Political Quotes

“I like Mr. Diaz-Balart. But if I get sick, I hope it doesn't take 90 days for the emergency responders to come to my aid. February 22 is when the administration said we needed this money. Almost 90 days later, we are talking about one-third of what they said was necessary. Mr. Speaker, our Nation faces a very real and present danger from Zika. Our people face that crisis. Already, more than 1,200 Americans, including more than 110 pregnant women, have confirmed cases of Zika virus. Would that have been the case if we had acted on February 22? I do not know. But I certainly wouldn't want to rely on this Congress to enact anything in a timely fashion. We know that there is a link between Zika virus and severe birth defects, including microcephaly, which can be life-threatening and for which there is no cure. We saw a tragic picture of a child. Puerto Rico, with its 3.5 million American citizens, has been especially hard-hit and needs help from the Federal Government to prevent and contain the spread of the virus and ensure access to health services for those affected, particularly pregnant women and children. Last week, Puerto Rico health officials reported the island's first confirmed case of Zika-related microcephaly. This is a public health crisis. And I guarantee you, if it had been a terrorist who had attacked, we would have responded on February 23.…”