Rick Allen: “With summer coming to an end and a new school year underway, the threat of Zika still lingers on, a threat we in the…”

“With summer coming to an end and a new school year underway, the threat of Zika still lingers on, a threat we in the House took up months ago. The House passed legislation back in June ensuring the administration would continue to have resources in place to protect the public from the threat of Zika. This legislation came with tight restrictions to ensure the funds are spent appropriately. Despite this and after already agreeing to the proposed funding levels, Senate Democrats have repeatedly blocked this much-needed funding. Tuesday night, Harry Reid and Senate Democrats, again, voted to block this legislation--leaving the public's health in limbo. This is unacceptable. Before the district work period, I joined my colleagues in the Georgia delegation, along with our Senators, Isakson and Perdue, in a letter to the President demanding that we put aside politics and urge immediate passage of Zika funding. With newly reported Zika cases in our country daily, we should be focusing on protecting Americans from this virus and not petty politics. I am so thankful that our 12th grandchild, Robin Hampton Wills, born Monday, January 12, did not have to face this threat. That is why I urge Senate Democrats to give up partisan politics and move this legislation forward so that families do not have to face the threat of this terrible virus. ____________________”