congresswoman carolyn mccarthy. carolyn mccarthy serves in this congress with us and she is a distinguished congresswoman from the state of new york. congresswoman mccarthy's father and brother were career boilermakers. each night they brought home asbestos fibers in their clothes . over time, exposure to this asbestos affected congresswoman mccarthy herself and today she is battling asbestos-related lung cancer. her story is like the stories of countless americans across the country. it's up to us to strengthen the health of those suffering from exposure. it is up to us to act in their names, whether they suffer from cancer today or face the prospect of severe illness in the future. yet this republican measure we consider today does not meet this challenge. like far too many republican bills in this congress, this legislation only serves to make matters worse for the american people. so the called -- there it is again -- the so-called fact act actually harms the american people. that is a fact. and hinders the abil