[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]




                CONGRESS HAS MORAL RESPONSIBILITY TO ACT

  (Ms. DeLAURO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DeLAURO. Mr. Speaker, when we were elected to serve, we were 
charged with a responsibility, the responsibility to give our 
constituents a voice in Washington. They are crying out for action on 
the public health emergencies that are plaguing our country.
  And if we do not act, why are we here?
  We need to vote on legislation that makes an impact on the epidemic 
of gun violence in our country. The American people are demanding a 
vote, and we have a moral obligation to take action. For each of us, it 
is personal. In every community in this country, the effects of gun 
violence have left scars that will never heal.
  Congress also needs to act immediately on Zika. We must fund the 
President's request that was made 5 months ago. We must not put 
American women in the predicament of choosing whether or not they 
should get pregnant or, if they are already pregnant, wondering whether 
or not their baby is okay.
  We are also facing a nationwide opioid epidemic that is sounding 
alarms that we must heed. We are all seeing this in our districts.
  And the lead poisoning of thousands of children in Flint, Michigan, 
and across our country has not disappeared. Over 500,000 children every 
day are affected by lead poisoning.
  We were elected to vote on issues working families care about. The 
Republican majority left town, abdicating its responsibility and 
leaving the American people at risk.

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