[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12156-12157]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  0915
                             ZIKA EMERGENCY

  (Ms. WILSON of Florida asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. WILSON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, have you ever heard of a travel 
ban on an American city? Now, we have one in the beautiful boutique 
district called Wynwood, in the heart of my district. It is time to 
lift that ban.
  District 24, Miami, Florida; and the entire State have been besieged 
by the Zika virus. We are in the epicenter of

[[Page 12157]]

this growing epidemic and living in fear of the damaging impact a 
single mosquito bite can have on an unborn fetus.
  The vibrant, bustling millennial area of Wynwood has the best 
restaurants, the best trendy art galleries, museums, antique shops, hat 
stores, and tourist attractions. Tourists flock there from all over the 
world.
  Now, with the travel ban in place because of Zika, people are being 
laid off; businesses are on the verge of closing. In comparison, it is 
a ghost town. The unborn babies are not the only ones affected by the 
virus. The economy is suffering immensely.
  We need your help, Mr. Speaker. Zika is taking a huge bite out of 
Florida's booming economy and is devastating the tourism industry.
  Mr. Speaker, please bring a clean Zika bill to the floor with no 
riders, no poison pills; just a clean bill. The unborn, families, and 
the businesses of America are depending on you. Zika is an ever-
evolving nightmare and we must do that. When this travel ban has been 
lifted, I am looking forward to saying: Business as usual in Wynwood.

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