Mike Thompson: “I thank the gentlewoman for yielding the time, and for all of her effort and help in making sure this bill passes. Mr.…”

“I thank the gentlewoman for yielding the time, and for all of her effort and help in making sure this bill passes. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of my legislation that addresses a dangerous and deadly public safety issue by directing the Consumer Product Safety Commission to establish a standard for requiring flame mitigation devices to be used in portable fuel containers and to help educate our communities about the dangers of flame jetting. This issue is very personal to me. I met with local fire officials and Margrett Priest Lewis, a mother and constituent. Margrett's daughter, along with her twin sister and a few friends, were roasting marshmallows. Their portable fireplace used a common biofuel that, unfortunately, did not have a flame mitigation device. As Margrett's daughter went to refuel the outdoor fireplace, the fuel exploded from the bottle in a process called flame jetting, which you heard about earlier. Portable fuel containers are found in households across America and, yet, even when used correctly, like in the case of Margrett's family, present a risk for severe injury and, in some cases, death. This story of survival and Margrett's advocacy on behalf of burn survivors has inspired my legislation, and she has been the driving force behind this bill. Flammable or combustible liquids cause over 160,000 fires per year, $1.5 billion in property damage, and some 4,000 injuries and over 450 deaths every year.…”