Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 475, a bill to update the excise tax on vaccines against seasonal influenza. Year after year, the flu poses a threat to millions of Americans, causing between 24,000 and 49,000 deaths and 226,000 hospitalizations each year. In fact, my home State of Massachusetts had over 28,000 confirmed cases of flu this past season. The flu is particularly life- threatening for our Nation's most vulnerable, the elderly and children. During the most recent flu season, there were 150 pediatric deaths across the Nation, and it is estimated that 90 percent of those children were not vaccinated. America must prepare for the next flu season. Public health and medical professionals, hospitals and vaccine manufacturers are moving quickly to prepare for the upcoming season by manufacturing new vaccines and educating the public about the importance of preventing the flu. One critical step in this preparation is to make certain that the newest and most effective flu vaccine will be available to the public. To do that, I introduced this legislation that we're acting upon today with my friend, Congressman Gerlach, to update our law to ensure access to new flu vaccines.…”