No deal yet, but Senate moves to debate Zika funding, keeping government open | McClatchy Washington Bureau

The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to advance legislation to fight Zika and keep the federal government open, but the bill’s actual contents remained a mystery.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said lawmakers have yet to reach an agreement, so no text is available. They are close, though, he said.

“Members are continuing to work toward an agreement on that legislation and we all hope to have that completed and available for review very soon,” he said. “With cooperation, we can get that done and begin debate.”

By voting 89-7 to go ahead and begin debate the bill before reviewing its text, senators overcame a key procedural hurdle that requires 60 votes before legislation can come to the floor for a final vote.

McConnell already had delayed one procedural vote to debate the bill, pushing it back from Monday to 2:15 p.m. Tuesday. At 2:05 p.m., he announced he would delay the roll call again when lawmakers had trouble ironing out the final details of an agreement.

“It’s taken a little longer than I expected,” McConnell admitted.

He reset the vote for 5:15 p.m., but legislators involved in the talks indicated earlier on Tuesday that they still had some way to go before settling on the bill’s final language. At 5:13 p.m., the Senate adjourned so McConnell could confer with his party. Half an hour later, the chamber reconvened for the vote.

Among the items still under negotiation are riders that would provide emergency funds for Louisiana flood victims and for residents afflicted by lead-tainted water in Flint, Michigan, said Republican Sen. John Thune of South Dakota.

Lawmakers have reached consensus on the Zika part of the deal, but other issues have held up a vote, Thune said.

He said legislators also were arguing over an effort, led by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and other Republicans, to include language in the bill that would delay or halt Obama’s plans to hand over the administration of internet domain names and designations to an international body on Oct. 1.

“It has to get resolved one way or another by the end of the month,” Thune said.

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and other Democrats lost no time in attacking Republicans for what they said was an inability to govern effectively.

“The Senate just isn’t working,” said Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat from Washington state.

“We’re close (to a deal) but Republicans need to work with us to get this over the finish line,” Murray said.

It’s been seven months since President Barack Obama formally requested $1.9 billion to combat Zika, a virus that can cause devastating brain damage and birth defects in unborn children.

Most recently, Democrats in the Senate blocked a Zika funding bill offered by Republicans for the third time since June. They objected to concerns about budget cuts in the bill, as well as language that would disqualify Planned Parenthood from receiving grant money to combat Zika in Puerto Rico, where the virus is rampant.

“Seven months without congressional action for an emergency public health crisis called Zika is shameful,” Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said on the Senate floor Tuesday morning. “Let’s not wait another day before we leave here to go back to campaign. Before each party brags about what they have achieved, let’s do our job here.”