Political Quotes

“I am pleased to report that we had some encouraging news yesterday with the announcement of the Senate majority leader that additional money to fight the Zika virus would be included in the continuing resolution, which is the budget document that will help to move us forward at least through December and that hopefully will be moving through the Senate very soon. Throughout my time in the Senate, I have regularly opposed these short-term spending bills because I don't think funding government on a month-to-month basis is the smart way to run the government of the most powerful and important Nation on Earth. But with Zika becoming a public health emergency the way it has, this is a necessary exception for me to make. All of us, obviously, will reserve to see all the other details of this budget document, but assuming it is as reported--as I am aware in the conversations that are ongoing--I will be supporting this continuing resolution. It is worth making an exception for something like this when the Zika funding is in it. At this point, I just really believe we need to get Zika funding approved and moving. We need to make sure that the fight for Zika doesn't run out of money by the end of this month. For me, that is the most urgent priority. We can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. The perfect, I believe, is still the full funding that was originally requested--the $1.9 billion, which I supported.…”