[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 7590]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           NFL ATHLETE SAFETY

  (Mr. GARCIA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GARCIA. Mr. Speaker, there are few things Americans enjoy more 
than watching Sunday football with their friends and family. But the 
excitement of football, the clashing of helmets, the tackles, can cause 
long-term health damage to our Nation's athletes.
  Last May, Junior Seau, a former Miami Dolphin and one of the top 
linebackers in NFL history, sadly took his life after battling a 
debilitating depression associated with repeated head trauma.
  Last season alone, we saw high profile players sent back into the 
game immediately after suffering concussions. This is unfair to 
athletes, their families, and it is also unfair to taxpayers since they 
pick up the cost when these athletes can no longer afford the cost of 
their injuries.
  The NFL has the power to ensure that the American pastime--this 
American pastime--becomes safe.

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