Jan Schakowsky

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, the Republicans in the House are all lined up to whine about an investigation that the majority of Americans want to see happen. While the President of the United States has the gall to compare this constitutional process to the horrific history of lynching in this country, House Democrats are busy working hard to safeguard the healthcare of Americans. H.R. 3 is a transformative piece of legislation, a historic step forward to finally control the extraordinarily high prices of the pharmaceutical companies. Negotiation is the most effective way to protect consumers from Big Pharma's predatory pricing practices, and the Congressional Budget Office said that at least $345 billion will be realized in savings when we pass this bill. Madam Speaker, 90 percent of Democrats, 87 percent of independents, and 80 percent of Republicans want this legislation. Get busy and help the American people.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Chair, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay'' on rollcall No. 565.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for leading this discussion about climate. What I really love about so many of our freshman Members, like Congressman Levin, is that they say how urgent the need is right now to act, a sense of urgency. I am on the Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change, and we had a hearing yesterday. We had nice people testifying, but we still heard, particularly from our Republican colleagues, that it is a decision between jobs and a clean environment. Are you kidding me? We have known about this crisis, which it is, for decades. We knew about it even in the Johnson administration, long ago. We have had this debate about jobs and environment as if you have to pick one or the other. As Representative Levin went over and over, about how good for the economy, how good for workers, how good the jobs are, we are now wasting time in addressing this problem. It was really frustrating to me that we continue to go over this. In the meantime, the forests are burning in California. The fields are flooding in Illinois, where I am from. The hurricanes are destroying islands, Florida, and all up and down the coast--except for Alabama, not really. It is really so important that we are listening to the children. Yesterday, we had this amazing young woman, Greta Thunberg, who is from Sweden. She is 16 years old, but she is also a veteran fighting worldwide, an international figure calling for us to act. This is one of the things that she said yesterday when she was here in Washington. This is Greta, now 16 years old, who said: ``Please, save your praise. We don't want it. Don't invite us here to just tell us how inspiring we are without actually doing anything about it, because it doesn't lead to anything.'' Greta is fierce, but she is not the only one. I am hoping that I am going to be able to get home in time to my district to join my grandson outside of his school tomorrow afternoon at one of the demonstrations, the many demonstrations that are going to be taking place across the country on climate where young people are telling us: We can't wait. This is our century. This is our time. We are going to take the lead. I think it is our job now to follow them. There is a court suit right now where 21 young people have sued the Government of the United States of America for violating their constitutional rights by ignoring this issue of climate and the crisis that we are creating. Our species is in danger. Every species living on Earth today is in danger. This is truly a matter of life and death. We already are seeing climate refugees, people who can't live in places because they can't grow crops anymore. We are seeing the spreading of the Sahara desert. We are seeing the Amazon rainforest burning. Every fifth breath that every person takes on Earth is because of the oxygen that comes out of the rainforest in the Amazon. What are we doing? We are still debating this. We are still talking. We are having conversations about it and way too little action. I am really happy that, last week, we passed a bill, at least in the House, to stop offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean, in the Pacific Ocean, and in the Gulf. I am really happy that we are trying to reverse the drilling in ANWR up in Alaska. But we have to do big things. We have to take action together with countries around the world. We have to listen to the children. They are begging us. They are acting, and they are speaking out. All we really need to do is follow. Again, I thank Representative Levin and so many of the freshmen who have come here to the Congress and said: This is urgent. We can't wait anymore. We can't dawdle anymore. We must act. I really appreciate the opportunity to come down here today.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to share my deepest condolences with the family and friends of Raymond Oshana. Ray was a dear friend of mine and my district office team for over two decades, and a prominent leader in the Assyrian community. Ray unexpectedly passed away earlier this week, and my heart breaks for his wife, Nadia, and his children Pierre, Ninos, and Mary, and everyone in the community who feels the weight of his passing, including me. His exuberant personality and generosity touched everyone he met, and anyone who knew Ray was better for it. He will be missed deeply. Born in Baghdad in 1951, Ray came to the United States as a young man in 1970. Ray's story and contributions exemplify the fact that immigration makes our nation and our communities stronger and better. Shortly after arriving in the United States, Ray started the Assyrian Athletic Club. This club has supported thousands of Assyrian youth since its inception and next year, the organization will celebrate its 50th anniversary. During this same period, Ray helped found a group called the East Bird Band, helping create an iconic Assyrian Nationalist song, despite the fact that the band members didn't know how to play musical instruments in the beginning. Ray was an active member of dozens of civic organizations including the Assyrian American Association of Chicago, and he was the Midwest Regional Director for the Assyrian American National Federation at the time of his passing. His name and contributions were known by everyone in the Assyrian community, and my office and I worked closely with him and the community in the 9th Congressional District on many issues and projects. Ray Oshana had a smile and personality that brightened every room he entered. He was one of the kindest people I have ever met, and I looked forward to each opportunity that he and I had to sit down and talk about our families and what we could do to help Assyrians here in Illinois and back in the Middle East, where they face many deadly challenges. Ray was a lifelong fighter for and an effective advocate on behalf of his community. On behalf of a grateful nation, I thank Raymond Oshana for his tireless work. We will miss him.