[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[House]
[Pages 21511-21513]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE PERSISTENTLY HIGH RATES OF DROWNING FATALITIES AMONG 
                                CHILDREN

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 57) expressing the importance of swimming lessons 
and recognizing the danger of drowning in the United States, especially 
among minority children, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                               H. Res. 57

       Whereas the success of the United States Olympic swim team, 
     including the record-breaking eight gold medals won by 
     Michael Phelps, has brought great attention to swimming;
       Whereas a New York Times article entitled ``Despite Olympic 
     Gold, Swimming Statistics Are Grim'', highlighted the irony 
     of the United States Olympic glory in light of a shocking 
     number of drownings in the United States;
       Whereas the New York Times has also highlighted the 
     discrepancies in swimming education between African-American 
     children and White children in the article ``Everyone Into 
     the Water'';
       Whereas according to the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention (CDC), there were 3,582 unintentional and fatal 
     drownings in the United States in 2005 representing an 
     average of 10 drowning deaths each day;
       Whereas for every child who fatally drowns in the United 
     States, there are four near-drowning incidents that require 
     emergency care and can lead to brain damage resulting in 
     permanent disabilities ranging from loss of memory to the 
     loss of all basic functions;
       Whereas children are the most susceptible to fatal drowning 
     incidents with one out of four victims being 14 years old or 
     younger;
       Whereas drowning is the second most common unintentional 
     cause of death among children ages 1 to 14;
       Whereas minority drowning rates greatly exceed the rates of 
     White children;
       Whereas according to the CDC, the fatal drowning rate for 
     African-American children between the ages of 5 and 14 is 
     over three times higher than the rate for White children, and 
     the rate for American Indian and Alaska Native children is 
     over two times higher;
       Whereas according to a study by the University of Memphis, 
     almost 60 percent of African-American and Latino children do 
     not know how to swim as compared to roughly 30 percent of 
     White children;
       Whereas long-existing stigmas regarding minorities and 
     swimming have contributed

[[Page 21512]]

     to the lack of swimming education in minority communities, 
     and nonswimming minority families are far less likely than 
     nonswimming White families to enroll in swimming lessons;
       Whereas according to the United States Census Bureau, in 
     2007, 33.7 percent of African-Americans, 28.6 percent of 
     Latinos, and 12.5 percent of Asian-Americans lived below the 
     poverty line as compared to 10.1 percent of Whites, and 
     swimming lessons can cost hundreds of dollars per course;
       Whereas the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act 
     was signed into law in December 2007 addressing the pressing 
     need for increased pool and spa safety requirements and 
     education to prevent accidental deaths by drowning;
       Whereas effective drowning prevention strategies require 
     several approaches such as supervision, fully gated pools, 
     CPR training, and swimming skills;
       Whereas the ability to swim is an important and essential 
     skill, and according to Safe Kids USA, in order to help 
     prevent drowning, children should be enrolled in swimming 
     lessons as early as age 4 to learn how to float, tread water, 
     and enter and exit the pool; and
       Whereas nonprofit initiatives, like the USA Swimming 
     Foundation's program ``Make A Splash'', are working hard to 
     meet the need for swimming lessons by partnering with local 
     communities to offer all children access to swimming 
     education: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) expresses the importance of access to swimming lessons 
     for all communities in the United States as an integral part 
     of drowning prevention;
       (2) recognizes the danger of fatal unintentional drowning 
     in the United States;
       (3) condemns the persistently high rates of fatal drowning 
     among all children, and the particularly high rates of fatal 
     drowning among minority children;
       (4) celebrates the passage of the Virginia Graeme Baker 
     Pool and Spa Safety Act;
       (5) celebrates the work of initiatives like USA Swimming 
     Foundation's ``Make A Splash'' and Safe Kids USA to educate 
     parents and caregivers on water safety and drowning 
     prevention messages; and
       (6) encourages public and private funding to support 
     current and future initiatives that provide all children 
     access to swimming education.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) and the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. 
Blackburn) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.


