Nydia M. Velazquez: “After one of the longest congressional breaks in history, House Republicans are trying to wrap things up and leave town…”

“After one of the longest congressional breaks in history, House Republicans are trying to wrap things up and leave town, leaving critical work unfinished. Meanwhile, millions of Americans in New York, Florida, and throughout the United States are justifiably concerned about the dangers of the Zika virus. Nowhere has this disease hit harder than in Puerto Rico, where Zika has become an epidemic. As of last week, more than 1,380 pregnant women in Puerto Rico have been diagnosed with Zika; and overall, there have been 16,000 laboratory cases of the virus found on the island. {time} 1015 It would be a tragic and heartbreaking mistake for this Congress to ignore the severity of this threat. Let us be clear: this is the first time we have identified a ``mosquito-borne'' form of birth defect. It is also the first new, major infectious cause of birth defects in five decades. There are some things we do not know about the Zika virus. It is not clear what proportion of infants affected by the virus will suffer birth defects, but what we have seen so far is saddening, troubling, and horrifying. To look upon their helpless faces and do nothing is unconscionable. Yet, despite what we do not know, one thing is tragically clear: this House has failed to provide adequate resources to address this danger.…”