House passes $1.1B Zika bill; Dems protest
WASHINGTON — The House has passed a $1.1 billion House-Senate measure to combat the Zika virus, but the GOP-drafted measure is a nonstarter with Senate Democrats and the Obama White House.
The measure was unveiled late Wednesday and approved by the House early this morning by a 239-171 vote along party lines.
The vote came after Democrats hijacked the House floor for virtually all of Wednesday, protesting GOP inaction on gun legislation in the wake of the shooting in Orlando, Fla.
The rapid turn of events of Zika ignited another round of the partisanship and raised questions about whether lawmakers will manage to pass anything on Zika before exiting Washington in mid-July for the political conventions.
