MEDIA ADVISORY 10am: Curbelo Gets Desperate, Calls in Rubio for Damage Control After Taddeo Takes Him to Task on Zika
Curbelo Holds hastily-arranged press conference on Zika after going on recess without fully funding Zika response
Opportunity for Media to ask Curbelo why he only asked for emergency Zika funding after it became politically expedient
WHO: Embattled Republican Congressman Carlos Curbelo & failed Presidential candidate Marco Rubio
WHAT: Frantic damage control for Curbelo after weeks of being called out for repeatedly voting against full funding for Zika response
WHERE: Office of U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, 8669 NW 36th Street, Suite 110
WHEN: 10:00am ET Today, almost four months after the administration requested emergency funding to adequately respond to this public health threat
WHY: Yesterday, Annette Taddeo and a local medical professional took Curbelo to task for failing to protect South Floridians from this public health threat by repeatedly voting against consideration of the emergency funding needed to adequately address the Zika virus. Curbelo is clearly feeling the pressure for his decision to join his fellow House Republicans in leaving for another congressional recess without fully funding the Zika response, with mosquito season fast approaching.
QUESTIONS TO ASK CURBELO:
- Annette Taddeo has called on you to become a co-sponsor of HR5044, which would adequately fund Zika response. Why haven’t you done that yet?
- Are you just holding this press event to ask for Zika funding because you are being held accountable for one of the slowest congressional responses to a public health threat in recent history?
- How does it feel to be shamed for your historic inaction by fellow Republican Governor Rick Scott?
- If you support funding the Zika response, why have you repeatedly voted against consideration of funding the President’s request?
- Did you hope that South Floridians wouldn’t notice that you proposed toothless Zika legislation that was woefully inadequate?
For more information on Curbelo’s hypocrisy and inaction on Zika, please refer to this recent memo.