Zika Public Health Crisis: the Urgent Need for the President’s Emergency Funding Request.” Witnesses at the hearing included Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Honorable Mitch Landrieu, Mayor of the City of New Orleans, and Dr. Anne Schuchat, Principal Deputy Director at the Centers for Disease Control. Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27), a member of the committee, attended the hearing and participated in the discussion on the importance of the federal government in supporting efforts to combat the spread of the Zika virus in the United States. Earlier this week, Rep. Chu also met with the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control District about their efforts to combat mosquitos and mosquito-borne diseases like Zika and West Nile Virus. This work includes a public awareness campaign to halt the spread of the invasive Aedes mosquito, which has begun to spread throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Rep. Chu released the following statement:

“Zika is an urgent health crisis and it is clear we cannot afford to ignore it. Already, more than 1,000 Americans, including more than 100 pregnant women, have been infected with the Zika virus, which can endanger lives and lead to birth defects. Yet Republicans in Congress refuse to vote on the President’s request for new Zika funding. The National Institutes of Health are doing their best to prioritize research into lifesaving vaccines and treatments, but without new funding, other research will suffer. The President has requested $1.9 billion to address Zika and it is crucial we act quickly on the request.

“In the meantime, we must educate ourselves and others about what we can do to help control mosquito populations and keep ourselves and our families safe. I am encouraged by the work being done by the SGV Mosquito and Vector Control District to keep our area as safe as possible. I will also continue to press for federal funding to help contain the spread of Zika through mosquito control and lifesaving research.”

Resources and educational materials for the public are available from the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control, and California Department of Public Health.