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| Senate Votes to Advance Emergency Funding to Fight Zika Virus | Senate Votes to Advance Emergency Funding to Fight Zika Virus |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| WASHINGTON — The Senate voted on Tuesday to advance $1.1 billion in emergency financing to combat the mosquito-borne Zika virus — less than the $1.9 billion requested by the White House and setting up a confrontation with House Republicans who have put forward a plan with just $622 million reallocated from other programs. | WASHINGTON — The Senate voted on Tuesday to advance $1.1 billion in emergency financing to combat the mosquito-borne Zika virus — less than the $1.9 billion requested by the White House and setting up a confrontation with House Republicans who have put forward a plan with just $622 million reallocated from other programs. |
| The action in the Senate was a sign that even in a contentious election year, compromise is still possible, at least in that chamber. Senate Republican leaders called three votes on different plans for financing the fight against the virus. A proposal to grant the full White House request failed, as did a proposal that would have appropriated the money, but with offsetting spending cuts. | The action in the Senate was a sign that even in a contentious election year, compromise is still possible, at least in that chamber. Senate Republican leaders called three votes on different plans for financing the fight against the virus. A proposal to grant the full White House request failed, as did a proposal that would have appropriated the money, but with offsetting spending cuts. |
| A number of Senate Republicans, particularly from southern states that face the most immediate threat from Zika virus, spoke out forcefully in favor of government action, putting added pressure on House Republicans who have accused the Obama administration of using the Zika threat to demand a “slush fund” from Congress. | A number of Senate Republicans, particularly from southern states that face the most immediate threat from Zika virus, spoke out forcefully in favor of government action, putting added pressure on House Republicans who have accused the Obama administration of using the Zika threat to demand a “slush fund” from Congress. |
| But Senator Johnny Isakson, Republican of Georgia, said he recently spent four hours at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looking at models of how the virus could spread. | But Senator Johnny Isakson, Republican of Georgia, said he recently spent four hours at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looking at models of how the virus could spread. |
| “If anybody in the audience or in this room doesn’t think this an emergency, you should have been with Senator Collins and I two weeks ago,” Mr. Isakson said, referring to Susan Collins, Republican of Maine. “There have already been one million cases in the Caribbean and Central America and South America, 500 cases in the United States of America and it’s going to grow.” | “If anybody in the audience or in this room doesn’t think this an emergency, you should have been with Senator Collins and I two weeks ago,” Mr. Isakson said, referring to Susan Collins, Republican of Maine. “There have already been one million cases in the Caribbean and Central America and South America, 500 cases in the United States of America and it’s going to grow.” |
| “The faster we get our arms around it, the better off the American people are going to be,” Mr. Isakson continued. “This is a lot of money but it is only a pittance compared to what it would cost if the epidemic got out of control and we didn’t stop it and we didn’t defeat it.” | “The faster we get our arms around it, the better off the American people are going to be,” Mr. Isakson continued. “This is a lot of money but it is only a pittance compared to what it would cost if the epidemic got out of control and we didn’t stop it and we didn’t defeat it.” |
| On Monday, however, House Republicans put forward legislation that would require the Obama administration to reallocate $622 million from existing health programs to fight the mosquito-borne disease, which causes severe birth defects. | On Monday, however, House Republicans put forward legislation that would require the Obama administration to reallocate $622 million from existing health programs to fight the mosquito-borne disease, which causes severe birth defects. |
| In announcing their proposal, House Republicans said in a statement that they were supporting “critical activities that must begin immediately, such as vaccine development and mosquito control.” | In announcing their proposal, House Republicans said in a statement that they were supporting “critical activities that must begin immediately, such as vaccine development and mosquito control.” |
| But the White House condemned their refusal to consider the Zika virus a health emergency that warrants new spending without corresponding cuts. | But the White House condemned their refusal to consider the Zika virus a health emergency that warrants new spending without corresponding cuts. |
| While the political arguments have focused on the broad numbers, federal health officials have been parsing the fine print of the legislation to get a sense of the implications of each proposal. | While the political arguments have focused on the broad numbers, federal health officials have been parsing the fine print of the legislation to get a sense of the implications of each proposal. |
| Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is in charge of overseeing efforts to develop a vaccine, and other Zika research, said that his policy decisions would hinge on the amount of money approved, with efforts to develop vaccines against the virus taking precedence. | Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is in charge of overseeing efforts to develop a vaccine, and other Zika research, said that his policy decisions would hinge on the amount of money approved, with efforts to develop vaccines against the virus taking precedence. |
| “You’ve got to look at the relative distribution of the cuts,” Dr. Fauci said. “I asked for $270 million of the $1.9 billion. If they give me the lion’s share of that, I can keep my vaccine efforts on track and cut down the size of the natural history study.” | “You’ve got to look at the relative distribution of the cuts,” Dr. Fauci said. “I asked for $270 million of the $1.9 billion. If they give me the lion’s share of that, I can keep my vaccine efforts on track and cut down the size of the natural history study.” |
| He was referring to a study that would track groups of pregnant women infected with the Zika virus and their babies over a long period to determine how the virus has affected them over time, and also gauge the effectiveness of different treatments. | He was referring to a study that would track groups of pregnant women infected with the Zika virus and their babies over a long period to determine how the virus has affected them over time, and also gauge the effectiveness of different treatments. |
| The measure advanced by the Senate on Tuesday allocates $200 million to the National Institutes of Health, which Dr. Fauci described as “not catastrophic.” | The measure advanced by the Senate on Tuesday allocates $200 million to the National Institutes of Health, which Dr. Fauci described as “not catastrophic.” |
| “Even in my worst-case scenario, I will be able to do most of my vaccine stuff,” he said, adding: “I have to do those vaccine studies. That’s my highest priority.” | “Even in my worst-case scenario, I will be able to do most of my vaccine stuff,” he said, adding: “I have to do those vaccine studies. That’s my highest priority.” |
| In the House, the Republican legislation highlighted a core philosophical dispute that has frequently paralyzed Washington in recent years: a refusal by some hard-line conservative Republicans to support any new federal spending, even as President Obama and his fellow Democrats insist that the government’s involvement must grow to meet expanding needs. | In the House, the Republican legislation highlighted a core philosophical dispute that has frequently paralyzed Washington in recent years: a refusal by some hard-line conservative Republicans to support any new federal spending, even as President Obama and his fellow Democrats insist that the government’s involvement must grow to meet expanding needs. |
| ”Our friends on the other side of the aisle need to wake up and realize the world is changing,” Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, shouted at a news conference on Tuesday at the Capitol. “We have new crises. It takes some money to fix them, whether it’s Zika, the crisis in Flint or opioids, we have to invest some dollars in the fights if we’re going to solve the problems. They’re — they’re in the past. They’re just saying cut — cut everything. Don’t spend, even when there’s a national emergency.” | ”Our friends on the other side of the aisle need to wake up and realize the world is changing,” Senator Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, shouted at a news conference on Tuesday at the Capitol. “We have new crises. It takes some money to fix them, whether it’s Zika, the crisis in Flint or opioids, we have to invest some dollars in the fights if we’re going to solve the problems. They’re — they’re in the past. They’re just saying cut — cut everything. Don’t spend, even when there’s a national emergency.” |