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Michael Bauer, a larger than life, beloved Chicagoan who made an impact on the most powerful American leaders as well as the most humble and vulnerable people. Michael Bauer was only 66 years old when he passed away after a battle with cancer on August 29th. On September 3rd, hundreds gathered at Anshe Emet Synagogue on Chicago's north side to pay tribute to Michael and hear from some of the people whose lives were deeply affected by this passionate and exuberant activist. Speakers included Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, a long-time and very close friend, who Michael worked day and night to help elect, as well as Senator Dick Durbin, a friend and political ally. Governor JB Pritzker was in attendance along with several Members of Congress, including me, and many members of the State Legislature as well as officials at the County and local level. Michael had a law degree and an MBA, but his real passions were fighting for the rights of the LGBTQ community, Holocaust Remembrance and progressive politics. As a gay man, he began his activism during the ravaging days of the AIDS epidemic, but he never stopped fighting to end all forms of discrimination. He worked to change laws at every level of government to assure the right of gay couples to marry and the rights of transgender people, among other issues. Both of Michael's parents were Holocaust survivors, and he and his brother Jerry grew up without grandparents, aunts and uncles or cousins. Poignantly, Michael's beloved mother Tema Bauer, 103 years old, was at the funeral of her younger son. Not surprisingly, Michael played an important role in the establishment of the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in Skokie, Illinois, a city that is home to many survivors. And Michael was deeply involved in politics, raising money and campaigning for his chosen candidates. His endorsement was heavily sought by Democratic candidates, but each had to pledge support for Michael's priorities, including protecting women's reproductive rights. For nearly four decades, Michael shared his life with his partner and husband Roger Simon. They were inseparable, particularly going through the difficult phases of Michael's illness--Roger always at his side, always lovingly caring for his every need. Michael was a dear, dear friend of mine. My husband and I loved to be in the same room with Michael and Roger, often watching Michael command the space--always forcefully making a point, or making a joke and being the force of nature that he was. He will be deeply missed.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2211) to require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to promulgate a consumer product safety rule for free-standing clothing storage units to protect children from tip-over related death or injury, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous materials on H.R. 2211.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a very proud and grateful person who has been a consumer advocate all of my life. Today, Congressman Long, you and I are going to be dealing with bills that may not always get the top headlines, but they save lives. When I say grateful, I am so grateful to our ranking member, Congresswoman Rodgers, and for all the bipartisan support that we have had on these bills. It means so much to me. I rise in strong support of H.R. 2211, the Stop Tip-overs of Unstable Risky Dressers on Youth Act, which is known as the STURDY Act. I introduced this legislation with Representatives Jerry McNerney, Darren Soto, and Bobby Rush. This legislation advanced out of the Energy and Commerce Committee on July 17, 2019, by voice vote, meaning unanimously, bipartisanly. According to data collected by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, a child is injured from a tip-over every 17 minutes. Every 10 days, a child dies from one of these tip-overs. Particularly deadly are tip-overs of clothing storage units, such as dressers. Since 2000, these clothing units have killed more than 200 children in the United States. Victims tend to be under the age of 6. At this age, children are mobile and curious. They like to climb on furniture, play in the drawers, or stand in the drawers and reach for items on top of units. Tragedy can come in just minutes. Just after a child awakes from a nap or a night's sleep, they are likely to engage in this kind of activity. Tens of millions of dressers have been recalled in recent years. Unfortunately, children continue to die from furniture tip-overs. That is because the current industry furniture stability standard is simply too weak. It does not cover shorter clothing storage units that have also been known to kill children, and industry tests don't cover common hazard patterns. Moreover, the standard is only voluntary. That is why it is critical that we pass the STURDY Act, which would require the Consumer Product Safety Commission to promulgate a strong and mandatory safety standard that is effective at preventing furniture tip-overs. I especially thank the families of victims, the people who have come with pictures of their children or their loved ones to talk about how important this bill is, how hard it is for them to talk about the terrible loss of life in their families. It is those people who have really told the story of how important it is for us to act today. I appreciate the willingness, as I said before, of our ranking member and all the Republicans to work with me to bring this bill to the floor. I call on all of my colleagues to support this measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. McNerney).

