U.S. Senator Charles Schumer is ramping up an end-of-session push for federal emergency funding to combat the Zika virus.
In February, the Obama administration requested $1.9 billion to respond to Zika. Zika funding has been stalled in Congress for months. Last week the president renewed his call for passage of legislation that would establish a funding stream.
Schumer, a New York Democrat, has frequently called on fellow-lawmakers to pass an emergency funding bill he says is crucial to developing a vaccine.
"The cost to care for a baby born with microcephaly, you know the disease, the small head the result of Zika, is astronomic, there's also a human effect; it's devastating for a family... in the old days, this country would work together, Democrats and Republicans to get this done. We have to do that now."
A limited number of working days remain before Congress’ summer recess.
