[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12018-12019]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              CONFRONTING THE ZIKA THREAT TO SOUTH FLORIDA

  (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise for the third time this week 
since the House reconvened to demand Federal funding to stop the Zika 
epidemic

[[Page 12019]]

that is impacting families throughout our Nation, but especially in my 
area of south Florida.
  Reports have suggested that even those individuals charged with 
protecting our communities--in this case, a police officer from Miami 
Beach--are not safe from Zika as they do their jobs to patrol our 
neighborhoods.
  Local businesses in the Miami neighborhoods most impacted by Zika are 
suffering, including those at the lovely Wynwood Yard, a very popular 
outdoor food and culture scene, where small businesses are suffering 
from reduced foot traffic.
  Many public outdoor areas are being closed to visitors, including the 
beautiful Miami Beach Botanical Garden after extensive testing found 
Zika-infected mosquitos on the ground.
  The Zika virus is costing residents their peace of mind and access to 
their public spaces and outdoor recreational activities.
  Mr. Speaker, we need more Federal funding now to confront this 
threat. When will Congress act? Every day that we delay is a threat to 
our families in south Florida.

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