[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 94 (Monday, June 9, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H5067-H5069]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         NATIONAL SAFETY MONTH

  Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1225) expressing support for designation of 
June 2008 as ``National Safety Month''.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1225

       Whereas, after years of decline, the rate of unintentional 
     injuries and deaths in the United States has risen to new and 
     unacceptable levels;
       Whereas deaths from motor vehicle collisions, poisonings 
     from unintentional overdoses, and falls remain as the three 
     leading causes of preventable death in the United States;
       Whereas the cost of unintentional injuries to Americans 
     exceeds $650,000,000,000 each year and causes great suffering 
     among individuals and their families;
       Whereas the cost of unintentional injuries to workers and 
     their employers is $164,700,000,000 each year, including the 
     value of 120,000,000 days of lost productivity;
       Whereas preventing unintentional injury and death requires 
     the cooperation of all levels of government, the Nation's 
     employers, and the general public;
       Whereas the National Safety Council, founded in 1913, was 
     congressionally chartered in 1953 to lead this Nation in 
     injury prevention through safety and health education, 
     training, and advocacy in the United States;
       Whereas the National Safety Council educates the workforce 
     about policies, practices, and procedures leading to 
     increased safety, protection, and health in business and 
     industry, as well as in schools and colleges, on roads and 
     highways, and in homes and communities;
       Whereas since the summer season is a time of increased 
     rates of preventable injuries and death, it is an appropriate 
     time to focus the attention of our workforce and community 
     leaders on injury risks and preventions by celebrating June 
     2008 as ``National Safety Month''; and
       Whereas the National Safety Council in 2008 as part of its 
     public education about safety and health will provide this 
     Nation a monthlong campaign in June with the theme ``Make a 
     Difference'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the United States House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the designation of ``National Safety Month'';
       (2) recognizes the contributions of the National Safety 
     Council and its ongoing commitment to raising awareness about 
     the need for the implementation of safe practices in our 
     schools and jobs; and
       (3) encourages citizens to observe the ``National Safety 
     Month'' with appropriate ceremonies and educate themselves 
     about the importance of implementing safe practices in our 
     schools and on our jobs to prevent unintentional injury and 
     death.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, gentleman from 
Kentucky (Mr. Yarmuth) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Kuhl) each 
will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kentucky.


                             General Leave

  Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which 
Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 
1225 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Kentucky?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1225, which 
recognizes the month of June as National Safety Month and commends the 
National Safety Council for their ongoing mission to educate and 
influence the public on the prevention of accidental injury and death.
  In 1912 the National Safety Council was established by a small group 
of midwestern industrial leaders concerned about safety in the 
workplace. Since then, the council has broadened its scope to include 
the home, transportation and the community. Its membership has grown to 
over 18,000 companies spanning more than 33,000 locations. Altogether, 
the council represents 8.3 million employees across the Nation.
  In 1953, a congressional charter was granted to the National Safety 
Council to lead the country in injury prevention through safety 
education and training. The council has had a great impact on the local 
level by providing a variety of community-based programs and services, 
including workshops, training, conferences, and by providing a local 
voice for safety and health education.
  Through the efforts of the National Safety Council, more than 8.5 
million rescuers have been trained and more than 60 million people have 
taken one of the NSC's defensive driving courses. It is obvious that 
the National Safety Council's programs have had a profound effect on 
our Nation, and they

[[Page H5068]]

