“I feel we pay our taxes and we fund it”, said Timothy Thomas of Fort Myers. Congress is expected to take up a measure soon that would be the flawless vehicle: a stop-gap spending bill to prevent a government shutdown.
Advertisement
“I am disappointed a bill which included funding for the Zika virus died today in the Senate”. Democrats opposed the bill because it banned Planned Parenthood clinics in areas experiencing Zika outbreaks from receiving money to treat the virus and stop its spread. 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.
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. Zika has been linked to at least 16 cases of microcephaly in the continental United States.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) admonished Republicans for both focusing on Planned Parenthood and not cutting the August recess short in order to pass the legislation. “At the end of the day, if I had to place my bet it’s going to be what we see every year – we’re going to have 100 Republicans committed to the “governing caucus” side with all the Democrats and accept the responsibility that we hold, which is to fund the government”.
Fox News Correspondent Rich Edson has more from Capitol Hill.
“The bottom line is to pass a CR into December to give us a chance to pass minibuses”, the Kentucky Republican said.
“It seems that the Senate Democrats want a political issue, not a solution”. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a member of leadership, has said he prefers kicking work on a final spending agreement into next year.
Senators are optimistic that Zika funding will be easily attached and approved by the chamer in a continuing spending resolution, which could put House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) in an uncomfortable position.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell accused Democrats of partisanship.
Conservatives have pushed for Koskinen’s removal since last year, saying he’s impeded their investigation of how the IRS treated tea party groups several years ago – before he led the agency.
“I’m still stunned that the Republican leader made a decision to have a seven-week vacation and it was more important to do that than funding our nation’s Zika response”, Reid said.
Florida is getting bit hard by the virus.
Advertisement
“Our colleagues across the aisle can point to a series of partisan excuses, but the bottom line is this: there is no good explanation for blocking these public health and national security funding bills”.
