[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 10 (Wednesday, February 1, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E67]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     HONORING A NATIONAL LEADER IN CHILD SAFETY: DR. ROBERT SANDERS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JIM COOPER

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 1, 2006

  Mr. COOPER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of our nation's 
most important voices in the fight to protect our children: Dr. Robert 
Sanders.
  Today it is almost impossible to imagine but, as recently as the late 
1970s, there were no laws requiring that young children be buckled into 
safety seats while traveling in a vehicle. Dr. Sanders, a soft-spoken 
pediatrician from my home state of Tennessee, had seen what happens to 
children in an automobile accident when they are not protected. He knew 
that so many of those injuries and deaths were preventable. And Dr. 
Sanders decided then and there that someone had to speak out on behalf 
of children and their safety.
  Starting with the Tennessee General Assembly, Dr. Sanders and his 
wife Pat spent countless hours presenting medical data. Their facts and 
their passion overcame initial doubts. In 1977, thanks to the vision 
and determination shown by Dr. and Mrs. Sanders, Tennessee became the 
first state in the nation to adopt a law mandating that all children 
under the age of 4 must ride in a safety seat. State by state, the rest 
of the nation followed. Today all 50 states require this protection for 
young children.
  Dr. Sanders passed away on January 19th after a long illness. He 
leaves behind his wife, Patricia Pelot Sanders, and two children. And 
he leaves behind a legacy of fighting for the needs of others. Even 
after he had won the battle for child safety seats, he continued to 
speak out on issues such as the need for seat belt laws, health care 
reform and environmental protections. His work earned him the love and 
appreciation of his community and citizens across the state of 
Tennessee, as well as awards from groups including the Tennessee 
Medical Association, the Tennessee Public Health Association and the 
Tennessee Pediatric Society.
  Dr. Robert Sanders believed that each citizen had a responsibility to 
help others whenever possible. Dr. Sanders lived his life doing that 
every day. In addition to his public policy work, he served as chief 
physician and director of the Rutherford County Health Department from 
1969 until his retirement in 1991.
  Dr. Robert Sanders will be missed in Middle Tennessee. He will be 
missed by many who, like me, had the privilege of working alongside him 
as he fought for better health care policies. And he will be missed by 
all of us who were fortunate to know him as a neighbor, a friend and an 
inspiration.

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