Senate

Reid ‘cautiously optimistic’ on spending bill

by Jordain Carney - 09/13/16 11:12 AM ET

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said Tuesday that senators are making progress on a short-term spending bill that would keep the government operating through Dec. 9.

Reid also wants funding to battle the Zika virus to be included in that bill, and he used comments on the Senate floor to warn Republicans to back down over language in the bill that could prevent clinics operated by Planned Parenthood in Puerto Rico from accessing the funds.

“We need to treat the Zika virus like the genuine health crisis it is, not a bargaining chip for the Republicans to use to attack Planned Parenthood,” the outgoing Senate Democratic leader said from the Senate floor. “I’m cautiously optimistic the Senate will complete its important work on Zika and the [continuing resolution].”

{mosads}Lawmakers face a looming deadline to get an agreement on funding the government ahead of the Oct. 1 deadline. The Senate could start work this week, though senators in both parties said on Monday that they were still ironing out the Zika issue.

Reid said there had been progress during a White House meeting on Monday between congressional leadership and President Obama, but he added that lawmakers can’t “play politics with these important issues.”

“We want to work with Republicans to secure Zika funding, but we’ll flatly reject any attempt to undermine women’s health,” he said.

Democrats have on three occasions blocked a separate bill providing $1.1 billion to fight the virus because of the Planned Parenthood issue.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has now teed up a short-term spending bill that will run through Dec. 9.

In addition to the battle over Zika — a mosquito-borne virus that can cause birth defects in children born to women who are pregnant when they contract the virus — Reid said senators will need to get a deal on policy riders tied to the Environmental Projection Agency and a push by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to tie a fight over internet control to the measure.

Tags Harry Reid Mitch McConnell Ted Cruz