“I rise today to talk about Zika, and I rise with about 100 mosquitoes straight from Florida”, he told his fellow lawmakers, holding up the plastic container.
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“It was an agreed-upon issue between the House and Senate and, unfortunately, the Senate Democrats blocked it”, U.S. Sen.
The CDC reports that there were 35 cases of locally-transmitted cases of Zika in the United States as of August 31. Three-quarters of Americans say increased federal research funding is necessary to prevent Zika’s continued spread, according to the poll by the March of Dimes and NORC at the University of Chicago.
US health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems in babies.
“Basically, we’re out of money, and we need Congress to act to allow us to respond effectively”, he said. Marco Rubio in a statement on the Senate floor Tuesday.
If an agreement is not reached, the government could shut down on September 30, just a few weeks before the presidential and congressional elections.
The U.S. Senate again rejected a bill that includes $1.1 billion to fight the Zika virus, which can cause severe birth defects. What’s clear is tensions are boiling.
Speaking to reporters at the Capitol Wednesday, Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Thune (R-South Dakota) said Democrats keep blocking the legislation because they are “beholden” to “special interests”.
She echoed charges fellow Republican, Sen. Nelson said the path forward is perhaps another vote, though he offered no timeline.
But Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said last week that he and President Barack Obama will oppose that approach and press for a short-term measure until December.
Republicans added those provisions to the measure in June, along with spending cuts to help pay for the Zika bill, saying they are reasonable priorities that reflect their control of the House and Senate.
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The two sides are expected to put aside partisan bickering and come up with a deal, however. “And I’m hopeful and optimistic that we’ll be able to do that”, McConnell, a Republican, said of both a temporary agency funding bill and Zika money.
