Dear Editor -

Rep. McClintock posted what he called a response to a letter about funding to fight the Zika virus written by Mr. Burley.

Mr. Burley asked the House and Senate to pass a clean funding bill, not burdened by poison pills.

Rep. McClintock, in his response, defended the poison pills in the bill instead of saying why he won't pass a clean bill.

In terms of mosquito abatement - done correctly, it's a good thing. Done badly, it's deadly to bees and other beneficial insects. Recently, in South Carolina, millions of honeybees died after being sprayed with an insecticide targeted at Zika-carrying mosquitos.

At any rate, how best to do mosquito abatement can be in a different bill. Rep. McClintock, why aren't you working for a bill that is strictly about funding research into fighting the Zika virus? Why are you defending the poison pills? And you didn't mention the other things in the bill - a measure that would have allowed the flying of the Confederate flag at cemeteries run by the Dept of Veteran Affairs; loosening EPA restrictions on pesticides; taking money from the ACA to help fund the bill; etc.

I am saddened by the children who will be born with major illnesses because our representatives can't pass a clean bill.

Anne Brock
Mariposa, CA

---

Congressman Tom McClintock's recent reply letter about Zika virus.

A recent  asked McClintock about his position on Zika funding and why Congress has not acted.