U.S. TROOP READINESS, VETERANS' CARE, KATRINA RECOVERY, AND IRAQ ACCOUNTABILITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2007

Mr. McCaul of Texas- Mr. Speaker, first I rise in support of this bill, and I am pleased that our troops are being supported with the funding necessary.

But I also rise in my capacity as ranking member of the Emerging Threats Subcommittee of the Homeland Security Committee to make an important observation about this supplemental appropriations bill.

The funding included in the prior supplemental that would have provided $800 million for advancing the national strategy for pandemic influenza are not in this supplemental. I'm perplexed as to how the strategic threat to this Nation of a pandemic influenza outbreak declined in the past 2 weeks. We all voted to include it then, and now it is gone.

I bring this up to remind all of us that emerging threats are best addressed with preparation before the outbreak. Once an outbreak occurs, it is too late. I cannot tell you the day or week when the pandemic influenza will occur, but all the experts agree that it will. Our only strategy, therefore, is to prepare now so we will be ready when it does happen.

We run catastrophic risks in delaying this pandemic influenza preparation, and I strongly encourage the House to include this funding in the next appropriations vehicle. The risks here are simply too great to postpone our preparations.