deserve to be recognized for their continuing efforts.
  The National Safety Council will commemorate this 2008 National 
Safety Month with their ``Make a Difference'' campaign. The campaign 
will work to educate the public on emergency preparedness, safe 
driving, poisoning and fall prevention.
  Each year, accidental injuries cost Americans more than $650 billion. 
In the workplace alone, 16 workers die every day on the job. Far too 
many lives are lost and too many suffer because of preventable 
accidents.
  Protecting the citizens of this Nation from these accidents requires 
the cooperation of Federal, State and local institutions, as well as 
help from the citizenry itself. Together, we can protect ourselves from 
accidental injury and death. This June we must encourage all Americans 
to take time to learn how they can help make this country safer.
  Mr. Speaker, once again I express my support for the designation of 
June as National Safety Month.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KUHL of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I am pleased to stand in support of this resolution, which will help 
us commemorate June 2008 as National Safety Month.
  The summer season brings with it great fun and excitement, as we all 
know. From family vacations to time spent at pools and water parks, 
millions of Americans look forward to enjoying the season. However, 
with many of these summer activities comes a greater risk of 
preventable injuries.
  Preventable injuries and death can also take place in the home, on 
the job, while driving, or really almost anywhere as we all know. That 
is why it is so important that we take the time to support efforts to 
promote safety in all aspects of life.
  The National Safety Council is just such an organization with a 
vision of making our world safer. The mission of the National Safety 
Council is to educate and influence people to prevent accidental injury 
and death.
  The council was founded in 1913 and chartered by Congress in 1953. It 
is the only organization promoting safety in the workplace, in the 
transportation arena, and in homes and in communities. Members of the 
council include 18,600 companies of all sizes from a broad spectrum of 
industries representing 33,300 locations and about 8.5 million 
employees around the world.
  I appreciate the work of the National Safety Council along with that 
of employers, schools and community leaders, and all Americans who are 
working to make safe environments.
  Later today, in just a couple of minutes, we will consider another 
bill under suspension that promotes safety, the Josh Miller HEARTS Act, 
which will help to place automated external defibrillators in schools 
around this country.
  I am proud to stand in support of these and other efforts to promote 
safety, prevent injury and to protect the lives and the well-being of 
Americans. However, Mr. Speaker, I'm a little disappointed that we are 
not taking this opportunity today to promote another type of well-being 
for our citizens, their economic well-being. Over the weekend, our 
Nation reached a dubious milestone. The average price of a gallon of 
regular gasoline has now topped $4. This once-unthinkable figure has 
become the new norm unfortunately, wreaking havoc on the lives and 
livelihoods of millions of Americans.

                              {time}  1615

  From filling the tank, to filling the shopping cart, Americans are 
being crushed by the high price of energy and its ripple effect on our 
economy. Our constituents are crying out for help. But to date, this 
Congress has refused to embrace the comprehensive energy solutions 
needed to wean our Nation from its dependence on foreign oil.
  Republicans have proposed an energy plan that incorporates all the 
critical elements of energy independence and freedom. We are supporting 
the production of American-made energy, which will create jobs here at 
home, while being conscious of our environmental impact. We are 
promoting the development of new sources of fuel and we are promoting 
conservation. Taken together, the Republican energy plan will help 
finally ease the pain at the pump.
  So while I urge the support of H. Res. 1225, I also urge action on 
the much-needed energy reforms.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman has additional speakers, I 
will reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. KUHL of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may 
consume to gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Westmoreland).
  Mr. WESTMORELAND. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend Mr. Kuhl for 
yielding me time.
  Mr. Speaker, National Safety Month is an important month. We all 
strive for safety, so it is important that we name a month, a week, a 
day, an hour for our safety. But right now, it is a shame that we can't 
have National Independence from Foreign Oil Hour, right now that the 
price of gasoline and price of crude oil is affecting every hardworking 
man and woman in this country. So I would hope that the majority, while 
recognizing these important days and weeks and months, would just have 
an hour where we could come into this House and discuss our energy 
policies.
  In January of 2007, the majority passed an energy bill. At the time 
gas was probably $2.25 a gallon. It is now up to over $4 a gallon. So 
while we are going to pass 20 suspensions on this floor today, where 
most of them, the majority of them, won't even require a roll call 
vote, we don't have any time that we can discuss our energy policy, at 
a time where we are so dependent on foreign oil.
  On May 13, Senator Schumer in the Senate asked the President, who was 
heading at the time to Saudi Arabia, to ask for an increase in their 
oil production, knowing that an increase in their oil production would 
probably cause a decrease in the price of crude oil. Yet with over 97 
percent of our Outer Continental Shelf not being drilled on and about 
94 percent of the Federal lands inside this country be not being 
drilled on, surely he and the rest of the Democratic Party, and 
especially this House leadership, would understand that drilling 
domestically would bring down the price of crude oil, which in turn 
would bring down the price of gasoline.
  As I have said before on this floor, if we could have a 1-hour 
debate, and I would like for it to be longer than that, we could all 
debate and talk about all the different ways that we could help curb 
the price of our gas, whether it be converting coal to oil, whether it 
be exploring for natural gas, talking about nuclear energy, or the many 
other things that we could do right now ourselves. We can control our 
own destiny as far as what crude oil prices are and what the price of 
gasoline is by not being willing to do our own exploration, our own 
drilling in our own country, where we have many, many, many natural 
resources we could use for fuel.
  So while he is combating or at least trying to combat the President 
on going to OPEC asking them to do more oil production, they must think 
it kind of comical that we are not willing to do our own drilling, our 
own exploration, and depend on our own natural resources to lower our 
price of gas, while China is fixing to drill 45 miles off the coast of 
this country for oil exploration, because China is a country that 
understands the importance of not being dependent on foreign oil. As 
they have gone across this globe dealing with other countries as far as 
using their natural resources to provide for their energy needs, we are 
sitting here on trillions of barrels of oil and coal that we are 
refusing to use ourselves.
  So while I think that this very important designation of National 
Safety Month is important, I would hope that the majority here and the 
leadership in this body would devote at least an hour of our time in 
this House in front of the American people, Mr. Speaker, to let the 
American people see what effect this ``commonsense plan'' that has been 
touted by the Democratic majority is having to bring down the 
skyrocketing price of gas, and that was back in April of 2006 when this 
was being promoted.
  I am sure that the American people, Mr. Speaker, would enjoy just a 
1-hour conversation on that so we could unveil this plan, because 
certainly the

