U.S. Sens. Roy Blunt (R-MO), Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Steve Daines (R-MT) recently called on Senate Democrats to approve emergency funding needed to fight the spread of Zika virus.
Senate Democrats voted against the $1.1 billion emergency funding included in the Military Construction and Veteran Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act on Tuesday.
“This is the third time Senate Democrats have blocked critical funding needed to combat Zika, leaving Americans worried about the spread of the virus and the health of their families,” Blunt said. “I have met with National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Thomas Frieden, and had ongoing conversations with Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell and others about their current efforts and upcoming needs. It is clear from our discussions that we need to find a solution to this partisan impasse immediately.”
Senate Democrats also blocked the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, which includes funds to help in the fight against ISIS.
“With adversaries like North Korea and Iran that continue to pose a threat to our interests at home and abroad, it’s more important now than ever that we equip our military with the resources it needs to keep us safe,” Gardner said. “The bills blocked (on Tuesday) also provide funding to improve military housing for our service members and ensures our veterans receive the benefits they deserve.”
Gardner said that he also voted to approve more than $1.1 billion to combat Zika, but that the “partisan minority” in the Senate chose to block it.
“It is a glaring example of the political machine at its worst: the very people who are demanding the passage of Zika funding are its only obstacle to approval,” Gardner said. “It is time to put politics aside and approve these critical funding packages.”
Daines, meanwhile, said that President Barack Obama had directed Democrats to put the public and the safety of the American people aside in favor of politics.
“It is simply inexcusable that my friends across the aisle have again blocked these very important pieces of legislation and put the safety and the public’s health at risk,” Daines said.