Puerto Rico is beset by problems. Its government is straining under a mountain of debt, the economy is deteriorating and the Zika virus is spreading. Only Congress has the power to help, but it is not moving fast enough.

It has been clear for months that the federal government needs to give Puerto Rico a way to restructure its $72 billion debt and impose a financial control board to oversee decisions by local lawmakers. But the effort to pass legislation is facing stiff opposition from some House Republicans, who have bought into false arguments made by hedge funds and other investors that this would amount to a federal bailout or that it could open the door to bankruptcy filings by state governments.

Puerto Rico, which has already defaulted on some of its debt, does not have the money to make big bond payments that are coming due in May and July. The island’s government is so short of cash that it has delayed more than $2 billion in payments to vendors and delayed tax refunds to individuals. Public hospitals have closed floors and are rationing medicine at a time when health experts fear a surge in Zika infections that can cause birth defects.