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As the number of Zika virus cases grows in Florida, the leading candidates in the state’s nationally-watched U.S. Senate race have seized on the public health crisis to attack each other for not doing enough to fight the problem. At the heart of the messaging battle is a $1.1 billion Zika funding bill crafted by the House. Under that plan, the feds would have directed funding to hospitals and other health care facilities, but not women’s health clinics like Planned Parenthood. Senate Democrats blocked the bill because they said the language was an untenable “poison pill.” Both campaigns in Florida’s heated Senate race are using the failed legislation to portray their opponent as the poster child for congressional obstructionism. (Dixon, 8/23)

Rep. Patrick Murphy slammed Sen. Marco Rubio Tuesday for supporting GOP-backed Zika bills and not convincing his party’s leadership to return to D.C. to pass a funding bill to respond to the outbreak. The Florida Democrat, who is running for Rubio’s Senate seat, told reporters Rubio doesn’t hold the clout he claims to have with top congressional leaders, as he hasn’t been able to convince Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell or House Speaker Paul Ryan to call lawmakers back from recess to pass a funding measure. (McIntire, 8/23)

Gov. Rick Scott said Monday the state is sending $5 million to Miami-Dade County to help in the ongoing effort to stem an outbreak of the Zika virus. As part of $26.2 million in emergency state funding authorized by Scott, the governor said Miami-Dade would receive the money for additional mosquito-control staff, mosquito spraying and community outreach. The state Department of Health has identified parts of two Miami-Dade communities, Miami Beach and the Wynwood neighborhood, where locally transmitted cases of Zika are occurring. (News Service Of Florida, 8/23)

Virginia’s Medicaid program has begun covering the cost of mosquito repellent to prevent Zika infection, the state health department said. The program began covering repellent on Monday, the health department said. (Weil, 8/24)