Republicans in Congress cautious with Zika aid over abortion fears

WASHINGTON—Members of Congress fear the spreading Zika virus will force abortion upon Latin American countries as unborn babies experience the disease’s worst effects.

“Latin American countries have some of the strongest laws protecting the life and welfare of the unborn,” said Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., at a joint subcommittee hearing Wednesday regarding the Zika virus outbreak. “The Zika virus has created a push for Latin American countries to liberalize their laws.”

Zika does not appear to cause serious illness in adults, but doctors fear it is linked to cases of microcephaly, or small head size, in newborns whose mothers had the disease while pregnant.

Nearly all Latin American countries restrict abortions, including those with the most cases of Zika. In Colombia, there are 3,177 reported cases of pregnant women with the virus. Movements are underway to lift restrictions on abortions in both Colombia and Brazil.

The Zika virus spreads primarily by infected mosquitoes, but some evidence suggests it can be transmitted through sexual contact. Health officials cannot confirm how long the virus remains in semen, saliva, and urine after infection.

President Barack Obama requested $1.8 billion in emergency funding for the fight against the Zika virus. At the congressional hearing Wednesday, federal health officials said the extra funds are greatly needed.

“We are quite literally learning more about Zika every day,” said Tom Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “That is why it is important to get the funds that Obama requested.”

In Frieden’s testimony before Congress, he said $828 million of Obama’s emergency request is for activities at CDC. The money will support readiness and response capacity for territories with high mosquito populations and teams to limit potential clusters of the virus in the United States.

The CDC confirmed that at least 66 people in the U.S. have tested positive for Zika.

With more infections each day, U.S. health officials are working to come up with a vaccine. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases joined Frieden at the hearing.

Fauci explained vaccines can take as long as six years to develop and distribute on a global scale. With something as rampant as Zika however, the U.S. government will accelerate the process if it needs to.

“If all things work well, phase one trials could be done at the end of 2016,” Fauci said. “You could conceivably have [a Zika vaccine] by the end of 2017, which is really rocket speed for vaccines.”

Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., agreed developing a vaccine is a crucial step in the process. But he also wanted to make sure that none of the money Obama requested for federal Zika virus aid would promote abortion in Latin American countries. Smith asked Frieden and the other witnesses if they could confirm no federal money would support that purpose either directly or in part.

“I can assure you that the emergency supplemental request does not contain any plans to change policy in regards to abortion,” Frieden said.

Smith left the hearing with assurance that promoting abortion is not part of the Obama administration’s plan to combat the Zika virus in the Americas.

“We’re going to keep asking,” Smith told me after the hearing. “Their word is their bond, and I hope that carries through to other people included in the administration.”