On the recordMay 17, 2016
shortly the Senate will proceed to consider three alternative proposals to provide much needed funding to combat the Zika virus. I am deeply concerned about the rapidly emerging and evolving Zika virus, which poses a particular threat to pregnant women and can cause serious birth defects. To learn more about this virus and other public health challenges, I recently toured the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA, with my friend and colleague Senator Isakson. I was deeply impressed by the team of extraordinarily dedicated public servants who work there. These scientists leverage an enormous range of knowledge to protect the American people, including through rapid response to infectious disease threats. CDC's experts told me they call the mosquito that carries the Zika virus the cockroach of the mosquito world because it is so difficult to get rid of. This mosquito can breed in water that fits within the size of a bottle cap. It is commonly found in the United States in areas like Florida and our gulf coast. There are now more than 1,000 cases of Zika virus in the United States and its three territories, including two laboratory-confirmed cases in the State of Maine.…





