Introduction of the Lead Abatement for Families Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. GARCIA of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Lead Abatement for Families Act along with my colleague, Ayanna Pressley.

It is a national scandal that more than ten million homes in the United States still get their water from lead pipes. I am introducing this bill to direct the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development to identify lead pipes in our country's public and federally subsidized housing and provide grants to replace them.

A 2015 study determined that by the third grade, children in Chicago with even small amounts of lead in their blood were more than 32% more likely to fail standardized tests. One fifth of U.S. children with lead poisoning are participants in the Housing Choice Voucher Program, so HUD's role in removing lead pipes are crucially important. It is vitally important that Congress address this injustice by giving HUD the mandate and the funds to quickly eliminate this public health hazard.

Let us be clear--this is a racial justice issue. Black and brown communities like mine are disproportionately affected by lead pipes, and our neighborhoods suffer the consequences.

I urge this body to advance this legislation that helps ensure safe drinking water for all by getting lead pipes out of public and federally assisted housing.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source