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WASHINGTON, DC – On Thursday, January 7, 2021, marking the two-year anniversary of the drunk driving deaths of Rima and Issam Abbas, and their three children, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) will be joined by Rana Abbas Taylor, friends of the Abbas children, and national leaders of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), to renew calls for legislative action in the new Congress to stop drunk driving. Early this year, Dingell will reintroduce legislation to advance the use of vehicle technology to prevent drunk driving.

WHO: 

• Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan)
• Rana Abbas Taylor (Northville, Michigan,), sister of Rima Abbas who was killed, along with her husband Issam and three children, Ali (13), Isabella (12) and Giselle (7).
• Jacob Main, (15), whose best friend was Ali Abbas.
• Helen Witty, Immediate Past President, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)
• Alex Otte, New National President, MADD
• Ken Snyder, Executive Director of the Shingo Institute.

WHAT: Virtual News Conference to demand legislative action in the new Congress to stop drunk driving. 

WHEN: Thursday, January 7, 2021, at 10:00am ET

WHY: In 2019, the same year of the Abbas family tragedy, more than 10,100 people died in drunk driving crashes in the United States. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released a study in July 2020 which found that more than 9,400 drunk driving deaths could be prevented each year when drunk driving prevention technology is made standard on every new car. 

NOTE TO MEMBERS OF THE NEWS MEDIA: Please RSVP to Dan.Black@mail.house.gov if you plan to attend. The Zoom link will be provided to you the day before the news conference.

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