[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 114 (Thursday, July 14, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H4983]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1515
                               ZIKA VIRUS

  (Mr. HECK of Washington asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HECK of Washington. Mr. Speaker, Zika virus--there is no vaccine, 
and there is no treatment. It kills the weak and the frail. The fancy 
term is it is also teratogenic. It disrupts regular embryonic 
development--teratogenic. It has infected 1,000 Americans--200 pregnant 
women. It is spread by mosquitos that are just emerging from their 
winter dormancy.
  What are we doing about it? We are going home for 7 weeks.
  As this body has descended further and further into dysfunction, I 
have heard a lot of rationalizations: ``Congress just waits until the 
last minute''; ``they have to see real consequences before they take 
action''; ``let the body work through regular order.''
  I reject them all. For the second time in 3 years, this body has had 
and faced a devastating, urgent public health crisis.
  What has been our response? Missing in action.
  We acted too late with Ebola, and now, with Zika, we are not acting 
at all. Democracy can't work if we don't work.
  I don't yield back, Mr. Speaker. I don't yield now. I don't yield in 
September. I don't yield in November, and I don't yield in December 
until we do our work.
  Come back. Fight this disease.

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