[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Page 13835]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           ZIKA VIRUS FUNDING

  Mr. NELSON. Mr. President, I express my appreciation to the Senate 
that in the funding bill it includes the money for Zika, $1.1 billion 
that has been so desperately needed, not only assisting local 
governments and State governments with things such as mosquito control 
but also starting the trial on the Zika vaccine. The first trial is 
necessary. There will be a second and larger trial, and, hopefully, at 
the end of that, we will have a Zika vaccine.
  This has gotten to the level of being quite uncomfortable. Over 2,000 
pregnant women in the continental United States and our territories 
have the Zika virus. We know from the CDC that for up to 12 percent, it 
is likely there will be a birth defect.
  So I want the Senate to know how much I appreciate this. In my own 
State of Florida, we have been so severely hit now, with 91 of our 
fellow citizens who are pregnant and have the virus. We say Godspeed to 
them and hope they will not have babies with birth defects. But now at 
least the cavalry has arrived and we have the money to proceed with 
trying to stamp out this Zika virus.
  I thank the Chair.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.

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