Political Quotes

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, one century ago, our country was in the midst of the worst pandemic in history. It claimed the lives of almost 700,000 Americans and killed more than 50 million people worldwide. Mr. Speaker, we listened to testimony; we discussed aspects of this legislation before us today; and it is critical that we remember the significance of the centennial anniversary of the 1918 influenza pandemic as we consider this legislation today. The creation of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response under the original legislation of 2006 has helped us to make monumental strides in preparedness, coordination, and response. Close collaboration between the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration and our State, local, and territorial public health partners has been vital in making this progress. Much like politics, much of public health is local and executed on the ground by our hospitals, our health departments, and our emergency responders, who are our front lines in addressing infectious diseases, disasters, and threats. We must evaluate the domestic biological surveillance systems, such as BioWatch. This bill will help bring those programs up to date so they are operating with the most efficient capabilities and technologies.…”