Zika Virus

Floor Speech

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Mr. HECK of Washington. Mr. Speaker, Zika virus--there is no vaccine, and there is no treatment. It kills the weak and the frail. The fancy term is it is also teratogenic. It disrupts regular embryonic development--teratogenic. It has infected 1,000 Americans--200 pregnant women. It is spread by mosquitos that are just emerging from their winter dormancy.

What are we doing about it? We are going home for 7 weeks.

As this body has descended further and further into dysfunction, I have heard a lot of rationalizations: ``Congress just waits until the last minute''; ``they have to see real consequences before they take action''; ``let the body work through regular order.''

I reject them all. For the second time in 3 years, this body has had and faced a devastating, urgent public health crisis.

What has been our response? Missing in action.

We acted too late with Ebola, and now, with Zika, we are not acting at all. Democracy can't work if we don't work.

I don't yield back, Mr. Speaker. I don't yield now. I don't yield in September. I don't yield in November, and I don't yield in December until we do our work.

Come back. Fight this disease.

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