[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 5 (Thursday, January 8, 2026)]
[House]
[Page H142]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                 RECOGNIZING NATIONAL BLOOD DONOR MONTH

  (Mr. Latimer of New York was recognized to address the House for 5 
minutes.)
  Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize National Blood 
Donor Month, which takes place each January, and to thank our fellow 
Americans who voluntarily donate blood.
  As a proud blood donor myself, I commend the New York Blood Center 
and all the community blood centers across the United States that 
provide a lifeline to people and patients in our hospitals.
  This week the center declared a blood emergency.
  A single blood donation can save up to three lives, making the work 
of our community blood centers and the generosity of the employees and 
the volunteer blood donors who contribute their work extremely 
important.
  NYBC has been serving New Yorkers with lifesaving blood products 
since 1964. Today, as part of the New York Blood Center Enterprises, 
that mission extends far beyond New York. Together, they serve 75 
million people and provide 1 million blood products annually to over 
400 hospitals.
  From newborns and their mothers to cancer patients and trauma 
victims, community blood centers provide patients with the blood that 
keeps them alive. This month and always, I thank them.


          Saluting the Work of Port Chester Historical Society

  Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute the work of those who are 
leaders and members of the Port Chester Historical Society. Their 
volunteer efforts have kept alive the memories and stories of the years 
past that represent the foundation of the village of Port Chester 
today.
  Led by president Jordan Allen, the society has maintained the 
historic Bush-Lyon Homestead and has been able to follow through with a 
host of different items for this building that was built in 1760, 
involving the community and activities at that site: celebration of 
historic dates, fairs and festivals, and important seminars.
  This month, in concert with the Village of Port Chester and 
Westchester's Revolution 250, the society cosponsors An Evening With 
Benjamin Franklin. The society cosponsors that evening, and he will 
visit us in the 21st century to tell us a little bit about the 18th 
century.
  Also this month, the historical society holds a workshop on research 
and genealogy for interested adults who want to do their own family 
research. The energy and resources activated by those in the society, 
Kikki Short, Toni Sacco, Carolee Brakewood, Mike DeVittorio, Lou Russo, 
Joanne Bellantoni, and others, is one more example of everyday 
Americans doing their part to advance the story of America.
  From the floor of the House of Representatives, I salute the Port 
Chester Historical Society.


    Protecting Drivers From Dangerous Electric Vehicle Battery Fires

  Mr. LATIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because this week I am proud 
to introduce new legislation to protect drivers from dangerous electric 
vehicle battery fires with my colleague Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick 
of Pennsylvania.
  This bill called the Electric and Hybrid Vehicle Battery Safety Act 
of 2026, H.R. 6948, comes in response to several fatal EV accidents 
which occurred in my district. The accidents involved extremely hot and 
difficult-to-fight chemical battery blazes and have led to loss of 
multiple lives.
  I became aware of the lack of standards governing EV battery design 
and heightened risks to passengers in EV accidents, including 
electrical door releases becoming disabled and lack of information on 
EV firefighting techniques and exposure to chemical toxins from those 
fires.
  This bipartisan bill addresses all of those issues, requiring the 
U.S. Department of Transportation standards for battery safety, 
mandates for mechanical door releases, disseminating best practices for 
firefighters to tackle these runaway blazes, and requiring a study by 
HHS on the health risks to firefighters.
  These new standards will help assure Americans that they are not 
taking unnecessary risks every time they get behind the wheel of an 
electric vehicle and ensure our firefighters have the most current 
knowledge and protection to handle the latest in automotive technology.

                          ____________________