RICHMOND, Va. _ A Democratic vice presidential prospect is citing the pope in making the case for allowing Planned Parenthood to access funds to fight Zika.
"The uniform focus for members of Congress should be let's solve the problem," Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine said at a meeting in Richmond. "That is challenge right now between the Senate and House."
Kaine, a practicing Catholic whose Senate voting record shows support for abortion rights despite his personal views, emphasized the importance of allowing funding from the proposed supplemental to combat Zika to flow to Planned Parenthood.
"Planned Parenthood is a primary health provider," said Kaine. "This is really at the core of dealing with the population that has been most at risk of Zika."
Kaine alluded to comments Pope Francis made earlier in the year that opened the door to the use of contraceptives that are generally opposed by the Catholic Church to fight the Zika virus.
The pope reportedly said that when it comes to thwarting the risk posed by Zika to unborn children, "avoiding pregnancy is not an absolute evil."
Senate Democrats blocked a House-Senate conference report designed to provide funding to combat Zika over several issues, including the concerns about funding for family planning organizations, which Republicans have derided as an effort by Democrats to appeal to "special interests."
The Virginia Department of Health has probably never had as many national TV cameras in a conference room across the street from the State Capitol building as it did for Kaine's visit Tuesday morning, when at least three networks made appearances.
But, that's what happens when a sitting senator and former governor who is at the top of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's vice presidential shortlist walks in the building.
In addition to local media, Kaine was at home at the health department office, talking with state and local medical officials at a round-table discussion about the fight against Zika.
He recalled his time as governor, when he worked with the department on efforts to prepare the commonwealth for a potential outbreak of the H1N1 virus about a decade ago.
"Working with health professionals on that, having a plan, worrying about how much Tamiflu we had," Kaine said. "That was a big headache producer."
Fortunately, the H1N1 situation did not really materialize in Virginia the way that it might have, or as the mosquito-borne Zika virus still may as the summer moves along.
Senators spend much of their time in meetings like the one in Richmond with hardly any attention. But the additional spotlight Tuesday morning did not seem to affect the way the junior senator from Virginia conducted the round table, spending more time listening to the gathered officials like state health commissioner Dr. Marissa Levine, than speaking himself.
But Kaine did show himself to be a budget wonk, speaking at some length about how the federal budgeting process is ill-equipped to deal with emergencies that may turn up during a fiscal year.
