Earlier this year, President Obama called on Congress to allocate $1.9 billion in emergency funding to fight the invasion of Zika, which is spread by mosquitoes and sex.
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Because of the Senate standoff, the Zika funding likely will be included in a fiscal year-end stop-gap measure meant to keep the federal government operating until Congress returns after the November 8 election or longer.
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. For the measure to pass, Democrats say Republicans must drop the provisions that have led them to oppose the bill since June.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Republicans should keep additions from the most conservative Republicans away from the Zika bill.
Read the full story at The Hill here.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is seeking re-election with Zika as a main campaign issue, said the Senate should again approve its original Zika bill.
The vote was 52 to 46 and 60 votes were needed for the legislation to advance.
Earlier this week, the senate reached an impasse on a bill that would provide $1.1 billion in Zika relief to areas in the USA where the virus is a growing concern and vaccine research.
Senate leaders on both sides of the aisle say they are working towards a deal to pass the legislation, likely alongside a measure to fund the government until December 9. That bipartisan compromise legislation would have provided $1.1 billion in Zika funding through September 2017 and it did not include the added provisions objected to by Democrats.
“The goal is to get money to pay for the Zika issue”, Cornyn was quoted as saying. The Zika funding measure was attached to next year’s military construction and veterans affairs spending bill, a normally uncontroversial spending package.
“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. Nelson said the path forward is perhaps another vote, though he offered no timeline.
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Governor Rick Scott had to reschedule a trip to Washington, his office said, as he continues to monitor areas damaged by Hurricane Hermine. “Let’s stop these political games”.
