Congress next week will make another attempt at clearing a Zika funding bill for President Obama’s signature, but it’s likely lawmakers will leave for the summer without taking action.
The Senate appears ready to pass a House-approved opioid addiction measure and a five-month extension to authorize the Federal Aviation Administration.
The House, meanwhile, may adjourn for the summer without passing a promised GOP-authored anti-terrorism bill thanks to pushback against a gun control provision.
Senate Democrats have pledged to block for a second time a House-Senate measure that would provide $1.1 billion in federal funding to combat Zika, a mosquito-transmitted virus that causes birth defects and neurological damage. The GOP-led House passed the bill along party lines in June.
Democrats said last week they would not approve of the bill in part because it is not new spending but rather reallocates money from other parts of the budget, including $543 million from Obamacare.
“That bill, we know, is going nowhere,” Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said. “We knew it when it left the House. We know it won’t pass the Senate. We know the president won’t sign it. It’s not going to become law, period. So we need to start a new round of negotiations.”
Democrats will register their opposition by blocking the fiscal 2017 military construction and veterans affairs spending legislation, which includes the Zika measure.
Senate Democrats are now more likely to endorse a bill aimed at battling opioid addiction, which has become a national epidemic.
Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., hinted last week Democrats may refuse to back the bill because the GOP would not authorize new spending to accompany it.
But House Democrats dropped their opposition on Friday and helped pass the measure in the House while criticizing the lack of funding.
Senate Democrats are now likely to back it.
“We need to do something with opioids,” Reid said this week. “It’s a real, real problem. We can’t do it on the cheap, and that’s what they’re trying to do.”
Congress has yet to come up with a multi-year bill authorizing the FAA and has had to rely on a series of short term extensions.
They’ll likely pass another one this week in the face of a July 15 deadline.
The extension would last until Sept. 2017 and would omit a proposal by House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Bill Shuster, R-Pa., to privatize the nation’s air traffic control system.
The bill includes a number of air travel safety enhancements, including more police dogs and a stronger vetting process for airport employees.
Senate Democrats will not block the FAA bill despite a complaint from Reid on Friday that it excludes a correction to an earlier bill extending green energy tax breaks.
“We are now more than half way into 2016 and Republicans still haven’t lived up to their word,” Reid said. “Businesses are at a competitive disadvantage and thousands of jobs are at stake. We must act.”
The House will also consider a measure that would give the courts greater power over federal agencies regarding questions concerning statutes and regulations. Republicans believe the Obama administration has abused its authority to interpret the law in order to advance its agenda on matters including immigration and environmental protection.
The House legislative agenda will also include a bill sponsored by Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn. that creates an Obamacare exemption for “individuals and healthcare entities that refuse to provide, pay for, or refer patients to abortion providers because of their deeply held beliefs.”
