Vice Chairwoman Mikulski Statement on Zika Supplemental Funding Votes
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Vice Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement after the Senate voted on three Zika supplemental funding amendments. The Senate voted, 68-29, to invoke cloture on the Murray-Blunt amendment, which provides $1.1 billion of emergency funding to stop the spread of the Zika virus and develop a vaccine.
“Americans are already being infected and affected by the Zika virus. For the last three months Democrats called on Republicans to take up the President’s $1.9 billion emergency Zika supplemental, but they refused to act. Today, the Senate finally took votes on providing emergency funding to fight the spread of Zika and develop vaccines to keep Americans safe. I supported Senators Nelson’s and Rubio’s amendment for the full $1.9 billion emergency funding request. I’m disappointed that we’re not able to move forward with this measure, but I also believe that we need to act now. The Murray-Blunt compromise to provide $1.1 billion of emergency funding is a step in the right direction.
“As we work with the House to get this to the President’s desk, we must treat the $1.1 billion level as a bottom line – not a topline. We must also treat it like the emergency that it is, just like Ebola in 2014, H1N1 in 2009, and the avian flu in 2005, and not require offsets.”
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