[[Page H5069]]

plan that was passed in January of 2007, of this year, was either not 
the real plan or it is a failed plan and we need to be talking about a 
new plan.
  Mr. KUHL of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I would just like to thank the gentleman 
from Georgia for his compelling and expansive support of this 
resolution, and I urge its support.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House 
Resolution 1225, designating June as National Safety Month. After years 
of decline, the numbers of unintentional injuries and deaths in the 
United States have risen to unacceptable new heights. Deaths from motor 
vehicle collisions, poisoning from unintentional overdoses, and falls 
remain the three leading causes of preventable death in the United 
States. For example, in 2005, the Illinois Department of Public Health 
reported that accidents, both motor vehicle and other types of 
accidents, were the leading cause of death for persons ages 1 to 44 in 
Illinois. According to the 2008 edition of the National Safety 
Council's Injury Facts publication, the annual cost of unintentional 
injuries to Americans and their employers now exceeds $650 billion.
  To reduce the prevalence and severity of these injuries, Congress 
annually designates June as National Safety Month. By providing a 
public service campaign around the theme ``Make A Difference,'' the 
National Safety Council promotes public awareness by highlighting the 
most significant causes for unintentional injuries and deaths in the 
workplace, on the road, and in the home and community. Equally 
important, the public campaign also stresses what Americans can do to 
prevent much of the needless suffering and expense associated with 
these accidents.
  Each week of the month-long observance will focus on a unique safety 
issue. During the first week of June, the campaign focused on Emergency 
Preparedness. As a country we can make a difference by knowing how to 
perform CPR and acquiring Automated External Defibrillator training, 
both of which, if applied within minutes of a cardiac arrest, double 
the chances of survival. This week the campaign highlights the perils 
of distracted driving. According to a recent report by the National 
Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 80 percent of crashes and 
65 percent of near-crashes involved some form of driver inattention 
within three seconds before the event. Next week, the campaign 
spotlights the escalating co-relation between the rise in the 
consumption of prescription medication and rise in overdose fatalities. 
During the last week of June, the campaign centers on the importance of 
fall prevention, highlighting tips for preventing falls in the 
workplace, as well as fall prevention tips for aging adults. The 
campaign will conclude on Monday, June 30th, with tips for Independence 
Day and summer safety. Summer is a time of increased rates of 
preventable injuries and death. As a country, we can make a difference 
by becoming more aware about safe practices. We must recognize our 
responsibility to implement interventions that make our world a safer 
place to live. I urge you to join me in supporting H. Res. 1225, 
designating June as National Safety Month and focusing individuals' and 
business leaders' attention on injury risks and preventions.
  Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Yarmuth) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1225.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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