[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 951]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1915
                               E-FREE ACT

  (Mr. FITZPATRICK asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FITZPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, I rise to tell the story of Elvira 
Lopez of Odessa, Texas, one of tens of thousands of women harmed by the 
permanent sterilization device, Essure.
  Elvira's story began in 2011 when she sought a tubal ligation. She 
was instead introduced to Essure. After surgery, her health began to 
decline dramatically.
  Despite symptoms of confusion, low energy, and constant pain, doctor 
after doctor told her that the device was not causing her health 
issues.
  Then, in 2015, she had no choice but to undergo a hysterectomy as a 
last-ditch attempt to end the pain caused by this flawed device.
  I rise as a voice for the Essure Sisters to tell this Chamber that 
their pain is real, their stories are real, and their fight is real.
  Mr. Speaker, my bill, the E-Free Act, can halt this tragedy by 
removing this dangerous device from the market. Too many women have 
been harmed.
  I urge my colleagues to join this fight because stories like Elvira's 
are too important to ignore.

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