Political Quotes

“our Nation is facing a serious threat to public health. The Zika virus has the potential to be a major public health crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control, there are over 500 cases in the United States, including 9 in Hawaii. Currently, all of these cases are travel-related. There are 700 cases in U.S. territories, almost all of which were locally acquired. Summer, which is the peak travel season and peak mosquito season, is almost upon us. Every year, 40 million Americans travel to Zika-affected countries. It is just a matter of time before the threat of locally transmitted Zika becomes a reality in the United States. Although the President sent his emergency funding request to fight Zika to Congress more than 3 months ago, I am glad to see Democrats and Republicans coming together now to prevent a major U.S. Zika outbreak. Public health experts at the Centers for Disease Control, Department of Health and Human Services, and elsewhere in the administration have said that $1.9 billion is needed to fight the Zika virus. During the Senate's last State work period, I met with Hawaii researchers and health care providers, who agreed that we need this Federal funding to get ahead of Zika. This funding would go toward our vector-control programs, education, and vaccine development. I visited a Hawaii company--Hawaii Biotech--that is working on a Zika vaccine. This company has a proven track record in developing vaccines.…”