On the recordSeptember 7, 2016
17 babies in the United States have been born with birth defects tied to the Zika virus. Currently, over 80 pregnant women in my home State of Florida and over 1,600 women in the United States have the Zika virus. I urge the Speaker and my GOP colleagues who control the agenda here in the House to act immediately and bring an emergency Zika package to the floor of this House. They can do it quickly. They can do it today. They can do it this week. But, unfortunately, there is no plan to do so. This is unconscionable. My neighbors back home and all across the country need the tools to prevent this public health crisis from growing. The Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health need the tools to prevent this public health crisis. To do otherwise would be unconscionable. We need action now. ____________________
