Opponent Josh Gottheimer Blasts Garrett For Not Fully Funding U.S. Zika Response

WYCKOFF, N.J. — Democratic challenger Josh Gottheimer has said Rep. Scott Garrett isn't doing enough to protect his constituents from the Zika virus, a accusation Garrett strongly denies.

Gottheimer, a socially progressive Democrat running against Garrett in this year’s 5th District race, said that Garrett “has reckless put the health and safety of 5th District families at risk by severely weakening our ability to combat this public health crisis" by voting six times against measures to combat the virus.

One of the first babies in the United States with Zika-related birth defects was born at Hackensack University Medical Center last month. The hospital is located in the 5th District.

According to Gottheimer, a Garrett-approved plan would have allocated just $630 million of the $1.9 billion the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requires to combat the virus.

Garrett for Congress campaign manager Sarah Neibart said in a statement that Garrett has been a “vocal supporter of efforts to provide funding to combat the Zika virus,” which includes voting for the Zika Response Appropriations Act.”

The House of Representatives passed the legislation May 18 241-184 in a mostly party-line vote. It now goes to the Senate for consideration.

“The fact that Josh Gottheimer is willing to manipulate the facts to politicize a public health crisis clearly demonstrates the depths to which he is willing to sink in order to lie his way into Congress,” Neibart said. “Josh Gottheimer should apologize to the people of New Jersey's Fifth District for bringing his Clinton-style political insider campaign tactics to our community - and he should fact check his press release accusations before he launches them."

The 5th District is composed of municipalities in Bergen, Sussex, Passaic, and Warren counties. In Bergen, the municipalities include: Fair Lawn, Franklin Lakes, Glen Rock, Hillsdale, Mahwah, New Milford, Oakland, Oradell, Paramus, Ramsey, Ridgewood, River Edge, Teaneck, Township of Washington, Westwood, and Wyckoff.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com. Sign up for Patch N.J. email newsletters here.

PHOTO: Democratic candidate Josh Gottheimer and Rep. Scott Garrett — Patch file photo