[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 10444]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        HONORING ABIGAIL TAYLOR

  Ms. KLOBUCHAR. Mr. President, last fall I came before the Senate to 
ask my colleagues to join me in passing the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool 
and Spa Safety Act on behalf of an amazing little girl, Abigail Taylor, 
of Edina MN.
  And in December of 2007, with Abigail as our inspiration, Congress 
answered the call. We not only passed the bill, but working with the 
Taylor family and child safety experts, we included provisions in the 
legislation to create tough new safety standards that require all 
existing public pools with single drains to install the latest drain 
safety technology. On December 19, 2007, the President signed the Pool 
and Spa Safety Act into law.
  One of the most touching moments in my time in the Senate was that 
day in December when I was able to call Scott Taylor from the Senate 
cloakroom to let him know that the pool safety bill had passed. Abbey 
may have been a small girl, but there is no doubt she had a super-sized 
impact on our world.
  From the beginning, Abbey said she wanted her story told so that it 
would make a difference. And it did. Although Abbey is no longer with 
us, she will always live on through this important new law that will 
protect other children so they do not have to suffer what she did. I am 
certain that this new law would not have passed except for the 
inspiring courage of Abbey Taylor and her family. It was their gift to 
all the children of America.
  The city of Edina, MN, will designate May 24, 2008, as Abigail Taylor 
Day the day Abigail would have celebrated her seventh birthday.
  On May 24, I ask that we join in honoring Abbey Taylor, ``Amazing 
Abigail'' as we called her, and keep the entire Taylor family--Scott, 
Katey, Grace, Christina, and Audrey--in our thoughts. We owe them all a 
debt of gratitude for their courage and their pursuit of a safer 
America for all our children.

                          ____________________