Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. GARCIA of Texas. Madam Speaker, I am here today to express my support for this very important piece of legislation. This is simple; it is much needed; and it is just a commonsense bill.

For my friends across the aisle who think that this is some intellectual exercise, that we are trying to find some mandate, or that we need to listen to the front lines, well, I am here to tell you what happens on the front lines.

It was not yesterday; it was when I was a geriatric social worker. We had received a report of a street child taking care of a senior, and there was concern about the senior and the street child.

I went to the door to make an assessment. I knocked on the door, and I was greeted by a Saturday night special right in my face, as a social worker just trying to do my job. She kept saying: ``You ain't gonna take my baby. You ain't gonna take my baby.'' I was scared, scared, and scared, never having had a gun to my face.

Madam Speaker, I am sure you know what I am talking about because you have probably had similar experiences.

I was a social worker just trying to make an assessment to see if this senior needed help at home. I had nothing to do with trying to take her child away, but she confused me for a child welfare worker.

This is what can happen. It has happened to me. It happens today. As Representative Stevens pointed out, it happened at 2 a.m. this morning, not to a social worker but to a FedEx worker. We must do something to make sure that we can protect workers and that we end workplace violence.

This is a small step. It is not an intellectual exercise. It is real. I am speaking personally, and I am here to stand with social workers across America to make sure that we do everything we can to make their workplace safe and that everyone is protected.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source