The White House is threatening to veto a bill that Republicans have rebranded as a Zika response measure and that House Democrats blocked last week. The measure is set to come back up for a vote as early as Tuesday.
The White House Office of Management and Budget issued a formal veto threat Monday night, saying the recently rebranded Zika Vector Control Act is really a way to “weaken environmental protections” and undermines the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority under the Clean Water Act.
“The administration is committed to taking necessary steps, as quickly as possible, to protect the American people from the Zika virus,” OMB said in its formal response to the legislation. “Rebranding legislation that removes important Clean Water Act protections for public health and water quality is not an appropriate avenue for addressing the serious threat to the nation that the Zika virus poses.”
The bill seeks to expedite the use of pesticides in mosquito-prone areas to combat the Zika virus, which is carried by two types of mosquitoes. The bill, which was originally focused on EPA over-regulation, is now being floated as a House Republican response to the Zika virus threat.
The veto threat argues that “exempting pesticide spraying” creates a new statutory exemption for acquiring EPA permits that is completely “unnecessary.”
“In fact, most mosquito control districts and federal and state agencies already have authority under the Pesticide General Permit to apply mosquitocides as needed to respond to Zika virus concerns and do not require any additional authorization under the permit,” OMB says. Also, emergency provisions exist that allow spraying without prior notification.
The bill was voted down last week under suspension of House rules, requiring a two-thirds majority to pass it with no amendments allowed. Democrats successfully blocked it.
