“It’s a message week for the Republican base and it is another week squandered by the Republican leadership in the House”, Hoyer told reporters. Lawmakers returned to work this week after a seven-week summer recess.
Advertisement
Ryan said on a Wisconsin radio show this morning (on AM 1380 in Janesville) that there will be negotiations on the spending legislation as lawmakers return.
USA lawmakers sought on Wednesday to break a logjam over $1.1 billion in funding to combat the Zika virus, with the Senate possibly considering legislation as soon as next week, even as one congressman toted a jar full of mosquitoes to the House floor to condemn congressional inaction. Nelson said he wants Zika funding and will consider anything, including offsets in a compromise bill, but not the Republican political riders.
Each failed to get the 60 votes needed to advance.
The World Health Organization says the outbreak of Zika remains an global health emergency and noted the virus is continuing to infect new countries. Marco Rubio, accused Democrats of trying to score political points by blocking the bill.
– Defence policy: Members of a House-Senate conference who are working to write a final defence policy bill for the coming fiscal year are grappling with a range of issues, including the total amount to spend on the military and whether women should be required to register for a potential military draft.
Democrats have blocked a $1.1 billion Zika bill three times in the Senate, because they object to Republican provisions in the bill, among them a ban on Planned Parenthood using any of the funds.
The Hill reports the bill provides $622 million in funding to combat the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which has been spreading throughout South America and into North America and across the world. The House passed the measure largely along party lines, 239-171, with all six New Jersey Republicans supporting the legislation and five Democrats voting no.
In describing the unacceptable legislation, Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire went one step further to articulate the ghoulish undertone of Democrats’ opposition, “They defunded-they reduced significantly-support for family planning, and if you ever were looking at a time when it’s important to make sure families understand what options they have, now is the time”. During an exchange with reporters on Tuesday, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-California) outlined how he envisioned Congress will be graded by voters. No. 3 Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of NY said the GOP was using the bill “to assuage the hard right”.
“This is not a time for politics”. Politico says some conservatives will pressure Speaker Paul Ryan to hold an impeachment vote for the IRS commissioner.
Advertisement
“Republicans were more interested in attacking Planned Parenthood and flying the Confederate flag – can’t make this stuff up, that’s really the truth – than protecting women and babies from this bad virus”, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said.
