Strict Austerian Repugs: No Money for ZIKA

[boutons_deux]

White House: Congress is ‘passing out umbrellas in a hurricane’

the dispute over the federal response to the Zika virus is a little different than most.

When the process began two months ago, it didn’t seem especially contentious.

The Obama administration requested $1.9 billion in emergency funding to respond to the looming public-health threat.

The White House noted at the time, “This sort of falls in the category of things that shouldn’t break down along party lines.”

But that’s exactly what happened anyway. Congressional Republicans responded to the request by telling the administration to use $600 million that had been allocated to combat Ebola. The trouble, of course, is that this money (a) is far short of the $1.9 billion needed, and (b) still being used to address Ebola in West Africa.

And so, the White House kept pushing, saying Congress needs to step up to help address the Zika threat.

Then the Office of Management and Budget soon after said in effect, “No, really, Congress needs to step up to help address the Zika threat.”

Then the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention effectively said, “No, really, Congress needs to step up to help address the Zika threat.”

Then the National Ins ute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases effectively said, “No, really, Congress needs to step up to help address the Zika threat.”

Roll Call reported that Congress did pass a bill, intended to create incentives for drug makers to speed work on Zika treatments, but it allocates none of $1.9 billion the administration says is necessary. It’s reached the point at which the White House has stopped being polite and started getting real.

Press Secretary Josh Earnest compared a Zika bill the House sent to President Barack Obama’s desk on Tuesday to “passing out umbrellas in the event of a hurricane.” […]

Earnest called the bill (S 2512) “insufficient” because it would not allocate a single dollar for things the Obama administration says are needed to combat the virus before mosquitoes are out in force across the U.S. That list includes targeting specific Zika-carrying mosquito populations, diagnostic testing and other efforts, according to the White House.

Earnest told reporters, “In this case, Congress is two months late and $1.9 billion short in providing the assistance that our public health professionals say that they need to make sure that they respond appropriately to this situation.”

In response, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) complained that the White House hasn’t given Congress enough information on what, specifically, the $1.9 billion would be used for, fearing that the administration’s plan amounted to the creation of a “slush fund” with money that “could be used for any purpose.”

Appropriations Committee Democrats said they have no idea what Rogers is talking about.

“I quite frankly don’t know what information you all are looking for from the administration,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) told the Kentucky Republican. “It is pretty detailed as to what this would encompass.”

And so, very little is happening, even as Dr. Anne Schuchat, Principal Deputy Director of the CDC, explains,

“Everything we look at with this virus seems to be a bit scarier than we initially thought.”

The response from public-health officials has been one of concern and alarm. Much of Capitol Hill, meanwhile, prefers to remain passive.

Ironically, in February, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) declared, “We need to get out in front of the Zika virus.”

In hindsight, “we” apparently did not refer to Republicans in Congress.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-s...d=sm_fb_maddow

file under: "All Knitter-hatin Politics All The Time" and "Repugs Up Everything (for the 99%) That They Touch"

how many 100s or 1000s of American babies (at least 1%'s babies) get screwed up by ZIKA before the Repugs do anything?

[boutons_deux]

Republicans’ response to the Zika threat takes an offensive turn

Yesterday afternoon, Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) published a Twitter message asking people to retweet a message: “Mosquitoes carrying Zika must be killed.” It included a link to a press statementfrom the Speaker’s office featuring Ryan’s new plan to address the public-health threat: weakening EPA regulations of pesticides.

It was at this point that the House Republicans’ response to the Zika threat made the transition from reckless to offensive. The Huffington Post highlighted the most glaring problem with the GOP’s plan:

While eliminating the clean water protections would make life easier for mosquito sprayers in some respects, environmental advocates say the restrictions on spraying are entirely irrelevant to a potential Zika outbreak for several reasons.

First among them is that if one particular pesticide has polluted a certain lake or stream, there are other options, said Mae Wu, a policy expert with the Natural Resources Defense Council….

On top of that, the clean water regulations apply only to areas larger than 6,400 acres. And if there is an outbreak, the rules specify that mosquito control authorities can act immediately, and get any needed permits after the fact.

The New York Times added that exceptions to EPA regulations “already exist for emergency situations like fighting Zika.”

Making matters slightly worse,

Paul Ryan’s statement said policymakers should heed the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control – which might make more sense if Paul Ryan weren’t ignoring the CDC’s pleas to Congress to pass the Obama administration’s Zika response plan.

Keep in mind, as we discussed last week, the White House has been waiting since February for Congress to act on a $1.9 billion Zika bill, which House Republicans have refused to consider for reasons they have not explained.

Instead, GOP House members have passed a bill that’s one-third the size and redirects money currently being used to combat the Ebola virus.

