On the recordApril 28, 2016
We have a situation that is getting very serious in this Nation, and it is the issue of drinking water in schools. I hail from the 10th Congressional District of the State of New Jersey, and after traveling to Flint, Michigan, on March 4 to listen to the people of that community talk about what had happened in their community around their drinking water and how their children have been poisoned--a potential of 9,000 children having issues with lead--I came back to Newark, New Jersey, my home, knowing that Newark is the third oldest city in the Nation. I took action. I spoke to several mayors in my community, and I said: ``You need to pay attention to what is going on with drinking water. There is a problem.'' Lo and behold, 3 days later, in 30 schools in Newark, New Jersey, elevated levels of lead were found. So I took action, and I have introduced the TEST for Lead Act in schools. This will help States that get Federal dollars from the Federal Government test the water in schools for lead. This is not only a cities issue. In several communities around Newark, this issue has also been found in the suburbs. It is coming to a community near you. So I ask my colleagues to support the TEST for Lead Act. ____________________
