WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans and Democrats clashed again Monday over funding levels for Zika research, the Flint, Michigan water crisis and Securities and Exchange Commission campaign contributions oversight — a fight that has blocked a stopgap spending bill to avoid a government shutdown on Friday.
The measure would fund the federal government through Dec. 9 at current levels. The Senate is set to vote on the continuing resolution on Tuesday, as Republicans hope to receive the Democratic backing needed to approve the legislation.
So what’s the holdup?
Issue 1: Zika funding
What the GOP proposes:
The proposed legislation would offer $1.1 billion in Zika relief.
“We have bipartisanship support (regarding Zika),” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said.
What the Democrats want:
“We don’t oppose Zika funding, we don’t oppose flooding victims, but we want more,” Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said.
Issue 2: Flint, Michigan
What the GOP proposes:
The continuing resolution allocates $500 million towards flooding relief in states like Louisiana, Maryland, Texas and West Virginia.
“It ensures victims of flooding and opioids aren’t forgotten,” McConnell said.
“They’re trying to take our country to the brink on something that isn’t in the bill,” McConnell said. “(Water Resources Development Act) is not only the proper vehicle to help (Flint, Michigan) now but it’s the proper vehicle to help in the future.”
What the Democrats want:
“We believe we should not leave Flint behind though,” Reid said.
“I was especially disappointed to see what the Republican proposal was regarding another disaster — a disaster that has been going on for more than a year,” Reid said. “This CR does not give a single penny to Flint, Michigan.”
“Children are lead-poisoned already,” Reid said. “Republican’s go-to move is to claim they will do it at a later time in the mean time the people of Flint can take a drink out of a bottle of water and bathe in a bottle of water.”
“The people in flint deserve justice and the 9,000 people that have been led poisoned deserve justice,” Reid said.
Issue 3: The SEC
What the GOP proposes:
A provision that would prevent the Securities and Exchange Commission from forcing public companies to disclose their political spending.
What the Democrats want:
“The Republican leaders stuck in this bill a provision to prevent the SEC telling corporations that they must disclose campaign contributions,” Reid said. “If there were ever legislation that didn’t deserve to be in a resolution it would be that.”
“The SEC protects the interests of investors,” Reid said. “Republicans in the Senate are opposed to disclose which is why they attached in the resolution this wire to prevent them from knowing how their money is spent.”
“Senate Republicans need to rethink their priorities they need to spend less time worrying about the balance of their campaign accounts and spend more time worrying about the citizens of Flint, Michigan,” Reid said.
