Thursday, June 23, 2016
WASHINGTON (AP) — A $1.1 billion compromise measure to combat the Zika virus made it through the House today, but faces a filibuster from Senate Democrats and opposition from the White House over spending cuts and GOP provisions on health care and the environment.
The 239-171 pre-dawn vote sent the measure to the Senate, where a test vote was planned for next week. A veto threat was expected from President Barack Obama.
The fate of the compromise worked out by House and Senate Republicans seemed certain, and it was unclear what alternative might emerge, given the hard feelings surrounding the issue and the short timetable ahead.
The Zika plan came out late Wednesday and won approval in the House hours later. That vote came after Democrats took over the House floor for more than 24 hours, well into today, in protest of GOP inaction on gun legislation. Republican leaders called the Zika vote abruptly, permitted no debate and immediately adjourned through July 4.
The result was more of the partisanship that has dogged the Zika proposal from the start and raised questions about whether lawmakers will manage to approve any assistance in the short time left before they leave Washington in mid-July for the political conventions.
The measure matches a bipartisan $1.1 billion figure adopted by the Senate last month to fight the virus, which can cause grave defects and can be transmitted by mosquitoes and sexual contact.