"Let's get to work," says Gov. Rick Scott, but this time, he's not talking about jobs.
Scott isn’t happy over Congress’ inaction over the Zika virus, and he flew all the way to Washington to let national politicians know they need to hurry up and create a solution.
“Time is up for politics and political debates about a major federal effort to stop this disease,” Scott said Tuesday.
Scott made an appearance in Washington, D.C. Tuesday afternoon to push federal lawmakers to pass a Zika funding package. He also demanded Congress come to Miami for a field hearing before members recess on Oct. 1.
Scott will be spending Tuesday and Wednesday lobbying congressmen to fund prevention and efforts to fight Zika in the Sunshine State.
His trip to Washington is the latest in a summerlong struggle to get national lawmakers to sign off on a measure to fund Zika efforts. Nearly 800 people are infected with the virus in Florida.
In June, Scott penned a letter to President Barack Obama, demanding the president to prioritize Zika and requesting the administration to provide thousands of Zika preparedness kits as well as resources to enhance mosquito surveillance and abatement efforts.
Obama has yet to respond to the governor’s requests.
The U.S. Senate and House battled over a package for Zika during the summer, but ultimately left for a seven-week recess without one.
Scott says the impasse is unacceptable -- and something needs to be done immediately.
“The federal government has not been a good partner,” he said. “I have a request in with the CDC right now. We need 10,000 more Zika prevention kits for pregnant women.”
Last week, Senate Democrats blocked a $1.1 billion Zika funding package over concerns of eliminating funding for Planned Parenthood. Legislators are working under an incredibly limited time crunch, as they only have three weeks until they head to another recess.
Scott slammed politicians in the Florida delegation who voted against the measure, like U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.
Scott has spent much of his time visiting areas impacted by the Zika virus, specifically in Miami-Dade County, where it is spreading locally. The governor also dedicated $26 million to fighting the virus in Florida, but says Congress has simply “failed to show up.”
The Zika virus is spreading throughout Florida, with the highest number of cases transmitting in Miami-Dade County.
In July, mosquitoes began transmitting the virus in parts of Downtown Miami. The insects later began transmitting the virus in Miami Beach.
Scott met with House Speaker Paul Ryan, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, U.S. Rep. Tom Cole and Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell.
Florida lawmakers have all joined the push for increased funding to fight the virus. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., said he believed his chamber was close to reaching a Zika funding package.
“The specifics are still being worked out, but it seems that there will be a deal and we will soon be able to move forward on doing what we tried to do last summer, which is fund the crisis that we know as the Zika crisis,” Nelson said.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
