07.13.16

On Zika, Dems’ Excuses Don’t Stand Up To Scrutiny

‘Democrats Are Clearly Very Nervous About Their Decision To Attack Women’s Health … With Their Filibuster Of The Anti-Zika Funding Bill’

SEN. MITCH McCONNELL (R-KY): “Democrats are clearly very nervous about their decision to attack women’s health and veterans with their filibuster of the anti-Zika funding bill. Who can blame them? They’ve put forth a variety of tortured excuses that don’t stand up to scrutiny.” (Sen. McConnell, Floor Remarks, 7/12/16)

RHETORIC: ‘Insufficient Funding That's Being Dedicated To The Effort To Fight Zika’

WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY JOSH EARNEST: “[T]he issue that we have is that there’s insufficient funding that's being dedicated to the effort to fight Zika...” (White House Press Briefing, 6/28/2016)

REALITY: ‘The Compromise Measure's $1.1 Billion Price Tag Matches The Amount The Senate Approved Last Month…’

“The compromise measure's $1.1 billion price tag matches the amount the Senate approved last month…” (“House, Senate GOP Seals Agreement On $1.1B Zika Measure,” AP, 6/22/16)

SEN. REID: “I’m willing, the president’s willing, Patty Murray’s willing to take $1.1 billion dollars...” (“Reid: Obama Would Back $1.1 Billion in Emergency Zika Spending,” CQ News, 7/06/2016)

MAY FLASHBACK: “…the Senate advanced a $1.1 billion measure to fight Zika that earned sweeping support from Democrats…” (“Senate Vote Sets Up Tricky Talks Ahead On Anti-Zika Bills,” AP, 5/19/16)

  • SEN. PATTY MURRAY (D-WA): “I’m pleased that today the Senate was able to reach bipartisan agreement on a strong first step to fight back against the Zika virus—and now we need to make sure these resources get to families and communities as quickly as possible.” (Sen. Murray, Press Release, 5/19/16)

RHETORIC: ‘Partisan Offsets’

SENATE DEMOCRATS: “By insisting on partisan offsets, the conference report breaks with the longstanding, bipartisan tradition of coming together to put politics aside when responding to a disaster.” (Senate Democrats, Press Release, 6/28/16)

“‘We should have no offset,’ said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., during a press conference...” (“Dems: No Offsets On Zika Funds,” Washington Examiner, 4/27/16)

REALITY: ‘Mosquitoes Don't Care About The Budget Process,’ ‘Cuts Were In Fact Relatively Innocuous’

“‘Mosquitoes don't care about the budget process,’ said Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md.” (“Dems: No Offsets On Zika Funds,” Washington Examiner, 4/27/16)

“…the cuts were in fact relatively innocuous. For instance, the $543 million cut to ‘Obamacare’ was to a pot of money aimed at helping territories set up health insurance exchanges under the law. None of them did so.” (“House Passes $1.1B Zika Funding Bill,” AP, 6/23/16)

RHETORIC: ‘They Want To Eliminate The Clean Water Act’

SENATE DEMOCRATS: “Republicans have inserted ideological poison pill riders … [that would] weaken clean water and air protections by waiving portions of the Clean Water Act to allow for greater use of pesticides without EPA approval…” (Senate Democrats, Press Release, 6/28/16)

SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): “[O]ne of the poison pills they put in this is beyond my ability to comprehend. Spraying is part of the deal, but they want to eliminate the Clean Water Act from the pesticides spraying to get -- kill mosquitoes.” (Sen. Reid, Press Conference, 6/28/2016)

REALITY: The CDC Director & EPA Administrator ‘Are More Than Willing’ To Use Aerial Spraying To Kill Mosquitoes

“The most effective way to stop the spread of Zika is to kill mosquitos, so the bill temporarily waives the Environmental Protection Agency’s permitting process for certain pesticides for 180 days for emergency mosquito control.” (Editorial, “The Zika Democrats,” The Wall Street Journal, 7/01/2016)

“U.S. health officials ... urged [Puerto Rico] to strongly consider aerial spraying to prevent further spread of the mosquito-borne [Zika] virus.” (“US Urges Aerial Spraying Amid Jump In Puerto Rico Zika Cases,” AP, 7/06/2016)

  • GINA MCCARTHY, EPA Director: ‘[Aerial spraying] can be done safely and effectively and is perhaps the most important tool we can use right now’ “Gina McCarthy, administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, told the AP that Puerto Rico needs to seriously consider aerial spraying. ‘It can be done safely and effectively and is perhaps the most important tool we can use right now to change the trajectory,’ she said... ‘We know how to do this,’ McCarthy said. ‘We are more than willing and anxious to do this.’” (“US Urges Aerial Spraying Amid Jump In Puerto Rico Zika Cases,” AP, 7/06/2016)
  • DR. TOM FRIEDEN: ‘If any part of the continental U.S. had the kind of spread of Zika that Puerto Rico has now, they would have sprayed months ago’ “Dr. Tom Frieden, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told The Associated Press that aerial spraying is the island’s best defense to fight a virus that can cause microcephaly… ‘If any part of the continental U.S. had the kind of spread of Zika that Puerto Rico has now, they would have sprayed months ago,’ he said. ‘This is more a question of neglect than anything else. ... If we wait until children with microcephaly are born, it will be too late. That’s the problem.’” (“US Urges Aerial Spraying Amid Jump In Puerto Rico Zika Cases,” AP, 7/06/2016)

RHETORIC: ‘The Conference Report Includes A Restriction … [On] Planned Parenthood’

SENATE DEMOCRATS: “The conference report includes a restriction that would limit funding for … Planned Parenthood…” (Senate Democrats, Press Release, 6/28/16)

REALITY: ‘Democrats Stretch Impact Of Planned Parenthood Exclusion In Zika Bill’

POLITIFACT: “The legislation would have blocked the flow of money to one organization, Profamilias, the Planned Parenthood chapter in Puerto Rico. However, the bill also provided funds that would potentially help clinics and hospitals in nearly every municipality on the island.” (“Democrats Stretch Impact Of Planned Parenthood Exclusion In Zika Bill,” Politifact, 6/28/16)

###
SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

Related Issues: Zika Virus, Health Care, Appropriations, Senate Democrats