[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 17 (Thursday, January 26, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Page S116]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                REMEMBERING KIMBERLY ANN CONRAD NARANJO

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, earlier this month, our Nation lost a 
champion for justice. Her name was Kimberly Naranjo. She was a mother 
of seven, a tireless advocate for her neighbors struggling with 
addiction, and a hero for tens of thousands of consumers who had been 
wronged by some of the most profitable companies in the world.
  Tragically, Ms. Naranjo passed away after a battle with mesothelioma 
on January 7, 2023.
  While I can only imagine the grief that Ms. Naranjo's family is 
feeling at this moment, I hope that they find some comfort in her 
memory--and her indefatigable commitment to supporting and uplifting 
our most vulnerable neighbors.
  Ms. Naranjo had a difficult start in life, but she refused to let any 
obstacle stand in her way. With the loving support of her family, she 
overcame the disease of addiction--a great success itself--and then 
dedicated her life to aiding others on their path to recovery. After 
years of determination and hard work, she earned a degree in alcohol 
and drug counseling, purchased her first home, and landed her dream 
job: working for the Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office as an addiction 
counselor.
  Ms. Naranjo's courage in drawing from her own challenges to help 
others-and her determination to build a better life for her children--
is an example we should all aspire to. And even after she was diagnosed 
with mesothelioma, a debilitating illness with no known cure, she kept 
fighting for what she believed in.
  Last February, for instance, she brought her campaign to Washington. 
She testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on 
Federal Courts, Oversight, Agency Action, and Federal Rights on her 
ongoing efforts to hold Johnson & Johnson--and other corporations that 
have harmed consumers like her--accountable.
  You see, Ms. Naranjo's diagnosis was not merely a tragic twist of 
fate; it was the direct result of Johnson & Johnson's failure to keep 
its customers safe. Like many young parents, Ms. Naranjo was a loyal 
consumer of Johnson & Johnson's Baby Powder--but in using the product, 
she had no idea that she was exposing herself and her babies to 
asbestos.
  Soon after she was diagnosed with mesothelioma, Ms. Naranjo joined 
tens of thousands of other consumers in filing a lawsuit against 
Johnson & Johnson. But instead of facing these claims from consumers, 
Johnson & Johnson engaged in a devious scheme to sidestep 
accountability. They tried to exploit a loophole in bankruptcy law to 
protect the company's profits and prevent consumers like Ms. Naranjo 
who trusted Johnson & Johnson to produce products safe for consumption 
from receiving justice.
  In testifying before the subcommittee, Ms. Naranjo spoke for every 
person who has suffered--and continues to suffer--from mesothelioma or 
cancer after using Johnson & Johnson's Baby Powder.
  This decision to devote the remainder of her life to demanding 
justice and accountability, not just for herself, but for thousands of 
others exemplified Ms. Naranjo's selflessness and courage. She refused 
to stop fighting for what she believed in even after being diagnosed 
with a debilitating terminal illness. That is nothing short of 
extraordinary.
  In her powerful testimony, Ms. Naranjo summed up her character, her 
strength, and her dedication to others in one short phrase: ``I will 
not quit, no matter how tough this gets.''
  Ms. Naranjo did not quit, and neither will we--thanks, in part, to 
her example. Now, it is on all of us to carry her legacy forward--and 
to defend those who have been left behind or denied justice.
  Loretta and I join Ms. Naranjo's daughters Maria, Adrianna, Monaliza, 
Faviola, Karina, and Angelica; her son Jayce; her brother Eddie; her 
mother Cathy; her extended family; and her community in mourning her 
loss. Thank you all for keeping her memory alive.

                          ____________________