Political Quotes

“I have two topics I want to talk about today--actually, three--but I want to begin with the Zika virus. A few weeks ago I went back to Florida on a Friday and I sat down and met with officials from the Department of Health from Florida. I met with leaders from Puerto Rico in the health sector. I met with doctors who live in Miami-Dade County and also officials in Miami-Dade County. They are freaked out about the Zika thing. I don't know any other term to use. If they are freaked out, then I am very concerned about it as well. That is why I do support fully and immediately funding this situation, and I have asked our colleagues to do so as quickly as possible. I want to speak briefly about the Florida experience with this. There are two things that are deeply concerning, and then I will speak to some of the things we should be doing. First, the summer months are upon us. Anyone who has been in Florida, in the summer particularly, knows summer has basically already started in Florida if you go outside. The spread of mosquitoes as a threat virtually everywhere in the State is just massive. It is just a way of life. This very deadly disease is something we are still learning about, by the way. A few weeks ago, they said: Well, Zika impacts only a small population of people--a very significant population of people. We are learning this disease impacts whoever it touches. First of all, you don't have to be symptomatic to spread it.…”