For weeks now, Congress has either been ignoring requests for funding on Zika, or dragging their feet while the risk keeps growing. Republicans have been using stalling tactics, always claiming to need more information no matter how many reports stack up. Now Democrats have had enough.
The political battle over Zika funding intensified Tuesday as congressional Democrats and the White House amped up pressure on Republicans to pass money aimed at combating the dangerous virus that is spreading north to the United States.
The birth defects caused by Zika are terrible. It’s also terrible that trying to halt the spread of this disease is a “political battle.” Truthfully, we were already at the “will kill people to keep Obama from reaching policy goals” stage way back at the beginning of the healthcare fight. This round just seems more obvious.
"This is an emergency if there ever were an emergency," said Harry Reid who blamed GOP senators for a "continual pattern of constant Republican gridlock" that the Senate minority leader said was blocking swift passage of the money. ...
"We cannot wait to act. With the mosquito season coming here and families wondering what is being done to protect them," said [Senator Patty] Murray in a notably tougher political attack than a week ago. "Today we are here to send a very clear message to our colleagues across the aisle. There is no more time to wait. We need to get an emergency funding agreement through the Senate this week."
And somehow more despicable.