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Statement of Senator Klobuchar on the Passing of Abigail Taylor

March 21, 2008

Senator Klobuchar today offered the following statement on the passing of six-year-old Abigail Taylor, of Edina, MN, who was injured by a pool drain in the summer of 2007.

“I join all Minnesotans and so many others across America who mourn the passing of Abbey Taylor, an amazing little girl whose life was an inspiration for change in Washington.  What I will remember most about Abbey is her incredible smile and spunk, and her parents’ devotion to her.  From the beginning, Abbey said she wanted her story told so that it would make a difference.  And it did. 

“Although Abbey is no longer with us, she will always live on through this important new law that will protect other children so they do not have to suffer what she did.  I am certain this new law would not have passed except for the inspiring courage of Abbey Taylor.  It was her gift to all the children of America.

“One of the most touching moments in my time in the Senate was last December when I was able to call Scott Taylor from the Senate cloakroom to let him know that the pool safety bill had passed and that it was going to be signed by the president.   Abbey may have been a small girl, but there’s no doubt she had a super-sized impact on our world.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Taylor family.”

President Bush signed the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act of 2007 on December 19, 2007, as part of the Energy Bill.  Working with the Taylor family and child safety experts, Klobuchar included provisions in the legislation to create tough new safety standards that require all existing public pools with single drains to install the latest drain safety technology.