Spraying targets mosquitoes in Florida; Congress blocks funding

WASHINGTON -- With mosquito counts in Miami Beach rebounding over the Labor Day weekend, Miami-Dade officials said they will begin aerial spraying of the pesticide naled in South Beach this week, a move certain to draw political opposition from some city leaders.

Spraying is scheduled Thursday from the beach to Biscayne Bay, covering much of the zone where mosquitoes are transmitting the virus. The aerial spraying will continue Sunday morning and two more times during the next few weekends.

Some Miami Beach residents and elected officials oppose using naled because of toxicity concerns. Gimenez says state and federal health officials assure county officials that it's safe. The city commission has scheduled a workshop Wednesday about the aerial spraying.

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In Washington, Congress failed to move forward a $1.1 billion funding package to help the country address the outbreak of Zika for the third time Tuesday, just as Florida reported seven new locally-transmitted cases of the virus. The infections were discovered during routine blood tests when they returned.

Senate Democrats blocked a Republican measure to battle the virus. A 52-46 vote to advance the money fell short of the 60 votes needed as Democrats opposed provisions blocking Zika prevention and treatment money from going to Planned Parenthood clinics in Puerto Rico.

Republicans called that a shaky excuse compared to the threat of the mosquito-carried Zika virus. No. 3 Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York said the GOP was using the bill "to assuage the hard right."

There have been dozens of Zika cases in the political battleground state of Florida.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.