DeLauro Holds Hearing on the Zika Virus, Calls on Republicans to Act

WASHINGTON, DC (May 12, 2016) — Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Co-Chair of the Democratic Steering & Policy Committee, today joined Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats to hold a hearing on ‘The Zika Public Health Crisis: The Urgent Need for the President’s Emergency Funding Request.’ During the hearing, DeLauro called on Republicans to immediately fund the president’s request for $1.9 billion in emergency funding.

Here are the remarks, as prepared for delivery:

Thank you Leader Pelosi for organizing this critical hearing. I want to welcome our panelists—thank you for your dedication and commitment to keeping American women and families safe from the Zika virus.

As of last week, there were 1,130 confirmed cases of the Zika virus in the United States and its territories—over 100 of the cases are pregnant women, and one person has died. Temperatures in the U.S. are already reaching levels where mosquitos thrive. The Olympics in Brazil are less than 100 days away. We have already delayed for too long.

Congress should have acted weeks ago on the President’s request for $1.9 billion in emergency funding to respond to this public health emergency. The President made his request in February. Every day Congress delays, we hamstring our ability respond before peak mosquito season. The window is closing.

We need federal support for the development of a vaccine, for faster and more accurate diagnostic tests, and for vector control.

The Administration was already forced to redirect crucial resources away from state and city emergency preparedness funding. We are robbing Peter to pay Paul. Cities and states across the country are being robbed of emergency preparedness grants—$44 million in total. Texas and Florida will both lose more than 9 percent of their funding—over $3.5 million and over $2.5 million, respectively.

While the Republicans in Congress wait, babies are put at risk. Just this week, the National Governors Association released a statement urging Congress and the Administration to work together to reach an agreement on funding for the Zika virus—and to do so immediately. We should treat the Zika virus like we are at war.

We should have acted long ago. We can invest in stopping the Zika virus, or we can let more people in this country become infected and suffer. Some physicians are advising women not to get pregnant—arguing that avoiding conception is the only sure way to avoid the birth of deformed babies. Is this the message we want to send to American women? Congress needs to do its job—and fully fund the response to this health emergency. We must not put American women in the predicament of choosing whether or not they should get pregnant—or if they are already pregnant, wondering whether or not their baby is okay.

Months from now, when the results of our inaction become apparent, we will ask ourselves, “Why did we delay? Why did we wait?” We can stop this crisis before it gets worse, but we have to act now. It is the responsible and moral thing to do.

I look forward to the discussion. Thank you.

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