As the Zika virus spreads across Florida at an alarming rate, Republicans and Democrats are locked in a high-stakes political blame game — that could ultimately impact the presidential contest and the course of the state’s critical election for senate.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott shocked residents on Friday when he announced that five new locally transmitted cases of the virus have been confirmed in Miami Beach. This marks the second location in Miami-Dade County where the virus has been locally transmitted, and the announcement came several days after a report showed that the number of Zika virus cases in Florida has nearly doubled since July 1.

“[Senate Democrats] need to stop playing politics with this public health crisis and join Republicans to pass the funding bill as soon as Congress reconvenes.”

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Reports have noted many terrified Floridians are now regularly wearing full-length clothing in the sweltering heat out of fear of contracting the virus. With the voting public in such a crucial battleground state becoming increasingly focused on the relatively regional threat posed by Zika, the stakes for Florida politicians when Congress reconvenes in September could not be higher.

“I have been demanding an effective response from our federal government for months to ensure that we contain and eliminate this public health crisis,” Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen wrote in an August 5 letter to House Republican leaders. “My home state of Florida, and the residents of South Florida, in particular, can no longer afford to wait on behalf of political posturing by either party.”

Congress and the White House have so far failed to come to an agreement over how to fund measures to stem the growing Zika crisis in Florida.

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That impasse appears politically driven by President Obama and Senate Democrats, who believe they have Republicans in an impossible position. Senate Democrats torpedoed a $1.1 billion package proposed by Republicans in July because it stipulated the funds could not go towards Planned Parenthood.

Democrats are likely to continue to oppose new Republican funding-measures expected to be introduced in September that do not include funds for Planned Parenthood, and count on the media and Florida voters to blame an “obstructionist” GOP majority when critical Zika-fighting dollars do not make it to Florida before November.

Facing the prospect of blame for congressional inaction on the crisis Republicans are eager to call-out the Democrats political posturing on the Zika issue that began earlier this year when President Obama refused to reallocate over $500 million in leftover funds from the 2014 Ebola scare.

“After Senate Democrats blocked additional funding to fight the spread of Zika, the Obama Administration played coy on whether it would reallocate existing funds and ensure important programs did not lapse,” said Matt Wolking, a spokesman for Rubio, in a statement to LifeZette. “They need to stop playing politics with this public health crisis and join Republicans to pass the funding bill as soon as Congress reconvenes.”

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“I don’t care how it gets passed, it just needs to get passed,” Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo said in a phone interview Wednesday, according to Politico. “There is so much anger and frustration in our country, because most Americans feel they cannot count on the government to do very simple things. … Congress has to show competence — and funding a response to a serious public health threat seems to me a very simple stand for ‘competence.'”

The presidential nominees have only peripherally touched on the issue, though a final, desperate fight over funding next month could encourage either or both to open broadsides on their rival’s party for failing the people of Florida.

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Seeming to anticipate a Republican failure to break the impasse in Congress and mobilize federal aid, Donald Trump praised Gov. Rick Scott and the state’s ownership of the crisis during a visit to Florida on Wednesday.

“You have a great governor who’s doing a fantastic job – Rick Scott – on the Zika,” Trump said to West Palm Beach CBS-affiliate WPEC, “It’s a big problem. But I watch and I see. And I see what they’re doing with the spraying and everything else. And I think he’s doing a fantastic job and he’s letting everyone know exactly what the problem is and how to get rid of it. He’s going to have it under control, he probably already does.” “I would say that it’s up to Rick Scott. It depends on what he’s looking to do because he really seems to have it under control in Florida,” Trump added.

Clinton for her part has lumped in with Democrats’ political gamesmanship, trying to blame the Republican majority for the standstill caused by Democratic roadblocks.

“I am very disappointed that the Congress went on recess before actually agreeing on what they would do to put the resources into this fight,” Clinton had said. “I am asking the Republican leaders in the House and the Senate to call Congress back into session immediately and pass the bipartisan funding bill that the Senate passed.”