                             General Leave

  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Tennessee?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 57, a resolution 
recognizing the persistently high rates of drowning fatalities among 
children.
  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there 
were 3,582 unintentional and fatal drownings in the United States in 
2005. This figure represents an average of 10 drowning deaths a day.
  Children are the most susceptible to fatal drowning incidents. In 
fact, drowning is the second most common cause of unintentional death 
among children ages 1 to 14.
  On top of this startling statistic, for every child who fatally 
drowns in the United States, there are four near-drowning incidents 
that require emergency care. These accidents can lead to brain damage 
and result in permanent disabilities ranging from loss of memory to the 
loss of all basic functions.
  Drowning rates among minority children greatly exceed those of their 
non-minority counterparts. The fatal drowning rate for African-American 
children is over three times that for Caucasian children. American 
Indian and Alaskan Native children have rates over two times as high as 
Caucasian children.
  Contributing to these disparities is limited access to swimming 
lessons. African Americans and Latinos are more likely to live below 
the poverty line, putting lessons that can cost hundreds of dollars per 
course out of reach.
  House Resolution 57 not only condemns the persistently high rates of 
drowning among children, but it also recognizes the hard work of 
organizations that promote access to swimming education and teach 
skills that will help save lives.
  I urge my colleagues to help bring awareness to this serious issue, 
and join me in supporting final passage of House Resolution 57.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today in support of House Resolution 57 expressing the 
importance of swimming lessons and recognizing the danger of drowning 
in the United States. With almost 10 unintentional and fatal drowning 
deaths each day in our country, it is important to recognize those most 
vulnerable to drowning, and it is usually our precious children under 
the age of 14 who have not yet learned to swim. Swimming education 
programs in communities and swimming lessons for those as young as 4 
years old could help lower the number of fatal drownings each and every 
year.
  The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, which was signed 
into law in December 2007 by President Bush, has led to increased pool 
and spa safety requirements and education.
  I thank the gentlewoman from Florida who has joined us on the floor 
for her excellent leadership and outstanding work on that issue. It is 
one that was important to all of us in dealing with the FTC and the 
regulations. We commend you, and we thank you for your work.
  Effective prevention strategies like the Pool and Spa Safety Act and 
nonprofit initiatives like the U.S.A. Swimming Foundation's ``Make a 
Splash'' program have been successful in teaming up with local 
communities to offer all children access to swimming education and 
lessons.
  I want to thank the sponsor of this bill, Representative Albio Sires 
from the Garden State of New Jersey, for his work on this resolution. I 
stand in support of the legislation, and I hope that my colleagues will 
join me.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the 
gentlelady from Florida (Ms. Wasserman Schultz), as long as she doesn't 
mention anything about the Tennessee-Florida game on Saturday.
  Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Mr. Speaker, I will reserve that option until 
later on in the week as the stakes get higher.
  I thank the gentleman from Tennessee. I rise today in support of 
House Resolution 57, and thank the gentlelady from Tennessee for her 
kind words. We are in support of this legislation today to express our 
support for the importance of swimming lessons and recognizing the 
persistently high rates of drowning fatalities among children.
  Drowning is, as you have heard, the leading cause of unintentional 
deaths in America to children ages 1 to 4. Last year alone, 13 children 
in Broward and Miami-Dade counties, which are in my congressional 
district, died as a result of accidental drowning in swimming pools and 
spas.
  In fact, a recent report issued in May by the Consumer Product Safety 
Commission indicates that the average number of drowning deaths 
involving children younger than 5 in pools and spas has actually 
increased from a yearly average of 267 from 2002 to 2004 to 283 from 
2003 to 2005.
  I have been involved in the issue of pool safety throughout my 
career, and worked hard with many of my colleagues in this body and in 
the Florida legislature to pass swimming pool safety legislation and 
drowning prevention legislation. The passage of the Virginia Graeme 
Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act which was signed into law by President 
Bush on December 19, 2007, was a milestone in our efforts. The goal of 
that law is to improve the safety of all pools and spas by increasing 
the use of layers of protection and promoting uninterrupted supervision 
to prevent child drowning and entrapments.
  Although I have been pleased to see public pools around the Nation 
come into compliance with the new regulations, it is clear that we must 
continue

[[Page 21513]]

