Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak in support of legislation we considered earlier this week, the Scarlett's Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act. More importantly, today I rise in the memory of my great-niece, Lia, who died from SIDS just 2 years ago. As her mother and grandmother, my sister, said: Our family will never be the same. Lia is with me in my heart and in the work we do in Congress every day. She turned out to be a formidable advocate at just 6 months of life. Each year, roughly 3,500 infants tragically die from sudden unexpected death in the United States, impacting families across this country in unimaginable ways. While the incidence of SIDS has declined by more than 50 percent since the 1990s, we still have so much work to do to better understand the cause of sudden unexpected death syndrome and advance research that can develop prevention strategies and further reduce infant mortality in America. The bipartisan legislation that the House passed this week, the Scarlett's Sunshine on Unexpected Death Act, is a comprehensive approach to improving national guidelines and data consistency for sudden infant death and sudden unexpected death for children. It also offers support for the families grieving their loss and supports evidence-based approaches for outreach to decrease risk factors. I am a proud sponsor of this bill for my great-niece Lia, and I am pleased to see the House advance this important legislation this week.…”