On Eve of Senate Commerce Committee Markup, Highway Safety Advocacy Groups, Crash Victims and Members of Congress to Hold Media Conference Call to Expose Fatal Flaws in Chairman’s Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill
For First Time in 25 Years, Separate Highway Bills Are Introduced that May Put Politics Before Public Safety
Safety organizations and advocates also released a letter to Chairman Thune (R-SD) and Ranking Member Nelson (D-FL) specifying the serious safety omissions in S. 1732 that is signed by more than 100 consumer, health and safety groups, as well as families that have lost loved ones in preventable car, truck and bus crashes.
WHAT: MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL
On the day before the crucial mark up of the multi-year, multi-billion dollar surface transportation legislation by the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, leading consumer, public health and safety organizations and crash victims will be joined by two key U.S. Senators to unveil dangerous flaws in the “Comprehensive Transportation and Consumer Protection Act of 2015” (S. 1732) sponsored by Committee Chairman Sen. John Thune (R-SD) and co-sponsored by Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS).
The broadly based group will urge passage of pro-safety legislation – the “Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2015” (S. 1743) sponsored by Ranking Member Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) and co-sponsored by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and the “Truck Safety Act” (S. 1739) sponsored by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) – to reduce the growing number of deaths and injuries on the nation’s roadways, correct deficiencies in identifying and investigating vehicle safety defects, increase penalties for automakers that purposely hide defects that lead to deaths and injuries, advance truck safety and consumer information and protections.
WHEN: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 at 11:00am EDT
HOW: Toll-Free Tele-Conference Call-In Number: 1-877-366-0711
Participant Code: 49253737#
WHO:
• Jackie Gillan, President, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (www.saferoads.org)
• Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), co-sponsor of “Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2015” (S. 1743)
• Senator Ed Markey (D-MA), co-sponsor “Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2015” (S. 1743)
• Laura Christian, a Harwood, Maryland, mother of Amber Marie Rose who was killed in a crash due to the GM ignition switch defect (07/29/05)
• Cally Houck, a Ojai, CA, mother of Raechel and Jacqueline Houck, who were killed in a crash involving a rental car that had been under a safety recall, but not repaired by the rental company (10/07/04)
• Rosemary Shahan, President, Consumers for Auto Reliability and Safety (CARS)
• Janette Fennell, President, KidsAndCars.org, who is a national leader for child safety as it relates to the dangers children face in and around motor vehicles.
• Jennifer Tierney, Board Member, Citizens for Reliable and Safety Highways (CRASH). A North Carolina resident, Jennifer has been a leading truck safety advocate since her father, James Mooney, was killed in a truck crash in 1983.
• Clarence Ditlow, Executive Director, Center for Auto Safety.
• Will Wallace, Consumers Union.
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