Or put another way, the House Republican majority, eager to prove how little it cares about the public-health threat, doesn’t want to make necessary investments, but does want to undermine environmental safeguards.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-s...d=sm_fb_maddow

Repugs misgovern disastrously, America, because they HATE the knitter. Their VRWC/1% owners are laughing their asses off at how their $Bs screw govt and screw America's 99%.

[CosmicCowboy]

Can anyone explain where the 1.9 BILLION would go to "fight" Zika? not disagreeing just curious.

[boutons_deux]

Can anyone explain where the 1.9 BILLION would go to "fight" Zika? not disagreeing just curious.

"We didn't just choose $1.9 billion from the top of our heads," Obama said. "This was based on public health assessments of all the work that needs to be done and to the extent that we want to be able to feel safe and secure."
"This is a pretty modest investment for us to get those assurances," he added.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/zika-virus-cdc-dramatically-ups-number-infected-pregnant/story?id=39253562

Can't any specific budget items, but my guess is big part of the money would go to development a virus vaccine, which would include human trials, which are famously long and very expensive.

[boutons_deux]

Risk of severe birth defects from Zika virus may be as high as 13 percent




http://www.theverge.com/2016/5/25/11...t-microcephaly

other reports have found all kinds zika damage other than microcephaly.

But for the Repugs, blocking the hated knitter trumps microcephaly.

[boutons_deux]

Congress leaves town with no Zika resolution, lengthy negotiations ahead

Congress abandoned the Capitol Thursday for an almost two-week break without addressing how to combat Zika, even as public health officials issue dire warnings about the spread of the mosquito-driven virus with summer approaching.

Republican leaders insist a deal can be struck soon to provide the money federal health officials say is needed to develop a vaccine. They also downplayed the risk of waiting a little longer, arguing existing money is available for the initial steps needed to help contain the virus while lawmakers resolve the larger funding fight.

“The big disagreement that we have and the difficulty we deal with is,” Sessions said, “should every time a billion-dollar or $2 billion project comes along, do we just borrow the money?”

the Ebola response “certainly a success” but said that much of the roughly $2.7 billion in those funds was not spent in the most “prudent and logical manner.”

“Not having a real plan, where that’s spent and how it’s spent, is troubling and something that has to be addressed,” ( sounds like the Repugs invasion of Iraq! )

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...ushpmg00000003

[boutons_deux]

Short Answers to Hard Questions About Zika Virus

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...irus.html?_r=0

Repug still blocking funds for Zika research.

This is just like the St Ronnie Repugs ignoring the AIDS crisis in the 1980s.

"We hate s, they caused their own disease, so let them die. Better for the rest of us"

[CosmicCowboy]

"We didn't just choose $1.9 billion from the top of our heads," Obama said. "This was based on public health assessments of all the work that needs to be done and to the extent that we want to be able to feel safe and secure."
"This is a pretty modest investment for us to get those assurances," he added.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/zika-virus-cdc-dramatically-ups-number-infected-pregnant/story?id=39253562

Can't any specific budget items, but my guess is big part of the money would go to development a virus vaccine, which would include human trials, which are famously long and very expensive.

Another "You have to pass it to read it".

[boutons_deux]

Another "You have to pass it to read it".

nope, it's another "Strictly Obstruct The KNITTER and everthing DEM every ing time (and we don't give a who or what gets hurt, killed, or dies"

[CosmicCowboy]

I'm not saying it's not a worthy cause, just saying if you are going to ask for a specific amount then itemize where it is going and how you arrived at that specific number.

[boutons_deux]

I'm not saying it's not a worthy cause, just saying if you are going to ask for a specific amount then itemize where it is going and how you arrived at that specific number.

but you're perfectly OK with BigCorp writing TPP/TTIP in total secrecy from Congress to enrich itself and screw the planet, and then demanding it to be passed fast track totally untouched.

Zika is a planetary crisis, with victims who survive severely damaged and incapable for decades.

Zika is a "shoot first, ask later", which is perfectly acceptable to you if it's the police shooting.

Repugs STRICTLY OBSTRUCTING Zika research funding is PURELY POLITICAL, and not "fiscal responsibility", and you ing know it.

[CosmicCowboy]

but you're perfectly OK with BigCorp writing TPP/TTIP in total secrecy from Congress to enrich itself and screw the planet, and then demanding it to be passed fast track totally untouched.

Zika is a planetary crisis, with victims who survive severely damaged and incapable for decades.

Zika is a "shoot first, ask later", which is perfectly acceptable to you if it's the police shooting.

Repugs STRICTLY OBSTRUCTING Zika research funding is PURELY POLITICAL, and not "fiscal responsibility", and you ing know it.

