On the recordMay 17, 2016
I rise today to speak on the importance of fighting the Zika virus and the urgency of being prepared for the full range of threats we may face, whether naturally occurring, such as Zika, or manmade. To some, this may look like a grasshopper, but that is actually a mosquito. The question is, Prepared for all hazards? We still do not have answers to all the questions surrounding Zika, but we do know this: Zika is a very serious public health threat, and we need to act. That is why I support the Blunt-Murray amendment to bolster our Nation's response to it. The CDC has indicated that the mosquitoes responsible for spreading the virus could be found in a significant portion of the United States, including my State of North Carolina. What makes this virus particularly troubling is that it has the potential to cause tragic birth defects in babies born to mothers infected with Zika. The virus has also been linked with serious neurologic conditions. The sad news of reported cases of microcephaly is an urgent call to us that this virus poses a very serious threat to pregnant women and their unborn children. We need to take action to help these women deliver healthy babies and stop the spread of the virus. It is concerning to know that we do not have drugs to prevent or treat Zika, and we will likely not have them until after the summer when mosquitos are present in many of the communities back home.…
