Legislation to help families in the region affected by toxic Chinese drywall passed the U.S. House before lawmakers left Washington. After this year's election all eyes will be on the Senate.
For more than a decade some homeowners in Florida, Virginia and some other states have had to deal with the devastating effects of putting Chinese drywall in their homes. Sulfurous gases in the drywall are highly corrosive and have made thousands of homes uninhabitable - eroding pipes and causing respiratory illnesses. Virginia Republican Scott Rigell ushered a bill through the House to set higher standards for drywall and to help families recover economically.
“So what happens is these families are unable to stay in their current home and have to go out and find other housing and it’s presented a tremendous financial problem for them”, said Rigell.
Rigell’s legislation is now awaiting Senate action when Congress reconvenes in November.
“This is not a partisan issue. These problems have made no…it doesn’t respect political party, gender, ethnicity. It’s just an American problem”, Rigell said. “We’re moving in the direction of holding the manufacturers of the dry wall in China accountable for, really, the damage they’ve done, not only to the financial situation of so many Americans, but also the health side of it as well.”
But pressing fiscal and tax policy bills are also awaiting Senate action and it’s unclear if senators will take up Rigell's bill.