March 3, 2020 Letter from 19 Attorneys General to Speaker Pelosi.
Posted on March 3, 2020
WASHINGTON, DC — Linda Reinstein, president and co-founder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), issued the following statement in response to the letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer from 19 Attorneys General urging prompt floor action on the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act (ARBAN).
“We are honored to have the support of these 19 Attorneys General and echo their call for immediate action by the House of Representatives to pass ARBAN (H.R. 1603). To protect public health and safeguard the future of all Americans, Congress must act now to ban asbestos and enact ARBAN into law.
“The letter from the Attorney Generals emphasize, ‘…the Reinstein Bill provisions are what is required to address the dire risks that asbestos continues to pose to human health in light of the failure to date to institute a proper ban of the toxic chemical’ The Attorneys General ‘urge leadership to move this crucial health and public safety legislation and promptly schedule the Reinstein Bill for consideration by the full House.’
“The United States should have banned asbestos decades ago. Inaction on the part of Congress and the Environmental Protection Agency has meant that nearly 40,000 Americans continue to die from asbestos-related illnesses every year. These are entirely preventable deaths. To protect public health and safeguard the future of all Americans, Congress must act to ban asbestos and pass ARBAN now.”
The letter was signed by the AG’s of Massachusetts, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and the District of Columbia.”
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About the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was founded by asbestos victims and their families in 2004. ADAO is the largest non-profit in the U.S. dedicated to providing asbestos victims and concerned citizens with a united voice through our education, advocacy, and community initiatives. ADAO seeks to raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure, advocate for an asbestos ban, and protect asbestos victims’ civil rights. For more information, visit www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org
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