[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 126 (Thursday, July 16, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E641]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          INTRODUCTION OF THE LEAD ABATEMENT FOR FAMILIES ACT

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                     HON. JESUS G. ``CHUY'' GARCIA

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 16, 2020

  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.

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