[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 114 (Thursday, July 14, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H4985-H4986]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  ANNIVERSARY OF SANDRA BLAND'S DEATH

  (Mr. FOSTER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. FOSTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on Congress to stay in 
session to take action against public health crises that are plaguing 
our country.
  As the only Ph.D. scientist in Congress, I find it deeply disturbing 
that Congress has failed to act in the face of clear evidence: 91 
Americans die from gunshot wounds every day; since 2014, more than 
28,000 Americans have died from opioid overdoses; dangerous levels of 
lead are present in the drinking water of thousands of American 
families; and the Zika virus is a global health crisis that is now 
reaching our shores. Too many Americans are dying from senseless, but 
preventable, causes.
  I represent the 11th District of Illinois, and this week marked the 
1-year anniversary of another senseless death. Sandra Bland was a 
beloved member of our community. She died 1 year ago yesterday, alone 
in a Texas jail, after she was arrested for a minor traffic violation.
  After 3 days in jail, Ms. Bland was found dead in her cell. The 
coroner ruled it a suicide, but we still don't

[[Page H4986]]

have the answers we need and that Sandra Bland's family deserves.

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