Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding me the customary 30 minutes. Mr. Speaker, over 6 months ago, the Obama administration actually identified the Zika virus as a public health crisis. It is well reported on. My constituents are aware of it. It has already affected many Americans in States like Florida, Texas, and Louisiana. The Obama administration requested additional resources to combat the virus. The White House and the CDC correctly predicted that the virus would soon spread to the Southern United States. In fact, just as Congress left for its 7-week break, there were several reports of Zika transmission in south Florida. In fact, just last week, the Director of the CDC warned that, without congressional action, they will soon run out of money for combating Zika. Now, in a moment, I will talk about the bills we are considering, but I think the American people expect Congress to react to a public health crisis. Had we reacted 7 weeks ago, perhaps we wouldn't be where we are today. I need and call upon this body to act today so that we are in a better situation 7 weeks hence. In fact, the House is only in session for 15 more days before taking at least a 6-week break in October and November. In the handful of days we have left, it is critical to provide an emergency package to fight back against Zika. That is not currently on the calendar, Mr. Speaker. Instead, we are considering these bills.…”