to raise awareness about the necessity of swimming lessons for all of 
our children.
  Unfortunately, African Americans, Latinos, and other minority groups 
are more likely to live below the poverty line, putting expensive 
swimming lessons out of reach for too many kids. That is why we must 
encourage communities around the country to provide free lessons to 
low-income children as part of an overall child safety program.
  I want to commend the organization Swim Central in my home county of 
Broward for the exceptional example that they provide in doing just 
that, providing swimming lessons for more than 30,000 children, to kids 
in Broward County since the year 2000.
  House Resolution 57 not only condemns the persistently high rates of 
drowning among children, but it celebrates the hard work of 
organizations that are offering access to swimming education and are 
teaching skills that will help save lives.
  I thank my friend and colleague, Congressman Sires, for introducing 
this important resolution and urge my colleagues to help bring 
awareness to this serious issue by joining me in support of its 
passage.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to discuss a serious 
issue that affects all children: unintentional drowning.
  This summer millions of children took to the water as the weather 
warmed and pools opened all over the United States, but not all 
children receive the proper, life saving education that can play a 
critical role in drowning prevention. Minority children, more often 
than other children, do not participate in swimming lessons or do not 
have access to swimming lessons.
  Roughly 3,500 people fatally drown each year in the United States--
that is about 10 people a day--and more than 25 percent of these 
victims are children 14 and under. In fact, drowning is the second most 
common cause of accidental death among children. Alarmingly, fatal 
drowning rates are 2 to 3 times higher among minority children. 
According to a study by the University of Memphis, almost 60 percent of 
African-American and Latino children do not know how to swim as 
compared to roughly 30 percent of nonminority children. These 
statistics are not just shocking; they are shameful.
  In order to help spread awareness about these startling statistics 
and how we can better protect our children, Representative Wasserman 
Schultz and I introduced H. Res. 57, a resolution recognizing the 
persistently high rates of drowning fatalities among children. The 
resolution expresses the danger of fatal unintentional drowning in the 
United States, and condemns the high rates of fatal drowning among all 
children.
  This resolution also celebrates the hard work of initiatives that 
currently provide swimming lessons to underprivileged communities as 
well as other efforts that help educate children, parents and 
caregivers about drowning prevention.
  The ability to swim is an important and essential skill, and 
according to Safe Kids USA, in order to help prevent drowning, children 
should be enrolled in swimming lessons as early as age 4 to learn how 
to float, tread water, and enter and exit the pool.
  The USA Swimming's Make A Splash Program has partnered with 
organizations in 31 states and has reached out to over 90,000 children 
to provide access to swimming education.
  Together with these organizations, we must promote access to the type 
of education that can not only improve children's health, but help save 
their lives. I urge my colleagues to help bring awareness to this 
serious issue, and support final passage of H. Res. 57.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. 
Res. 57, which expresses the importance of swimming lessons and 
recognizes the danger of drowning in the United States, especially 
among minority children. Though interest in swimming throughout the 
United States has increased due to national attention to sporting 
events like the success of the U.S. Olympic Swim Team, drowning is 
still amongst the leading causes of death of American children. A study 
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2005 
there were 3,582 unintentional drownings in the United States, and 
average of 10 per day!
  According to an article in the NY Times, an even more daunting 
statistic is that African children and teens ages 5 to 19, are 2.3 
times more likely to drown than Caucasian children in this age group. 
For children 10 to 14, the rate is five times higher. Nearly 6 out of 
10 African-American and Hispanic children are unable to swim, nearly 
twice as many as their Caucasian counterparts, a concern often 
highlighted by U.S. Olympian Cullen Jones, who is African-American and 
swam the third leg of the winning men's relay this week. This 
unprecedented statistic is unacceptable as it is fairly easily 
preventable, steps such as adult supervision, regularly using life 
jackets, learning CPR, and fencing of backyard swimming pools can help 
save the lives of many of our youth according to the Centers for 
Disease Control.
  Some alarming statistics as stated by my very own district of 
Houston, TX declare that from May of 2005 to May of 2007:
  HFD responded to more than 50 drownings, resulting in at least 8 
deaths.
  Traditionally, apartment pools account for most of the submersions.
  60 percent of the pool incidents occurred at apartments.
  We also had several bathtub drowning incidents and several in lakes 
or bayous.
  Most of the children involved submersions involved 4 years old and 
infants (0-1 year old). Although, all age groups had submersions.
  Incidents occurred every hour of the day, though 1-2 p.m. and 4 p.m.-
7 p.m. had the higher number of incidents.
  In 2006, The New York Times story ``Everyone Into the Water'' 
reported on why the barriers to swimming for black children are so 
high. The report stated that ``studies have shown that many Africans 
were avid swimmers when they were brought over as slaves, most slaves 
born in the United States were not allowed to learn to swim because it 
was a means of escape. That created generations of non-swimmers and 
spawned the myth that African-Americans could not swim. Though widely 
discredited, a 1969 study titled ``The Negro and Learning to Swim: The 
Buoyancy Problem Related to Reported Biological Difference,'' was 
printed in The Journal of Negro Education and fed the stereotype. The 
problem was compounded by segregation, which kept blacks out of many 
pools and beaches. The USA Swimming Foundation is trying to address the 
problem through its Make a Splash program, which is working to educate 
parents and increase swimming rates among all children. Donors who want 
to help can sponsor swimming lessons for children.
  The passing of H. Res. 57 expresses the importance of providing 
access to swimming lessons for all communities in the United States as 
an integral part of drowning prevention. This Resolution celebrates the 
work of initiatives like USA Swimming Foundation's ``Make A Splash'' 
and Safe Kids USA to educate parents and caregivers on water safety and 
drowning prevention messages. H. Res. 57 also encourages the public and 
private funding to support current and future initiatives that provide 
all children access to swimming education.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Congresswoman Wasserman 
Schultz and Congressman Sires for their hard work on this, and my 
counterpart from Tennessee for her excellent work.
  With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 57, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  The title was amended so as to read: ``A resolution recognizing the 
persistently high rates of drowning fatalities among children.''.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

                          ____________________