[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 121 (Friday, July 14, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H3580]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
KEEP OUR WORKERS SAFE
(Ms. GARCIA of Texas asked and was given permission to address the
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to sound the alarm
about the extreme heat in Texas that is putting people's lives in
danger.
Workers in agriculture, construction, mail delivery, and landscaping
are in danger and at risk for heat-related injuries or even death every
day.
Many workers in my district are working outside at a heat index that
is well above 100 degrees.
Heat is the number one cause of weather-related deaths in the United
States--more than floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes.
Just last month, Felipe Pascual, a construction worker in the Houston
area, collapsed on the jobsite and later died due to hyperthermia.
Mr. Speaker, that is why I introduced the Construction Injury
Prevention Act to provide paid 15-minute rest breaks for workers every
4 hours.
This bill puts people over profits, it puts people over politics, and
will literally save lives. We need to act to keep our workers safe, and
we must act now.
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