Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Democrats Block Zika Bill; Tension Mounts As Lawmakers Trade Barbs Ahead Of Recess
The New York Times: Zika Bill Is Blocked By Senate Democrats Upset Over Provisions
Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked a federal spending bill that would have provided $1.1 billion to fight the mosquito-borne Zika virus, saying Republicans had sabotaged the legislation with politically charged provisions. The move raised the possibility that no new money would be available soon to fight the disease as Southern states brace for a summer outbreak. The stalemate, accompanied by a sharp war of words on the Senate floor, raised the prospect that the partisan divide in Congress was hindering the government’s ability to respond effectively to a pressing public health emergency. (Herszenhorn, 6/28)
The Associated Press: Senate Democrats Block GOP's Zika Funding Bill
Democrats blocked the GOP-drafted measure by a 52-48 vote Tuesday — short of the 60 votes required to advance it. The party faulted Republicans for packing the bill with provisions designed to deny new funding for Planned Parenthood clinics in Puerto Rico and ease rules on pesticide spraying. What happens next is unclear. Neither side is looking forward to leaving Washington next month for a seven-week vacation without having acted to address the health threat, but hard feelings seemed to harden in the immediate aftermath of the vote, leaving any path forward in doubt. (Taylor, 6/28)
The Wall Street Journal: Zika Spending Bill Is Blocked By Senate Democrats Due To Planned Parenthood Exclusion
The bill, which Republicans wrote and pushed through the House on June 23 in the midst of the Democrats’ sit-in on the House floor over gun control, would direct $1.1 billion to research the virus, develop a vaccine, and give certain health-care providers money to respond to an expected influx of patients. The measure would direct the money through hospitals and public health clinics as opposed to women’s health clinics such as those operated by Planned Parenthood. (Hughes and Armour, 6/28)
The Washington Post: Zika Funding Stalls In The Senate Amid Partisan Rift
The House-passed measure would provide $1.1 billion to fight the mosquito-borne virus through September 2017, including funds to help develop a vaccine. The spending would be offset by $750 million in savings, including $107 million in unused Ebola funds, $100 million in cuts to administrative funding for the Department of Health and Human Services and $534 million from unspent Affordable Care Act money for health-care exchanges in U.S. territories. The package also loosens Environmental Protection Agency restrictions on pesticides and strikes a measure that would have banned the display of the Confederate battle flag at cemeteries run by the Department of Veterans Affairs. (Snell and DeBonis, 6/28)
Reuters: U.S. Lawmakers Deadlock On Zika Virus Funds
It was unclear when Congress would revisit the issue. Democrats urged bipartisan talks, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said lawmakers would address the matter again sometime after the July 4 national holiday next week. (Cornwell, 6/28)
The Hill: Blame Game Begins On Zika Funding
Republicans slammed Democrats for voting down the $1.1 billion bill, arguing the party is standing in the way of funding it has claimed for months to desperately want. Democrats countered that the bill was not a serious effort at bipartisan compromise and was loaded with unacceptable riders .... Asked if he is willing to reconsider the Planned Parenthood provision given that it is the focus of the Democratic objections, McConnell said: “Well, it’s an interesting discussion, but it’s irrelevant. This is a conference report. It’s not amendable. It’s not amendable.” (Sullivan, 6/28)
Stat: Senate Vote On Zika Money Fails, Leaving Funding Future Uncertain
In the meantime, public health officials are emphasizing the need for action. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that without more funding from Congress, several parts of its Zika response could be delayed or put on hold. (Scott, 6/28)
Reuters: White House Chides Congress For Failing To Fund Zika
White House spokesman Josh Earnest, on Tuesday, chided Republicans for failing to push forward with the president's request for funding to combat the Zika virus and address an urgent public health crisis. "They need that money right now," Earnest told reporters. (Rascoe and Zargham, 6/28)
