AUSTIN, TX -- Less than two weeks after condemning President Barack Obama over guidelines on transgender students' use of public bathrooms, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Monday sent a letter to the president asking for money to help combat the mosquito-born Zika virus.

"Texas has 40 confirmed travel-related cases of Zika virus and it is only a matter of time before Zika is locally transmitted by mosquitoes," Patrick wrote in his letter to Obama. Although the states already has a "Zika Plan" and coordinates with local health departments to mitigate the spread, federal help is needed, he wrote.

Texas has proactively developed a state Zika Plan and continues to work with local health departments to mitigate the spread of Zika," Patrick wrote. "But in order to effectively combat the spread of the Zika virus, there should be a coordinated federal, state and local response." Patrick noted a past $3.6 million cut in federal cuts to Texas' Public Health Emergency Preparedness further complicates matters. Recent flooding has yielded stagnated water across the state as it begins to warm up more with summer approaching, making for a ready-made incubators of sort for mosquitoes to thrive.

"As the weather continues to warm in Texas, and flooding persists in many areas of the state, Texas continues to remain at greater risk of sustained local transmission of Zika than most of the rest of the country," Patrick wrote. "We urge you to help ensure a coordinated and robust response by the federal government to combat the spread of the Zika virus, and the timely receipt of federal funds to mitigate this devastating public health threat," Patrick wrote in conclusion. "If we may do anything to assist you in the expeditious delivery of needed aid, please let us know."

The ask is a far cry from less than two weeks ago, when Patrick made the rounds of national television news programs to condemn Obama's guidelines issued to school districts on how to manage the issue of transgender students using bathrooms -- directives he's encouraged school district officials to ignore.

While on his media circuit, Patrick suggested federal Title IX funds were at stake if Obama's transgender bathroom directives weren't followed. Title IX is a law protecting against discrimination based on gender. The threat of cutting off funds for violations of Title IX -- which Texas would be doing by not allowing transgender students to use the bathrooms matching their gender identity -- wasn't outright stated by the Obama administration.

"Well, in Texas, he can keep his 30 pieces of silver; we will not yield to blackmail from the president of the United States," Patrick told reporters. But now, it appears the state is in need of such "pieces of silver," if only to combat the Zika virus.