[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 7248]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               ZIKA VIRUS

  (Mr. VARGAS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. VARGAS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my deep concerns about the 
danger the Zika virus continues to represent to expectant mothers all 
around the world.
  As a Member of Congress who represents the whole California-Mexico 
border, I strongly urge my colleagues to provide adequate resources to 
avoid potentially tragic consequences for families and communities like 
mine. More than 275 pregnant women are confirmed Zika cases in America, 
including 10 in California, and the number only continues to grow.
  I believe we have a unique opportunity to work in a bipartisan and 
bicameral manner in order to prevent, detect, and respond to the spread 
of the Zika virus. This means fully funding the President's $1.9 
billion request for emergency spending on the development of vaccines 
and diagnostic testing and on vector controls to manage the mosquito 
population.
  The American people deserve a Congress that will respond to this 
urgent crisis with smart action.

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