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, first, let me extend my condolences to the friend of Mr. Long's family. This is really poignant, that Mr. Long is carrying this bill today on the floor of the House of Representatives. Hopefully, none of us see such an accident again. Mr. Speaker, I include three letters for the Record: a letter from 20 national organizations and more than 50 State and local organizations that represent pediatricians and consumers throughout the United States, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Reports, and Kids In Danger, among many others, urging strong support of the STURDY Act; a letter from Parents Against Tip-Overs, parents of actual children who have died, also urging strong support by Members of the STURDY Act; and a letter from Consumer Reports, also urging strong support by our colleagues for the STURDY Act. September 11, 2019. Dear Representative: As organizations dedicated to children's health and safety, we write to express our strong support for three bills as they move to the House floor. These bills would improve protections against preventable sleep-related deaths, as well as injuries and deaths from preventable furniture tip-overs. We urge you to support these bills to protect children from injuries and deaths. The Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2019 (H.R. 3172) would ban infant inclined sleep products, such as the recently recalled Fisher-Price Rock 'n Play Sleeper, which have been linked to the deaths of at least 50 infants. While there have been four recent recalls related to this product type, similar unsafe products of this type remain on the market. These products are deadly, and their design is inherently unsafe and incompatible with expert safe sleep recommendations, including from the American Academy of Pediatrics. This legislation would help prevent more families from experiencing the tragedy of losing a child by banning the products' manufacture, import, and sale. The Safe Cribs Act of 2019 (H.R. 3170) would ban crib bumper pads. Bumper pads have led to dozens of infant suffocation deaths and do not offer protection to babies. These products are also inconsistent with expert safe sleep recommendations. Maryland, Ohio, New York State, Chicago, Illinois, and Watchung, New Jersey have taken action to protect babies. If H.R. 3170 becomes law, all babies in the Unites States would be similarly protected. This legislation would help prevent more families from experiencing the tragedy of losing a child to crib bumper pads by banning their manufacture, import, and sale altogether. The STURDY Act (H.R. 2211) would direct the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to create a mandatory clothing storage unit standard to help prevent furniture tip- overs. According to the CPSC, one child dies every ten days from a tip-over. Stronger product testing and safety requirements could prevent these fatalities. This bill is critically important because it would establish a strong mandatory standard for furniture stability. The STURDY Act would require the CPSC to create a mandatory rule that would: cover all clothing storage units, including those 30 inches in height or shorter; require testing to simulate the weights of children up to 72 months old; require testing measures to account for scenarios involving carpeting, loaded drawers, multiple open drawers, and the dynamic force of a climbing child; mandate strong warning requirements; and require the CPSC to issue the mandatory standard within one year of enactment. To protect children from furniture tip-overs, we need a strong mandatory standard and the STURDY Act includes those critically needed provisions. These bills offer a vital opportunity to protect children from preventable injuries and deaths. We urge you to support these child health and safety bills, and to vote ``yes'' on them as they move to the House floor. Sincerely, National Organizations: American Academy of Pediatrics; Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs; Center for Justice & Democracy; Child Care Aware of America; Child Injury Prevention Alliance; Children's Advocacy Institute; Consumer Federation of America; Consumer Reports; Cribs for Kids, Inc.; First Focus Campaign for Children; Keeping Babies Safe; Kids In Danger; MomsRising; National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners; National Consumers League; Parents for Window Blind Safety; Public Citizen; Safe Kids Worldwide; Safe States Alliance; The Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research (SAVIR). State and Local Organizations: Alaska Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Alaska Public Interest Research Group (AkPIRG); American Academy of Pediatrics--Arizona Chapter; American Academy of Pediatrics--California Chapter 3; American Academy of Pediatrics--Hawaii Chapter; American Academy of Pediatrics-- Georgia Chapter; American Academy of Pediatrics--New York Chapter 1; American Academy of Pediatrics--New York Chapter 2; American Academy of Pediatrics--New York Chapter 3; American Academy of Pediatrics--Vermont Chapter; American Academy of Pediatrics--Colorado Chapter; American Academy of Pediatrics--Orange County Chapter; Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago; Arkansas Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics. California Chapter 1, American Academy of Pediatrics; Chicago Consumer Coalition; Children's Health Alliance of Wisconsin; Consumer Assistance Council, Inc.; Consumer Assistance Council, Inc.; DC Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Delaware Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Empire State Consumer Project; Florida Chapter-- American Academy of Pediatrics; Idaho Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Illinois Action for Children; Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Indiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Iowa Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Island Pediatrics