For Immediate Release
September 6, 2016
SCDP STATEMENT ON S.C. CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS PLAYING POLITICS WITH ZIKA FUNDING
Columbia, SC – The South Carolina Democratic Party released the following statement today on the refusal of congressional Republicans, including all of the Republicans from South Carolina, to allocate funding to combat the spread of the Zika virus without divisive “poison pills.” Senate Republicans, with the votes of Senators Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham, failed to advance partisan legislation this afternoon.
“The Zika virus is a full-blown public health crisis in South America and parts of the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico. There are several known cases in South Carolina. The virus is now being spread by mosquitoes in Florida, and without timely decisive action, it will only be a matter of time until these mosquitoes invade South Carolina. We have seen the painful impact the virus has on families—Zika-infected babies are born with severe brain damage requiring intensive and expensive health coverage for the entirety of their lives.
“Rather than working seriously to combat the serious public health threat posed by the Zika virus, Republicans in Congress would rather cling to their ideology and cynically attempt to shift the blame for inaction. When faced with a worsening crisis, responsible adults put aside their differences and fix the problem. In contrast, Senate Republicans like Tim Scott and Lindsey Graham have decided that defunding women’s health services and continuing to fly the Confederate battle flag are more important than stopping the virus’s spread. Hopefully Senators Graham and Scott, along with their Republican colleagues in the House, will rise above politics and ideology before Zika becomes an epidemic in South Carolina.
“Combating this grave public health threat requires a legislative remedy free from gimmicks, poison pills, and politics. It is time for a clean bill that simply puts mothers, children, and families first. Enough is enough!”
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