The White House said Thursday that President Obama would rather go without any new funding to fight the Zika virus than accept the House bill that passed early Thursday morning.
On board Air Force One, deputy White House press secretary Eric Schultz accused House Republicans of turning Zika funding into a “political exercise.” He also rejected the idea that the administration should accept it as at least a step in the right direction.
He said the government has asked for $1.9 billion to fight Zika, and the House bill, which spends just $1.1 billion, mostly from existing funds, is “woefully inadequate.” Schultz also said the bill would take money from other programs, including some in Obamacare that are “critically important.”
When asked whether it’s still better than nothing given the public health emergency the White House has warned about, Schultz dodged the question, and instead said the White House opposes the way the House bill was developed.
“One party doesn’t just huddle in the corner, come up with an ideological bill, and then throw up their hands and leave,” he said. “It’s time for Republicans to join Democrats in coming up with a viable solution to make sure the government has the resources they need to combat this.”
