House and Senate Republicans have agreed to a deal to provide the federal government with $1.1 billion in funding to fight the Zika virus.
Republicans said they plan to vote on the bill in the House as early as Thursday but at the latest Friday, ahead of a scheduled week-long recess.
The mosquito-transmitted disease causes severe birth defects and has infected dozens of pregnant women now in the United States.
“With the threat of the Zika virus, we must pass this bill before we leave town,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky. “That is our drive, that is our goal.”
The two-year deal would be partially offset by redirecting money elsewhere in the budget, including $543 million in Obamacare funding for abandoned health care exchanges in U.S. territories, and $107 million from a fund used to fight the Ebola virus, which has receded.
About $350 million would be added to the deficit, but paid for later, according to House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky. Rogers said he believes the deal will win the support of both House and Senate Republicans.
“It’s a strong bill,” Rogers said.
But Senate Democrats have already signaled they may not back the deal. While a GOP majority could pass the bill in the House, Democratic support is needed in the Senate to meet a 60 vote threshold.
Many House Democrats announced Wednesday they are also opposed the deal. They want the $1.9 billion requested by Obama and they oppose the offsets, which re-direct existing federal funds.
Democrats also oppose a provision in the deal that would allow a temporary waiver for use of certain restricted pesticides to kill mosquitos. Democrats also say the measure includes language restricting access to some birth control, but GOP aides deny there is anything like that in the legislation.
“This conference report provides an insufficient amount, and offsets a portion of this funding by cutting other critically needed public health resources,” said Rep Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., the top Democratic appropriator. “Offsetting emergency spending would set a precedent that will hinder our ability to respond to the next public health crisis, natural disaster, or national security event requiring emergency funding.”
Democrats are calling for $1.9 billion in new, emergency funding, which is the request sent by President Obama in February. The House bill only provides a little more than half of that amount, and most of it comes from money that already exists in the federal government.
“Just when you think you’ve seen it all, Republicans try to leverage a public health crisis to roll back access to healthcare for women and ram through an ideological agenda,” said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. “Republicans are so controlled by their hard right that they are incapable of working with Democrats to solve a public health crisis and actually govern the country.”
“Rather than playing politics with a national health emergency, Republicans need to do their job and pass a real emergency funding plan that will help fight the Zika virus,” he added.
