WASHINGTON — The White House says President Obama would veto the $1.1 billion Zika funding package the House passed in the early morning hours Thursday, making it all but certain that the four-month odyssey to try to fund an emergency response to the virus is far from over.
The threat from deputy White House press secretary Eric Schultz came as the Senate prepared for a vote next week, likely Tuesday, even though there’s no guarantee that the Senate can round up the 60 votes necessary to break a filibuster as Democrats call the bill partisan and inadequate.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took a procedural step Thursday afternoon to set up the vote next week. But in order for the $1.1 billion funding plan, which cleared the House Thursday morning in a largely party-line vote, to pass, at least some Democrats would have to support it.
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