[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 135 (Thursday, September 8, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H5176]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 ZIKA VIRUS IS PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY

  (Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to discuss 
the Zika virus, which has now become a serious public health emergency. 
Officials from the Department of Health and Human Services have spent 
August reiterating the dire need for funding to protect the American 
public from Zika and its potential harm.
  While the Centers for Disease Control worked furiously to control and 
research the mosquitoes that carry this virus, and the National 
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases labors over finding a 
vaccine for the virus, Congress has stalled over funding the package.
  You have heard the cry from Democrats and Republicans about how 
serious this is. In the United States, including territories, we 
currently have 16,832 active Zika virus cases. In south Florida, we now 
have cases of local transmission that could have been prevented with 
better vector control and preparedness.
  We must give our health professionals the tools they need to fight 
the spread of this virus. Today I ask that we in Congress do our jobs, 
please.

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