A long-delayed bill to fund measures against the Zika virus appears to be gaining momentum in Congress, who have been gridlocked on the matter since August.
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For the third time, Democrats in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday blocked a $1.1 billion bill to fight the Zika virus, accusing Republicans of sabotaging the bill with politically charged riders.
The potential Senate Zika measure could advance as part of a broader legislative effort to temporarily keep federal agencies operating in the 2017 fiscal year that begins October 1.
One of the biggest controversies involves Democrats’ opposition to language, backed by Republicans, that they say would prevent Zika funds for abortion providers like Planned Parenthood, mainly in Puerto Rico.
The Madbury Democrat made her priorities crystal clear again this week when she voted to block consideration of a $1.1 billion package to combat the virus. “They’re just not living in the real world, and they’re just not facing the fact that this is an emergency”, Mr. Nelson said.
Before those negotiations begin in earnest, however, Senate Republicans on Tuesday were eager to make a political point by forcing Democrats to once more block Zika legislation that passed the House earlier this year.
Republicans have accused Democrats of blocking the bill to gain political advantage by portraying Republicans as obstructionists on Zika funding. Whether Congress will agree on the bill’s passage in the near future is uncertain at this time.
The Zika virus is at the center of debate among lawmakers. Dozens of Zika cases have been confirmed in the political battleground state of Florida since lawmakers departed, and Republicans and Democrats are expected to revive the fight nearly immediately upon their return.
“You talk about a game-changer: they sent back to us funding for Zika, but how would they pay for that?” he said.
And a new mother brought her baby to Democratic press conferences, to describe how she was vacationing in the Bahamas and received a call from her parents about the threat of Zika.
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There’s a lot on the docket, but there’s only one thing that Congress must do in the coming month: Figure out a way to keep the government open before spending legislation expires October 1. Marco Rubio (R-Florida). And time could be running out. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), however, declined to say Thursday if his side would go along with the emerging deal, saying it would be up to his members to decide in coming weeks.
