Senate Dems block spending bill over Iran ‘poison pill’

Senate Democrats this week blocked the first spending bill of the year as they tried to head off a thorny vote on President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran, infuriating Republicans who said they’re squandering a chance to fund a federal effort to combat the Zika virus.

Democrats began to filibuster the energy and water spending bill Wednesday and sustained the filibuster in a second vote Thursday, objecting to what they called “poison pill” add-ons.

The immediate fight was over an amendment proposed by Sen. Tom Cotton, Arkansas Republican, that would halt Mr. Obama’s attempt to buy heavy water from Tehran. Mr. Obama would veto the bill if it tries to stop any part of his controversial Iran deal, so Democrats said it made no sense to even debate or vote on the measure.

Republicans, though, said every senator has a right to offer an amendment and Mr. Cotton’s proposal is exactly the kind of issue that fits into the energy spending bill. Mr. Cotton has even agreed to subject his proposal to a 60-vote supermajority to pass — a concession he didn’t have to make.

After Democrats continued to object, GOP leaders said Democrats are using the fight as an excuse to gum up the entire spending process, then blame Republicans in a pivotal election year.

“It seems Democrats are more concerned with funding the acquisition of heavy water from Iran than funding water infrastructure here in America,” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Kentucky Republican, said.

“They could hardly wait a single week,” he said, “before throwing an obstructionist wrench into the appropriations process they claimed to want.”

Congress leaves town for a week-long break, but Mr. McConnell signaled he’ll try to overcome the filibuster when lawmakers return in May.

Democrats said their promises to cooperate on the dozen 2017 spending bills came with two conditions: First, the bills must abide by spending levels the parties agreed to last fall, and second, they the GOP can’t ask for votes on tricky partisan proposals.

“We feel we’re saving the appropriations process by, on the first bill, when the first poison pill is offered, saying ’Stop,’” said Sen. Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat.

Even as they were blocking the spending bills, though, Democrats demanded Congress pass a smaller $1.9 billion bill to fund anti-Zika efforts.

“Perhaps the most galling thing about Democrats again trying to blow up the appropriations process is this: They filibustered this appropriations bill, then walked into a press conference about Zika funding,” Mr. McConnell said. “But the appropriations process is the path for that funding.”

Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican, said Democrats want Congress to approve a “blank check” for Mr. Obama to spend on Zika. Republicans in both chambers have said the administration needs to give more specifics about how the president will spend nearly $2 billion.

Specifically, Mr. Cornyn said Senate Democrats were pushing for a contingency fund that would allow the Health and Human Services Department to shift cash around for unspecified purposes.

“What they want to do,” he said, “is play a shell game with this money.”

The senator said Mr. Obama has already shown there’s some money in the pipeline when he took $510 million from the successful Ebola fight to prepare for Zika.