Earlier this year, I got a letter from a South Carolina woman named Ashley, who was expecting her third child.
今年早些时候，我收到一封来自南卡罗来纳州阿什利女士的来信，她正期盼第三个孩子降临。
She was, in her words, "extremely concerned" about the Zika virus,
她说她"非常担心"寨卡病毒，
and what it might mean for other pregnant women like her.
可能像她那样的孕妇都忧虑这事儿。
I understand that concern. As a father, Ashley's letter has stuck with me, and it's why we've been so focused on the threat of the Zika virus.
我理解这种担心。作为父亲,阿什利的信刺痛了我，为此我们一直都很关注寨卡病毒的威胁。
So today, I just want to take a few minutes to let you know what we've been doing in response, and to talk about what more we can all do.
今天我想花几分钟让你们知道我们所做的应对预案,并谈谈我们都能做的更多的事情。
Since late last year, when the most recent outbreak of Zika started popping up in other countries,
自去年年底寨卡病毒最近一次在其他国家开始爆发流行，
federal agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have been preparing for it to arrive in the U.S.
联邦政府的疾病预防和控制中心一直在准备它进入美国后的应对措施。
In February - more than six months ago - I asked Congress for the emergency resources that public health experts say we need to combat Zika.
二月，即六个月前，我向国会申请应急资源，都是公共健康专家列出的防控寨卡病毒的必需品。
That includes things like mosquito control, tracking the spread of the virus, accelerating new diagnostic tests and vaccines,
包括蚊虫控制、追踪病毒的传播、加快新的诊断测试和疫苗研发
and monitoring women and babies with the virus.
以及监控携带病毒的妇女和婴儿等。
Republicans in Congress did not share Ashley's "extreme concern," nor that of other Americans expecting children.
国会中的共和党议员并不认同阿什利的"非常担心"，也不认同其他想要孩子的美国人的担忧。
They said no. Instead, we were forced to use resources we need to keep fighting Ebola, cancer, and other diseases.
他们否决了我的申请。无奈，我们被迫挪用防治埃博拉、癌症和其他疾病所必需的资源。 |