Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, the fourth and final consumer protection bill on the floor today is H.R. 1721, the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, introduced by Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Congressman Frank Wolf. H.R. 1721 requires pools and spa drains with specified anti-entrapment standards, establishes a CPSC-administered grant program to encourage the States to enact pool and spa safety reforms, and develops a national drowning prevention education program. Given the numerous tragic and preventable deaths of young children who have drowned in swimming pools, fountains and spas as a result of faulty drains, this bill is overdue and worthy of passage under the suspension of the rules. The bill is named after Virginia Graeme Baker, the beautiful little girl whose tragic death drove her mother, Nancy Baker, to tirelessly fight for this legislation. As amended in the subcommittee, H.R. 1721 requires a specified barrier around residential pools and imposes security and safety requirements on the home, such as self-closing, self-latching doors in order to qualify for Federal funds. Moreover, the bill authorizes an annual appropriation of $5 million over 5 years.”