Hank Johnson: “Even though the Senate may take up this ill-fated measure, the President has promised to veto it. So what we are doing…”

“Even though the Senate may take up this ill-fated measure, the President has promised to veto it. So what we are doing here today is another messaging bill that distracts the American people perhaps from the more important issues of the day, such as the spreading of this public health crisis, the Zika virus, which is afflicting almost 17,000 Americans infected by mosquitos carrying the Zika virus--17,000 people--200 babies born, 1,600 infected women. This is a crisis that is going to cost the American people from a public health perspective. It is going to cost the lives of the unborn whose mothers are afflicted with this virus, giving birth to them, and they have the virus and suffer from microcephaly, a shrunken head and brain which renders them severely developmentally impacted as they make it through life and add a severe burden to the taxpayers. Instead of dealing with this issue, we took a 7-week vacation and refused to come back to work to deal with the Zika virus. At the same time as we have got the Zika virus, a public health issue afflicting the Nation, we are also seeing more and more and more people dying from opioid abuse in this country. This Congress has been insufficient in dealing with this, applying the resources to deal with that issue. We have got the issue of Flint, Michigan, where lead was found in the water.…”