However, several congressional Republicans suggested the Zika and government funding issues would be combined and resolved together ahead of the deadline.
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The vote was 52-46, with both New Jersey senators, Democrats Robert Menendez and Cory Booker, voting no. Democrats also say the bill strips a ban on Confederate flags in military cemeteries.
“I think that’s going to send a message”, he said, referring to the Zika-linked birth defect that causes infants to be born with abnormally small heads and can cause developmental delays and death Nelson pointed the finger at Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky.
Sen. Mark KirkMark KirkRubio: Drop Planned Parenthood fight to approve Zika funding Senate Dems to hold up committee hearings as protest The Hill’s 12:30 Report MORE (R-Ill.), another vulnerable GOP incumbent, also said Tuesday that Republicans should concede in their Planned Parenthood fight to speed up the response.
Republicans would have no choice but to eliminate the controversial provisions, such as language targeting Planned Parenthood, if the Zika package goes into the government spending bill. “Republicans were more interested in attacking Planned Parenthood and flying the Confederate flag ― can’t make that stuff up; that’s really the truth ― than protecting women and babies from this very bad virus”. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., preparing to link Zika talks with negotiations to pass a short-term spending bill before the fiscal year ends on September 30. I am disappointed a bill which included funding for the Zika virus died today in the Senate. “That’s my assumption”, Sen. “We passed a $1.1 billion dollar bill for Zika, which was the level agreed to in the Senate”, Ryan told reporters Wednesday morning.
In the Senate, there’s still palpable contention over the Zika issue after a third failed vote Tuesday.
Since then, both parties have backed $1.1 billion as the funding figure.
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.
But Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid said last week that he and President Barack Obama will oppose that approach and press for a short-term measure until December.
In the absence of a funding bill, the White House has been redirecting funds earmarked to fight Ebola, cancer and other diseases.
Still, some Republicans were resisting a deal that would abandon the Planned Parenthood language in the Zika bill.
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“Republicans continue to play politics with this crisis”, said Rep.
