Post by bot on Sept 25, 2016 22:33:10 GMT -5
Hoyer Responds to Gov. Scott on Zika
WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement in response to today’s op-ed by Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Congress' response to the Zika virus:
“Governor Rick Scott’s op-ed in USA Today this morning is deeply misleading. To allege that both parties in Congress are equally responsible for the delay in federal Zika funding represents either a fundamental misunderstanding of our current politics or, worse, a willful attempt to exploit fears of Zika’s spread for partisan purposes.
“The reason why the President’s request for emergency funds to combat the spread of Zika has not yet been enacted is not because Congress is ‘incompetent,’ as the Governor claims, but because those funds have been blocked for months by his own Tea Party allies. Even after the Senate took bipartisan action in May, passing a $1.1 billion emergency Zika supplemental bill by a vote of 68-30, Tea Party-affiliated House Republicans continued to oppose this critical funding, pandering to their base by insisting that it is too costly and demanding that it deny funding for women’s health care. Had the Senate-passed legislation been allowed a vote on the House Floor by the Republican Majority, I have no doubt that every single Democratic Member would have voted for it. Even though it did not include the level of funding requested by the President, it was a positive first step, and it would have passed with unanimous support from our side of the aisle.
“Floridians – as well as Americans across the country and in Puerto Rico – deserve to know that their leaders are doing everything to prevent Zika from spreading and to help researchers identify a vaccine. When House Republicans stand up and say ‘no’ to the President’s emergency Zika funding request, Floridians ought to take note. The same goes for when Governor Scott slashes funding for mosquito control, which he did by 40% after taking office.
“Meanwhile, Democrats in the House and Senate have been fighting tooth-and-nail to get this Zika funding passed, insisting over and over again that Congress ought not to leave town for the election without making sure this funding is allocated. Though House Republican obstruction has delayed Zika funding thus far, I am hopeful that in the coming days a deal can be struck between Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate to pass a resolution keeping government open that also contains this emergency Zika funding. My House Democratic colleagues and I will continue pushing hard to ensure that occurs.”