Calling for Action on Public Health Crises Facing Our Country

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, on July 14, House Republicans streamed out of the Capitol as I stood on this floor with my Democratic colleagues calling for action on the public health crises facing our country: gun violence, Zika, and Flint, Michigan's, poisoned water.

It is now nearly 8 weeks later. Congress has returned from the longest summer recess in more than 60 years, but we still have seen no action from the Republican majority on our Nation's most urgent crises.

Meanwhile, we are in the midst of a Zika outbreak. Puerto Rico is on track to see 25 of its population infected. Florida has locally transmitted Zika cases, and it is only a matter of time until we see cases in other States. Actually, we have seen some in other States. Parents who should be looking forward to the birth of a child are terrified that the baby may be born with devastating lifelong health problems.

Yet, Republicans refuse to provide the funding we need to combat this outbreak. Instead of passing a bill with sufficient funding, Republicans insist on making sure, believe it or not, that the Confederate flag can fly at VA cemeteries and on preventing family planning clinics from helping patients with Zika.

That is right. Even though Zika has the greatest impact on women who are, or could become, pregnant, Republicans want to add a rider to stop the family planning clinics that serve women from responding to Zika.

Today, family planning clinics, like Planned Parenthood, are already on the front lines in fighting against Zika. In addition to providing family planning services, Planned Parenthood volunteers are visiting 25,000 households in Florida to find people of reproductive age, especially young women, who have likely not been reached by State or Federal Zika education efforts. They are providing Zika kits for pregnant women, containing items like insect repellent and standing water treatment.

Family planning clinics are an important part of our response to Zika. But instead of recognizing that fact, Republicans have doubled down on their extreme views on women's health.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of the Infectious Disease Institute at the National Institutes of Health, has said in no uncertain terms that if we do not pass additional Zika funding, we will have to stop our efforts to develop a vaccine. Already, Federal agencies have had to borrow money from other critical health priorities to address the Zika problem. We have allowed money to be taken--or the Republicans have-- from Ebola, cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. We can't keep fighting back by cutting back our fight against these other diseases.

Republican's refusal to pass Zika funding will have serious, deadly consequences for years to come. Americans can't wait any longer.

At the same time, the people of Flint are still waiting for congressional assistance after the tragic lead poisoning crisis in that city. I joined 25 of my Democratic colleagues in Flint earlier this year. We heard from nearly 200 community members, including parents, worried about their children's future. After that trip, we said we wouldn't forget these families, and Democrats haven't.

Again and again, I have joined with my colleagues to call on Republican leadership to bring the Families of Flint Act--that is a bill--to the floor. Flint's Congressman Kildee's bill would provide supplemental funding to repair and support this community's needs. Lead has often devastating brain development effects, but families can meet that challenge if we provide the health, education, and the wraparound services that they need.

But months later, we have come up dry. No bill to fund Flint aid. No funding for Zika. No gun safety legislation. Nothing.

What is on the floor this week?

Well, we have bills that will help Wall Street make even more money. And we have a bill to impeach the head of the IRS, mentioned by exactly no one--zero constituents in my district--over the 7-week recess. We have wasted critical weeks during the summer recess, and Republicans are now wasting our first week back in session.

We have only 15 legislative days before we are scheduled to leave town again. Let's get to work and pass the critical funding for Flint and Zika and do something about gun violence.

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