Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I have a very personal interest in a vote that is coming up on Zika, and I wish to share my thoughts on that. Today we have the opportunity to provide the funding to help combat the mosquito-borne Zika virus that has hit Florida and some other southern States. As of this week, there have been 49 travel-related cases of the Zika virus in Florida and 576 travel-related cases altogether. Within those cases, 80 are pregnant women who have been infected with the virus. This is extremely concerning since the Zika virus has been linked to severe birth defects in children born from mothers who contracted the Zika virus. Zika has created a public health emergency that can't be ignored. This isn't the first time we have taken up this vote. In June, Senate Democrats blocked the passage of the conference report, claiming that funds did not need to be offset. The $1.1 billion provided in funding in the conference report will be used to fight the Zika virus and prevent it from spreading. This is the same amount as the Senate-passed bill in which every Democrat voted in favor. All the Democrats voted for it. Republicans have put together a responsible funding package that includes $750 million in offsets, with strong oversight and control to ensure that funds are being used properly. There has been a lot of discussion and a lot of things we are saying here on the floor and to the public that the public doesn't understand.…”