Anna Eshoo: “Mr. Speaker, I am really proud to be the Democratic sponsor of this bill; and I want to salute my friend and my…”

“Mr. Speaker, I am really proud to be the Democratic sponsor of this bill; and I want to salute my friend and my colleague, Representative Rogers, for the work that he has done. We have really enjoyed working together, and I think that the best part of this all is that our work has really produced something that is important for the American people. So I want to thank him for everything that he has done to see that the bill is on the floor today. This legislation really addresses a very urgent issue which is critical to our Nation's security and our public health. A month after the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington, our country was attacked again. When we were attacked that second time, it was when envelopes of anthrax spores were mailed to several media outlets and congressional offices. The attacks killed five people, they crippled our mail service here on the Hill and cost hundreds of millions of dollars to clean up. We are now observing the spread of a virulent new strain of Avian influenza, the so-called Asian bird flu, in Asia and around the world, causing nearly 150 deaths and threatening to become the next deadly pandemic. Whether the threat is man-made bioterrorism or a highly infectious disease, our country is at risk, and we are losing precious time in the race to develop effective countermeasures that could save thousands or even millions of lives.”