Despite Public Health Crisis, Garrett Votes Against Efforts to Fight Zika Virus

Press Release

As the threat of the Zika virus became all too clear in the 5th District this week, Tea Party extremist and career politician Scott Garrett has voted six times in just the last few months to block consideration of fully funding the U.S. response to this outbreak.

Earlier this week, one of the first known babies with Zika-related birth defects in the United States was born at Hackensack University Medical Center, located in the 5th District. Before the baby's birth, there had been 14 confirmed Zika cases in the state.

"Scott Garrett has recklessly put the health and safety of 5th District families at risk by severely weakening our ability to combat this public health crisis," said Josh Gottheimer, candidate for Congress in the 5th District. "Preventing the spread of this dangerous disease requires vigilance and urgency, yet for 25 years Scott Garrett has made a career as an obstructionist -- grinding Washington to a halt and letting manageable problems grow into crises."

A Star-Ledger editorial on Friday called the failure to fully fund a response to Zika, "shameful and reckless," calling out legislators for "playing roulette with a possible public health catastrophe."

Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida recently said to his colleagues, "You're going to have to explain to people why it is that we sat around and did nothing on something of this magnitude."

A Garrett-approved plan would have provided just one-third of the $1.9 billion required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to combat the dangerous Zika virus. By severely limiting the amount of funding for research, Garrett has critically hindered any potential for researchers to learn more about new preventative measures and find a vaccine for the virus. Garrett has also shortchanged mosquito control efforts, public education programs, and improving health care for low-income pregnant women.

As Tom Frieden of the Center for Disease Control said, "Speed is critical. A day can make all of the difference."

"Faced with another public health emergency, Scott Garrett has done what he does best: say "No," said Gottheimer. "No to vaccines. No to educating the public. No to finding solutions for our children. As a member of Congress, I'll do whatever it takes to solve problems, no matter how tough, and stand up for the families of the 5th District."

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