Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) Chairs Senate Committee Hearing On Asbestos Dangers

Opening statement of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (June 12, 2007):

This is an important hearing for millions of Americans who have been exposed to asbestos, for their families, and especially for the thousands of American families who have lost family members to asbestos-related lung disease and cancer. Millions of Americans are still being exposed to asbestos today, and if we don’t act, countless more people will get sick and die in the future.

I want to thank Senator Murray, who has taken a leadership role on this issue. Her legislation, the Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007, would place the United States clearly on the side of protecting the health of the public from this dangerous substance. It would ban nearly all uses of asbestos in products. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill.

We must take every reasonable step we can to end exposures to asbestos. When we see our fathers, mothers, sisters, and brothers dying from asbestos, there is no justification for allowing the number of dead to continue to mount. We know enough about asbestos to act today.