Where the did I say that? You are such a tool, Bookaki.

[boutons_deux]

Where the did I say that? You are such a tool, Bookaki.

As whiny little, self-congratulating, rich punk, you're guilty of BigCorp support until proven innocent.

[CosmicCowboy]

As whiny little, self-congratulating, rich punk, you're guilty of BigCorp support until proven innocent.

what a ing loser.

[SnakeBoy]

but you're perfectly OK with BigCorp writing TPP/TTIP in total secrecy from Congress to enrich itself and screw the planet, and then demanding it to be passed fast track totally untouched.

Zika is a planetary crisis, with victims who survive severely damaged and incapable for decades.

Zika is a "shoot first, ask later", which is perfectly acceptable to you if it's the police shooting.

Repugs STRICTLY OBSTRUCTING Zika research funding is PURELY POLITICAL, and not "fiscal responsibility", and you ing know it.

lol planetary crisis

[SnakeBoy]

"We didn't just choose $1.9 billion from the top of our heads," Obama said. "This was based on public health assessments of all the work that needs to be done and to the extent that we want to be able to feel safe and secure."
"This is a pretty modest investment for us to get those assurances," he added.

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/zika-virus-cdc-dramatically-ups-number-infected-pregnant/story?id=39253562

Can't any specific budget items, but my guess is big part of the money would go to development a virus vaccine, which would include human trials, which are famously long and very expensive.

If a vaccine is developed nutters like you will oppose it as just another ploy by for profit big pharma to steal the money of human americans.

[SpursforSix]

If a vaccine is developed nutters like you will oppose it as just another ploy by for profit big pharma to steal the money of human americans.

It won't be a ploy for profit so much as a plan to get chemicals put into human Americans with the end result of making them docile.

[boutons_deux]

lol planetary crisis

Snakeboy

[boutons_deux]

Republicans Use Zika To Fight For Pesticide Deregulation

Efforts to fight the Zika virus are the latest expression of American partisanship and Congress’ inability to act in times of crisis. Congress always seems to find a way to politicize any issue that requires the immediate passage of legislation, and the dangerous viral outbreak is no exception.

Efforts to fight the Zika virus are the latest expression of American partisanship and Congress’ inability to act in times of crisis. Congress always seems to find a way to politicize any issue that requires the immediate passage of legislation, and the dangerous viral outbreak is no exception.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — and congressional Democrats, and President Obama — has requested funds to study and fight the virus, but Republicans want to combat it by stripping away environmental regulations on an array of pesticides.

The White House asked Congress back in February for $1.9 billion to protect the country from Zika, but Republicans aren’t having it.
Instead, last week the House approved legislation to reallocate $622 million from other federal health programs, including money being used to combat Ebola, and put it towards the fight against Zika. The Senate, for its part, passed a measure that would provide $1.1 billion in emergency funds.

Rather than committing to funding the full amount necessary to combat a serious outbreak, House Republicans passed a bill easing restictions on pesticides — it’s a playbook move, to use a public health emergency to try to weaken unrelated environmental restrictions.

“other than the le and a new expiration date, the bill has not changed since it was known as the Reducing Regulatory Burdens Act.”

http://www.nationalmemo.com/republic...-deregulation/

Why would Repugs want more poisons in the environment? Because BigChem, BigAg pays the s to increase markets and profits.

[boutons_deux]

Banned in Europe for years, but BigChem, BigAg have enough s in Congress (to keep US$ flowing to China), have captured FDA, EPA, etc, so ..

Widely used U.S. farm chemical atrazine may threaten animals: EPA

Atrazine is primarily used on corn, sorghum and sugarcane to fight weeds and increase yields in the Midwest.

The EPA's review adds to a debate about the safety of leading crop chemicals after a branch of the World Health Organization said last year that the herbicide glyphosate was "probably" able to cause cancer in humans.

The EPA said atrazine's effects exceeded its "levels of concern" for chronic risk by 198 times for mammals and 62 times for fish. The agency will accept comments on the preliminary findings and consider whether to require label changes after it publishes a final risk assessment.

The EPA republished the findings after it said it inadvertently posted the same report, along with other related do ents, online this spring in an error that has sparked criticism from U.S. lawmakers.

Syngenta, which is set to be acquired by Chinese state-owned ChemChina, said atrazine is safe and that the EPA report "contains
numerous data and methodological errors and needs to be corrected."

If the EPA's report is finalized as written, it could cause label restrictions so severe that they would "effectively ban the product from most uses," the Iowa Corn Growers Association said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-us...-idUSKCN0YO2X9

[boutons_deux]

Repugs don't GAF who or what they over, as long as it's not themselves nor their big donors.

