Indy Star: Rep. Susan Brooks: U.S. needs incentives, leader to battle Zika, biological weapons
Rep. Susan W. Brooks (R-Ind.)

“…[T]he underlying problem isn’t this one disease [Zika virus], or the next, whose name we don’t yet know — the problem is our inability to mobilize quickly and effectively to identify, contain, treat, and eliminate any kind of biological threat to people in the United States. … I am working in Congress to lead proactive efforts to protect and defend our country and its citizens from the threat of outbreak, epidemic, or an act of biological terror in the United States. … [T]here is a need for a single leader responsible for controlling, prioritizing, coordinating, and holding federal agencies accountable for improving our national security in the face of biological threats. … The next administration must prioritize our national biodefense, and re-establish a central leadership role under the president to oversee these efforts across agency lines. … [W]ith the right incentives, programs, and leadership in place, we can be ready for what will come next, no matter what it is” (4/10).