Senate Democrats sent a letter to GOP leaders pushing to end the Congressional recess to address Zika funding. | Getty Senate Dems make new call to cancel recess and pass Zika bill

The “Bring Congress Back” calls from Democrats are in full swing.

More than 40 Senate Democrats sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker Paul Ryan on Thursday, pushing the two top Republicans to reconvene Congress so lawmakers can pass funding to deal with the Zika virus.


Democratic senators blocked legislation that would provide $1.1 billion to deal with the virus’ rise in the United States shortly before Congress left Washington for a seven-week recess last month. They objected to provisions in the measure dealing with Planned Parenthood funding and other issues that Democrats insisted were extraneous.

“The problems the American people confront do not disappear simply because Congress does. In the case of the rapidly expanding Zika crisis, the problem has grown significantly worse since the Republican-led Congress went on recess,” the Democrats wrote to the GOP leaders. “We urge you to immediately cancel the remainder of the congressional recess and get back to work to help the American public, especially women and families, amidst this crisis.”

The Zika crisis grew more urgent last week, when the government confirmed in Florida the first case of the virus that was transmitted locally. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a warning for pregnant women and their partners to avoid traveling to a neighborhood in Miami.

Don Stewart, a spokesman for McConnell, dismissed the Democrats’ complaints about the Zika measure they filibustered in July, which was negotiated by Republicans without signoff from Democrats. For instance, that Zika measure included more fine print on how the Zika funds would be distributed, and Democrats chose instead to try and strip out the money altogether, Stewart said.

“While the House passed the funding bill already, it continues to be blocked by the signatories of the Senate Democrats’ letter through the use of a filibuster,” Stewart said. “We would love for the people who wrote the letter to end that filibuster and pass the bill, but it doesn’t sound like they’re prepared to do that. Apparently, Senate Democrats thought an earmark for Planned Parenthood in the future was more important than preventing the threat of Zika now.”

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who is running for reelection, has also urged Congress to reconvene to deal with the Zika crisis in his home state.

Senate Democrats urged McConnell and Ryan to pass by unanimous consent a different Zika funding measure that passed the Senate earlier this year. Stewart responded that Democrats could choose instead to allow the initially filibustered Zika measure to pass unanimously at a pro forma session on Friday or any other sessions during the rest of the summer, adding: “We’ll be here waiting.”

“It is simply unacceptable that efforts to counter the spread of Zika and develop a vaccine are being held hostage by Republican partisanship,” the Democrats wrote. “Americans expect Congress to do its job.”