Even Rick Scott thinks the GOP Congress is negligent on Zika

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-s...d=sm_fb_maddow

... but when Repugs themselves are at risk, the demand that "we need to see exactly what the money will be used for" isn't insisted upon.

[angrydude]

That last budget Congress passed sure was full of Austerity........

Remember when Obama raised taxes on the poor? Lol

What politicians say and what they do are not the same things.

[russellgoat]

White House: Congress is ‘passing out umbrellas in a hurricane’

the dispute over the federal response to the Zika virus is a little different than most.

When the process began two months ago, it didn’t seem especially contentious.

The Obama administration requested $1.9 billion in emergency funding to respond to the looming public-health threat.

The White House noted at the time, “This sort of falls in the category of things that shouldn’t break down along party lines.”

But that’s exactly what happened anyway. Congressional Republicans responded to the request by telling the administration to use $600 million that had been allocated to combat Ebola. The trouble, of course, is that this money (a) is far short of the $1.9 billion needed, and (b) still being used to address Ebola in West Africa.

And so, the White House kept pushing, saying Congress needs to step up to help address the Zika threat.

Then the Office of Management and Budget soon after said in effect, “No, really, Congress needs to step up to help address the Zika threat.”

Then the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention effectively said, “No, really, Congress needs to step up to help address the Zika threat.”

Then the National Ins ute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases effectively said, “No, really, Congress needs to step up to help address the Zika threat.”

Roll Call reported that Congress did pass a bill, intended to create incentives for drug makers to speed work on Zika treatments, but it allocates none of $1.9 billion the administration says is necessary. It’s reached the point at which the White House has stopped being polite and started getting real.

Press Secretary Josh Earnest compared a Zika bill the House sent to President Barack Obama’s desk on Tuesday to “passing out umbrellas in the event of a hurricane.” […]

Earnest called the bill (S 2512) “insufficient” because it would not allocate a single dollar for things the Obama administration says are needed to combat the virus before mosquitoes are out in force across the U.S. That list includes targeting specific Zika-carrying mosquito populations, diagnostic testing and other efforts, according to the White House.

Earnest told reporters, “In this case, Congress is two months late and $1.9 billion short in providing the assistance that our public health professionals say that they need to make sure that they respond appropriately to this situation.”

In response, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) complained that the White House hasn’t given Congress enough information on what, specifically, the $1.9 billion would be used for, fearing that the administration’s plan amounted to the creation of a “slush fund” with money that “could be used for any purpose.”

Appropriations Committee Democrats said they have no idea what Rogers is talking about.

“I quite frankly don’t know what information you all are looking for from the administration,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) told the Kentucky Republican. “It is pretty detailed as to what this would encompass.”

And so, very little is happening, even as Dr. Anne Schuchat, Principal Deputy Director of the CDC, explains,

“Everything we look at with this virus seems to be a bit scarier than we initially thought.”

The response from public-health officials has been one of concern and alarm. Much of Capitol Hill, meanwhile, prefers to remain passive.

Ironically, in February, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) declared, “We need to get out in front of the Zika virus.”

In hindsight, “we” apparently did not refer to Republicans in Congress.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-s...d=sm_fb_maddow

file under: "All Knitter-hatin Politics All The Time" and "Repugs Up Everything (for the 99%) That They Touch"

how many 100s or 1000s of American babies (at least 1%'s babies) get screwed up by ZIKA before the Repugs do anything?

Just abort the fetuses. What's the big deal?

[boutons_deux]

Zika: The Epidemic at America's Door

Zika may have already infected 80,000 Americans, just in Puerto Rico, and Congress has refused to act — what if Miami or New York is next?

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/...-door-20160615

Repug Zika Nazis: "No Moonshot for you PRs"

[Winehole23]

Not so strict. Gov. Abbott has asked for federal assistance:

As Texas braces for a possible Zika virus outbreak via local mosquito populations, Gov. Greg Abbott asked federal health officials Wednesday to review the state’s plan to combat the disease, which has been linked to serious birth defects.


In a letter sent to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Tom Frieden on Wednesday, Abbott, an outspoken critic and litigator of the Obama administration, touted Texas’ cooperation with the federal government in the face of a potential public health crisis.


"Having the CDC’s input on that plan before it is finalized — and before Zika takes a foothold in Texas — is critical," Abbott wrote. "Like the CDC, the State of Texas, along with our local partners, is taking steps to prevent and prepare for local transmission of the Zika virus."


Abbott also called on the CDC to help pay for public health preparedness measures in Texas. State leaders have asked for about $11 million for Zika surveillance and laboratory infrastructure.


Additional federal funding would “ensure that we are developing and implementing the strongest possible Zika virus response,” Abbott wrote.

https://www.texastribune.org/2016/06...-zika-funding/