Today, Senator Richard Burr (R-NC), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement on Health and Humans Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell's declaration that the Zika outbreak in Puerto Rico is a public health emergency:
"I take seriously Secretary Burwell's declaration today that Zika represents a public health emergency in Puerto Rico. When I wrote the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, it strengthened our ability to respond to serious public health threats, like Zika, because we must be prepared to protect Americans from the full range of threats, whether naturally-occurring or the result of a bioterrorist attack. This law gives the Secretary critical tools to combat emerging public health threats, including Zika, and I hope the Administration will fully leverage the tools it has at its disposal to protect pregnant women and their babies from this serious virus."