Washington Examiner: House approves Zika bill, but no new funding

Washington Examiner - Susan Ferrechio

The House passed legislation Wednesday that would designate $622.1 million in existing federal funding to combat the Zika virus, putting the chamber on a collision course with a Senate plan to borrow $1.1 billion to fight the virus.

The bill passed 241-184, and was supported by all but four Republicans, along with just three Democrats.

"It's become increasingly important that we, the Congress, act to protect our most vulnerable, particularly infants and women, from the risks of this disease," said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers, R-Ky. "Our response must be urgent, direct and strategic."

The House bill, authored by Rogers, adds to the $590 million in federal funds already redirected toward fighting Zika that were transferred from leftover money intended to fight the now-tamed Ebola virus.

But it falls short of the $1.1 billion bipartisan bill the Senate is now debating, which would designate new funding for battling the mosquito-transmitted virus. The Senate bill calls for new emergency spending that isn't offset.

Both bills provides less money than the $1.9 billion emergency request from the Obama administration. As a result, Democrats denounced the GOP bill during the House floor debate.

"Their proposal shows how unwilling they are to take this crisis seriously," said Rep. Barbara Lee, R-Calif.

The Centers for Disease Control has issued increasingly dire warnings about Zika, which is expected to be transmitted in the United States in a matter of weeks. Zika is carried by mosquitos and has been linked severe birth defects and neurological problems.

"This is the face of Zika," Rep. Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., said as she stood by a full-sized poster of a baby with microcephaly caused by Zika. "What are House Republicans doing in response? They are proposing less than one third of the money needed to target Zika. Look at this face and then look in the mirror."

House Republicans, however, are eager to offset the spending rather than add to the nation's deficit. They argued during floor debate on Wednesday that the bill provides the CDC with adequate money for the remainder of the fiscal year for developing a Zika vaccine and to provide mosquito control.

"We have more than enough money in the Ebola funds that we appropriated two years ago to actually take care of the initial phase of this," said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla.

Rogers said the Obama administration's request included few controls and would have allowed money to be transferred too freely. The House bill adds oversight and direction on where the money can be spent.

"The White House request early on made none of these oversight efforts," Rogers said, "allowing transfer authority across the entire government and creating what I call slush funds with virtually no limits."

The Senate continues debate on its Zika legislation on Thursday.

Online:Washington Examiner