Lucille Roybal-Allard: “the STOP Act is a result of an enormous commitment to the future well-being of our children by a bipartisan coalition of…”

“the STOP Act is a result of an enormous commitment to the future well-being of our children by a bipartisan coalition of Democrats and Republicans from both Houses who have worked in partnership with our public health advocacy groups and the alcohol beverage industry. I thank my Senate colleagues, Chris Dodd and Mike DeWine, for their tireless support of this bill over the past 3 years. And I also thank my colleague from the House, Frank Wolf, for his early and steadfast support of this issue in the Appropriations Committee, as well as my colleagues Tom Osborne, Zach Wamp, and Rosa DeLauro for their unwavering perseverance in addressing the problem of underage drinking in this country. I particularly want to acknowledge Tom Osborne and thank him for his friendship and his support on this issue and for his lifetime commitment to building a better future for our youth. Tom, your legacy here in Congress will not soon be forgotten. I would also like to thank my advocacy friends, as well as those in the industry, for their efforts to help pass this bill in this 109th Congress. And finally, and but certainly not least, I would like to thank my staffer, Debbie Jessup, and especially my chief of staff, Ellen Riddleberger, who has worked with me on this issue for the past 7 years. Her many talents and knowledge of the issue are greatly responsible for this bill being before us today.”