[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 114 (Thursday, July 14, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H4981]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1500
                    ZIKA REPRESENTS A SERIOUS THREAT

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, there is no disputing it, Zika represents a 
serious threat to global health and security. It is irresponsible and 
dangerous that Republicans plan to leave Washington for a 7-week recess 
without providing the resources to combat this threat.
  The Zika virus is spreading explosively throughout the Americas, with 
active local transmission in 31 countries and territories. More than 
3,600 Americans, including more than 600 pregnant women in 45 States, 
D.C., and three U.S. territories, have already been diagnosed with the 
Zika virus, and more transmission is expected.
  Mr. Speaker, it is not a matter of if we will have local transmission 
of the Zika virus in the Continental United States, it is a question of 
when.
  Despite that risk, Republicans refuse to provide the resources to 
address this public health crisis. Instead, they have insisted on 
saddling potential funding with irrelevant and damaging partisan 
riders.
  Make no mistake about it, without swift action, we are gambling with 
the health of our Nation. The time is now for Congress to work in a 
bipartisan fashion and provide the necessary funds to protect 
individuals across this Nation.

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