Nelson noted that the virus will spread if those infected get bitten by mosquitoes.
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-Zika: Lawmakers in both parties say they want to pass legislation to help the government combat the Zika virus, but abortion politics stalled legislation to provide $1.1 billion before Congress left town in July. Calls for additional funding gained urgency last week when Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, announced that his agency has used nearly all of the $222 million it was allocated to fight the virus. That would avert settling the issue during a post-election, lame-duck session in December, when they believe retiring lawmakers who don’t have to face voters again are more inclined to accept wasteful spending.
“I’m still stunned that the Republican leader chose to have a seven-week vacation and it was more important to do that than funding our nation’s Zika response”, Reid said.
Democrats are blocking the legislation over objections to what they charge are politically-motivated provisions added to the bill by Republicans, including language preventing the Zika funds from being used by Planned Parenthood and provisions relaxing use of certain pesticides. The remainder of the cases were travel-related. Over 1,500 pregnant women have the virus, and 17 babies have been born with severe birth defects.
Mosquito season typically lasts through October and transmission could continue through that time period. That will leave the new Congress in the same mess we are in now, failing to develop a sustainable long-term funding plan. FBI Director James Comey also could return to Capitol Hill for more questions about Clinton’s email server now that the FBI has published documents summarizing interviews with Clinton and her top aides. Sen. The measure passed in the House, but fell short in Senate. “It doesn’t make sense except as a political stunt”.
“To show the Americans’ disgust with how the Republicans have treated Merrick Garland’s nomination, we’re objecting to the committees meeting”, Reid said.
If an agreement is not reached, the government could shut down on September 30, just a few weeks before the presidential and congressional elections, CNN reported. What’s clear is tensions are boiling.
USA senators, returning from a seven-week break, failed to approve a spending bill that includes $1.1 billion to pay for a federal response to the Zika virus. The two sides attempted to overcome the disagreement, but Republicans made a decision to craft their own bill after talks dragged on for weeks.
What do the Zika virus, confederate battle flags, and Planned Parenthood have in common?
“The House should drop the poison pill language so we can pass a clean bill immediately”, Kirk wrote in a statement.
The procedural vote needed 60 votes to move forward.
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The two sides are expected to put aside partisan bickering and come up with a deal, however.
