WASHINGTON — Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) joined Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in introducing legislation Thursday night that would provide $1.1 billion in funding by shifting money from lower priority federal programs – specifically, Obamacare’s Prevention and Public Health Fund.

Johnson said this about the legislation:

“We must be prepared to combat emerging diseases, and we can all agree that the Zika virus presents a great risk to Americans’ health and economic security. Protecting that security is the mission of the committee I chair, and it should be a priority for all of us in Congress. The swiftest and most responsible way of funding necessary steps to counter that danger is to repurpose money that otherwise would go to lower priority spending. That is what this legislation will accomplish. I urge my Senate colleagues to support it.”

The legislation:

• Appropriates $1.1 billion in supplemental funding to the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of State.
• Offsets by cutting $1.2 billion from the Obamacare Prevention and Public Health Fund in fiscal years 2017 and 2018.
• Cuts through federal regulations that would prevent state and local authorities from effectively spraying against mosquitos year-round.

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