Date: 2016-09-08
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. you have heard the cries of our colleagues. You have heard the cries of the American people. Redundancy is not a question here. It is telling the truth. In fact. our health professionals have indicated that the Zika virus presents an unprecedented threat to the people of our Nation. especially to pregnant women. We cannot hear this often enough. and although busy with the beginning of the school year and with going back to work. it is important to warn the American people of this impending and ongoing threat. While we are fiddling and doing things that have no impact on providing a portion of the $1.9 billion that is needed by the American people. we have 1.600 cases of Zika virus in the United States200 plus women who are pregnant and 35 known transmitted diseases here in the United States of the Zika virus. We also now know. through health professionals. that it is sexually transmitted. We know that the entire United States is vulnerable. but most of the vulnerable States are in the Gulf region. It is time now to address the question of funding without riders. like preventing Planned Parenthood from getting funding. and without riders for allowing the Confederate flag to be in a veterans cemetery. Where is our concern about the American peoplefor the people in Louisiana with a lot of water? for the people in Texas with a lot of water? in Florida? in Puerto Rico? It is important that this funding comes now to rapidly expand mosquito control programs and to accelerate a vaccine. That is really importantto be able to provide the American people with a vaccine. They are in the midst of the research. They need the funding. The CDC and the NIH have reprogrammed more money than they have to try to help those who are desperate. I make the argument that it is time now for us to do the job. The other body needs to engage in providing a bill. and this body. this House. needs to stop playing those kinds of politics and provide the fundingthe funding that does not take from Ebola but the funding that the American people need to be safe. Mr. Speaker. we are currently in a state of a public health crisis as a result of the growing rate of Zika infections across the country. Sadly. we are failing as our nations leaders in our ability to respond to this crisis. As days and month go by it is alarming and the level of action and inaction my colleagues are taking to hamper the ability of our federal government to respond to this rapidly growing public threat. In particular. I am concerned that weas a body of Congresshave not taken the critical steps to move forward and appropriate necessary funding that will help screen. treat. vaccinate and test deadly cases of Zika infections. According to the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards. Congress should be looking for ways to strengthen our nations regulatory system by identifying gaps and instituting new sciencebased safeguards for the public. I cannot agree moreas we are now in perilous times where the Zika virus presents unprecedented threats to the people of our nation. As cited by Tom Frieden. Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Anthony Fauci. Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health in an oped. dated August 21. 2016: There have been more than 16.800 cases of Zika infection reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. and its territories. including more than 2.700 on the mainland. Laboratory tests have confirmed that 1.595 pregnant women have been infected with the virus. and tragically. 17 babies have been born with birth defects related to Zika. As highlighted by Frieden and Fauci-"We have an obligation to meet the Zika threat and protect this country"-as "the potential cost of a funding shortfall will be measured in human misery and even death." Now is not the time to pass measures or engage in futile debates that will undermine or slow the ability of our federal and local governments to address and respond to this growing threat and active cases of Zika infections. Rather. we need to invest in stopping this deadly. but preventable virus. before it is too late. We cannot afford to stand by with our hands tied any longer. Our limited time as the days in September wain down cannot be wasted. We should be focused on the crucial mission of protecting our nations people. That is why. in these critical times of need. I am calling upon my colleagues to place the growing epidemic of the Zika virus at the top of our priorities and demand no less than fully financed measures to timely and adequately respond to this devastating and deadly public health emergency. [From Time. Sept. 7. 2016] How To FIGHT ZIKA AND CURE NATIONS AIL-