Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid warned Monday that lawmakers in his party would not vote for a $1.1 billion funding measure to combat Zika, guaranteeing the measure will stall ahead of a seven-week congressional recess.
“What the Republicans are asking for has very little support over here …,” Reid said.
Reid’s announcement came after Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., called on Democrats to abandon their opposition to the bill. The House and Senate will leave town at the end of the week and won’t return until Sept. 5, which means there will be no further avenues to pass a funding bill to combat Zika for the rest of the summer.
“Republicans believe we ought to pass this bill now because this is indeed an emergency,” McConnell said. “Our friends across the aisle will have to decide if they feel the same way.”
McConnell announced the Senate this week will vote for a second time on the Zika funding bill, which is a compromise with House GOP lawmakers. Democrats blocked it last week after complaining the bill is funded by shifting money from Obamacare and for combating the now-receded Ebola virus.
Democrats also oppose a so-called poison pill provision that prevents new healthcare funding from being used at Planned Parenthood clinics in Puerto Rico.
“It’s one of the worst pieces of legislation I’ve ever seen in this body,” Reid said Monday.
The GOP-led House passed the bill along partisan lines in June, which means Senate approval would clear it for President Obama’s signature.
But Reid is calling on the Senate to vote on the Senate-passed Zika funding bill, rather than the House-Senate compromise. The Senate-passed version does not offset the cost and excludes the other provisions Reid opposes.
“Democrats are willing to negotiate,” Reid said. “We are willing to compromise. I told the Republican leader, give us something to work with.”
