Florida Gov. Rick Scott has canceled a trip to Washington, where he was to meet with congressional leaders about funding for the Zika virus.
Spokeswoman Jackie Schutz says that Scott will remain in Florida to monitor response efforts to Hurricane Hermine. The state has seen a rise in the number of cases of the mosquito-borne disease over the past month.
Congress returns from its seven-week summer break on Tuesday. President Barack Obama requested $1.9 billion in emergency funds in February to develop a vaccine and control the mosquitoes that carry the virus. But lawmakers left Washington in mid-July without approving any of the money.
As of Monday, 33,778 homes are without power statewide. One death has been confirmed in Florida by a medical examiner as a result of hurricane.
