Congress Finally Passes $1.1B Zika Funding Bill

After months of gridlock, Congress authorized Wednesday night $1.1 billion in funding to combat the Zika virus.

The bill includes nearly $400 million for controlling mosquitos that carry Zika, nearly $400 million for researching a vaccine, and $66 million to help provide healthcare for people infected by Zika in Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories, according to NPR.

The funding was part of a budget bill that needed to be passed this week to avoid a government shutdown on Friday. The Senate passed the bill 72-26 earlier Wednesday, followed by the House voting 342-85 to send the bill to President Obama’s desk. Obama said he will sign the bill no later than Friday.

Obama asked Congress in February to provide $1.9 billion in Zika funding to help research vaccines and combat the spread of the virus in the US. But the parties came to loggerheads several times after Republicans insisted the funding include a provision that would prohibit any money from going to Planned Parenthood.

That provision was removed from the bill that passed Wednesday.

Public health officials have been urging Congress to put aside politics and pass the funding bill. In August, CDC Director Tom Frieden said the organization was “out of money” and needed Congress to act.

The funding comes as Zika continues to spread in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 23,000 people in the continental US and Puerto Rico have been infected with Zika, including 2,000 pregnant women.

Zika can cause serious birth defects in babies born to women who are infected with the virus. More than 100 people in Florida have been infected by locally transmitted Zika, according to the state's Health Department.

"It took far too long — but I am very glad that we were finally able to pass a robust bipartisan Zika response that actually protects the women and families who need it most," said Sen. Patty Murray, (D-Wash.).