of Honolulu. Kentucky Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Louisiana Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Maine Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics; Maryland Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics; Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Michigan Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics; Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Missouri Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Nevada Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; New Jersey Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics; New Mexico Pediatric Society; North Carolina Pediatric Society. Ohio Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics; OHSU/ Doembecher Tom Sargent Safety Center; Oklahoma Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Ounce of Prevention Fund; Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; South Dakota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Sudden Infant Death Services of Illinois, Inc.; Tennessee Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Virginia Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics; Virginia Citizens Consumer Council; Virginia Citizens Consumer Council; Wisconsin Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Wyckoff Hospital; Wyoming Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 2211. I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1618) to encourage States to require the installation of residential carbon monoxide detectors in homes, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 1618.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of H.R. 1618, the Nicholas and Zachary Burt Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2019. This important bipartisan legislation was introduced by Representatives Annie Kuster and Buddy Carter. This bill advanced out of the Energy and Commerce Committee on July 17, 2019, by voice vote, unanimous. Carbon monoxide--colorless, odorless, tasteless--is a silent killer. More than 400 people die and approximately 50,000 people visit emergency rooms every year in the United States from carbon monoxide poisoning. The tragedy is that these deaths and injuries are preventable. All that is needed is the installation of carbon monoxide detectors. However, many people remain unaware of the importance of carbon monoxide detectors or don't know how to install or maintain them properly. This legislation aims to change that. It will assist States in educating the public on the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and the proper use of carbon monoxide detectors. It will also provide States with grants so States can purchase and install carbon monoxide detectors in the homes of elderly and low- income citizens, as well as in educational facilities. Mr. Speaker, I call on all my colleagues to support this commonsense measure, and I reserve the balance of my time. House of Representatives, COmmittee on House Administration, Washington, DC, September 13, 2019. Dear Chairman Pallone: I am writing to you regarding H.R. 1618, the ``Nicholas and Zachary Burt Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2019.'' This measure, introduced on March 7, 2019, was referred to your committee as well as the Committee on House Administration. The Committee on House Administration agrees to waive further consideration of H.R. 1618. The Committee does so with the understanding that by waiving further consideration of this bill it does not waive any future jurisdictional claims over similar measures. I would appreciate the inclusion of this letter and a copy of your response in the Congressional Record during consideration of H.R. 1618 on the House floor. Sincerely, Zoe Lofgren, Chairperson.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Hampshire (Ms. Kuster), the chief sponsor of this legislation.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentlewoman.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Long for his work on this legislation. It was really a pleasure to work with him on these bills. Mr. Speaker, I want to close as well, but I want to say, once in a while we will read in the paper of a family that fell victim to carbon monoxide poisoning, but mostly this is one by one by one, a couple people here, a couple people there, and it doesn't make the headlines as a problem. Yet we heard the numbers, the astonishing numbers of people who fall victim--sometimes, and many times, fatally, not always--to carbon monoxide poisoning. Again, this is something that is absolutely preventable, and so I am very grateful and hopeful that all our colleagues will support this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 806) to require compliant flame mitigation devices to be used on portable fuel containers for flammable liquid fuels, and for other purposes, as amended.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous materials on H.R. 806.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 806, the Portable Fuel Container Safety Act of 2019. This bipartisan legislation was introduced by Representative Mike Thompson and David Joyce, a bipartisan cosponsorship. It was advanced out of the Energy and Commerce Committee on July 17, 2019, by voice vote. Portable fuel containers are used for many everyday purposes by adults and kids alike. For example, we might see them used to transport or store fuel for the lawnmower or the backyard fire pit, and your son or daughter might use them in their high school chemistry class. What many users don't realize is that these containers are highly explosive. Each year, they send thousands of people to the emergency room, including with third-degree burns. The explosions that they make, known as flame jetting, occur when flammable vapors escape from the open nozzle and are ignited. These explosions, however, are preventable. A small piece of mesh, known as a flame arrester, can be added to the container's spout to eliminate the conditions that create explosions, and they cost just pennies. There is no reason they shouldn't be standard in all portable fuel containers. The Portable Fuel Container Safety Act will make sure that all portable fuel containers have flame mitigation devices, and it will save lives. Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to my colleagues who introduced this bill. I also want to thank Margrett Lewis, who has witnessed firsthand the horrors of such an explosion and who has been such a fierce advocate for many years. Mr. Speaker, I call on all my colleagues to support this bipartisan measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson), who really brought this bill to the attention of our committee and subcommittee and garnered the support that is needed to make sure that death, disfigurement, and tragedy don't occur because of these products.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank the sponsors of this bill and Congressman Long for his participation. It means so much to me. I thank him for his help and his friendship. I want to say that the story of Margrett and her daughter--her daughter has had countless surgeries as a consequence. She is one of the people who survived, but her life has been transformed forever, and we can prevent this with this legislation. I want to give a special shout-out to the committee staff and the subcommittee staff on the Democratic side, as well as on the Republican side. I want to thank sincerely my staff in my office for all of their help on this bill. This is another one of those that will definitely be improving and saving the lives of so many Americans and ridding our country of this danger. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the remarkable life of Marca Bristo. Marca was a powerful leader in the disability movement, the founder of Access Living of Metropolitan Chicago and co- founder of the National Council on Independent Living. My husband Bob Creamer and I are heartbroken to lose a precious friend of more than four decades. Our country has lost an unparalleled fighter for the rights of people with disabilities. Our love goes out to our dear friend, Marca's husband Bob Kettlewell, their children and new granddaughter. Marca will go down in history as one of the most influential leaders of the disability rights and independent living movements. Because of Marca, countless people have been freed from confining living arrangements and liberated to live independently in communities. She was the founder and long-time president of the premier advocacy organization for people with disabilities, Chicago-based Access Living. Marca played a central role in the passage of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act, and she was an important advisor to Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. She served in many major leadership positions in government and beyond, including broad coalitions of progressive organizations like Illinois Citizen Action. She relentlessly took on and often beat down obstacles that prevented people with disabilities from living full and productive lives. To her last breath, she was reaching out to elected officials and leaders, promoting a justice agenda. In fact, a week before she died, both my husband and I had serious strategic discussions with Marca where she gave us clear instructions about what needed to be done. Marca was not just a disability rights leader but a fierce fighter for civil rights across the board--a champion of tearing down barriers and winning opportunity for all. We can never thank Marca enough for opening our eyes to barriers that were, and in too many cases, still are holding back people with disabilities. We will always hear her voice in our ears, pushing us to do more, and we will always heed her call to the best of our abilities.

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I really appreciate my colleague setting up this Special Order to talk about something that is so incredibly important and often not really brought to the surface. I am here today to join my colleagues in support for the FAIR Act, because I don't believe that victims of racial discrimination should be forced into a secretive process in which they have no access to justice and accountability. This is especially important to me because of the story of two Floridians, Glenda and Peter Perez. Both worked for Cigna until forced arbitration absolutely ruined their lives. As reported by Business Insider, everything was going well and, ``They were living in a newly built home in Ruskin, Florida, happily raising their three kids.'' That is what they say about themselves. But due to forced arbitration, things turned for the worse. Two years ago, Glenda, who is Latinx, was fired after reporting racial discrimination. Unknown to her, buried in the fine print of the employment agreement she signed along with other onboarding documents when she was first hired was a forced arbitration clause, so Glenda had no choice but to go into forced arbitration proceedings. But as the article notes, ``Instead of the simple and fair process that arbitration promises to be, Perez saw her claim dismissed without so much as a hearing, only to learn later that her apparently independent arbitrator was so friendly with the attorney representing Cigna that the arbitrator invited him to his 50th birthday party.'' To no surprise, the arbitrator sided with Glenda's employer, Cigna. When her husband, Peter, complained about the unfairness of the process and how the arbitrator truly was not independent, guess what? He too was fired. Now Glenda and Peter are struggling to support themselves and their three children and trying to fight their wrongful termination in court. No worker should ever have to go through what Glenda and Peter have endured. This is why I support ending forced arbitration by voting for the FAIR Act. Madam Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues who care about justice, who care about fairness, to support the FAIR Act.