[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 158 (Thursday, September 29, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H8227-H8228]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    RECOGNIZING BABY ZION SARMIENTO

  (Mrs. CAMMACK asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. CAMMACK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and remember a 
special little boy from my district in Florida, Baby Zion.
  Like about half of people born with Down Syndrome, Baby Zion also had 
a heart defect--often easily corrected with surgery. Unfortunately, 
Baby Zion's surgeons were unable to repair his heart, and the only 
option left for his family--the only way to save his life--was a 
transplant.
  His family went through all the right channels to request one. They 
followed the rules. The answer that they got was no.
  Why?
  Because he had a disability. The system failed him. The system 
decided that his life was worth less than someone without a disability.
  No Federal law exists to prohibit discrimination against people with 
disabilities who need an organ transplant.
  No Federal law exists to help these families when they are most 
vulnerable.
  No Federal law exists to save these lives.
  Today, I am asking my colleagues to support legislation by my 
colleague from Washington (Mrs. Rodgers) to fix this tragic situation.
  H.R. 1235, the Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination 
Prevention Act, is commonsense legislation that has absolutely no 
cost--unless we ignore it.
  I personally met with Zion's family, and, in their grace, their hope 
is simply that we do the right thing and save the lives of many others 
like Baby Zion.

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