White House: $589M to go to fight Zika virus

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal money left over from the largely successful fight against Ebola will now go to combating the growing threat of the Zika virus, the Obama administration announced Wednesday.

Most of the $589 million would be devoted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for research on the virus and Zika-related birth defects, as well as the creation of response teams to limit its spread.

Researchers fear Zika causes microcephaly, a serious birth defect in which a baby's head is too small, as well as posing other threats to the children of pregnant women infected with it.

"At some point, they're going to have to choose whether or not their animosity toward President Obama trumps their desire to try to protect pregnant women in their states from this terrible disease," Earnest said.

Appropriations Chairman Harold Rogers, R-Ky., and other top panel Republicans responded with a statement praising the administration's action and promising to "continue to monitor the changing needs resulting from this unpredictable crisis to assure the resources necessary for the response are available."