[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 144 (Thursday, September 22, 2016)]
[House]
[Page H5817]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 NATIONAL SECURITY, HEALTH, AND SAFETY

  (Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission 
to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, the last few 
months have been a rather frustrating time for many of us in Congress 
as well as the American people.
  We first broke for some 7 weeks--the longest break from Congress in 
the modern era. We left without doing anything on Zika, without 
addressing our opioid epidemic in this country, and without doing 
anything for the families of Flint who have been suffering with their 
water for many years now.
  Probably one of the most striking moments I have had as a Member here 
for the last year and a half was when the families from Flint came in 
front of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee--the committee 
on which I serve--and talked about how they have been affected by this 
water crisis.
  What response have they gotten so far from Congress, from the 
people's House?
  Nothing. Zero. Instead, we went off for 7 weeks.
  Now here we are about to break again without addressing Flint, 
without doing anything about the Zika crisis and the other challenges 
we are facing, not to mention our gun violence problem that many of us 
gathered right here on the House floor to address. It is time that we 
act now, and we should not break until we have addressed these 
problems.

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