Jan's Plans & Pans - January 15, 2023

This week, House Republicans passed legislation that would help the rich cheat on their taxes, they established a subcommittee to investigate conspiracy theories, and they made it clear they would like to see a nationwide ban on abortions. Sadly, Republicans’ priorities are the priorities of a small, wealthy minority of Americans. Meanwhile, Democrats will continue fighting for the issues that matter most to hardworking families, like protecting and strengthening Social Security and Medicare, safeguarding a woman’s reproductive freedom, and preserving our environment for future generations.

Please beware. Even if a hazardous product is recalled in the stores, you may still have it in your home. For the safety of your entire family, you should get rid of any recalled products. Tragically, since Fisher-Price Rock ‘n Play Sleepers and Kids2 Rocking Sleepers were both recalled in 2019 by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), new reports show an additional 74 children have lost their lives due to these dangerous products. The safety of consumers is one of my top priorities and I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure the CPSC has the resources they need to protect consumers and to make sure we get the word out about dangerous products. To check if you have a recalled product, please go to SaferProducts.gov.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released a new report, finding that in 2019, motor vehicle crashes in the United States killed an estimated 36,500 people, injured 4.5 million people, damaged 23 million vehicles, and cost Americans $340 billion, or 1.6% of our nation’s gross domestic product. NHTSA’s crash data confirms what countless grieving families and shattered communities across the country have already come to know: vehicle crashes are incredibly costly, most importantly in lives lost. NHTSA must act promptly to protect American families and reduce the cost of vehicle crashes. Now is the time to implement the historic, lifesaving vehicle safety provisions in President Biden’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. These provisions will equip cars with crash avoidance, drunk driving prevention, and distracted driver monitoring technologies.