Investing in A New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the en bloc amendment. I also rise to thank Chairman DeFazio for including the Hot Cars Act in the base bill.

There are far too many ways that parents can lose their children that we can't control. There are diseases that take the lives of our kids that we are just not equipped today to stop. But we have a duty to do everything that we can to ensure that parents don't lose a child when we can prevent it.

Fifty-three children died of heatstroke in cars last year. In most cases, parents--good parents--accidentally leave their children in cars. In other cases, kids crawl into an empty car and then somehow can't get out again.

Education alone cannot solve the problem. Even the most attentive parents can become distracted and inadvertently leave a child in the car.

I have talked to those parents. It is a crushing experience, as you can imagine, one you never get over.

A simple sensor, an alert system, that would notify parents that they have left a child in their car can save lives.

It is really past time for us to enact this crucial legislation. The heat of the summer is really just beginning. Let's get to it.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. DeFazio again for including this bill.

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