Floor SpeechCeremonial2026-06-04

RECOGNIZING SC JOHNSON'S COMMITMENT TO ENDING MALARIA AND OTHER INSECT- BORNE DISEASES

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Context

On 2026-06-04, Representative Bryan Steil (R-WI-1) delivered a floor speech titled "RECOGNIZING SC JOHNSON'S COMMITMENT TO ENDING MALARIA AND OTHER INSECT- BORNE DISEASES" in the House.

Full Text

RECOGNIZING SC JOHNSON'S COMMITMENT TO ENDING MALARIA AND OTHER INSECT- BORNE DISEASES

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 95 (Thursday, June 4, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 95 (Thursday, June 4, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E527] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNIZING SC JOHNSON'S COMMITMENT TO ENDING MALARIA AND OTHER INSECT- BORNE DISEASES ______ HON. BRYAN STEIL of wisconsin in the house of representatives Thursday, June 4, 2026 Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the consumer product company SC Johnson for their longstanding commitment to eliminating malaria and other types of insect-borne disease. Founded in 1886 and headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin, which I have the honor to represent in this chamber, SC Johnson is dedicated to creating a more sustainable, healthier, and transparent world that inspires people and creates opportunities. SC Johnson's commitment to working for a better world is evident in how the company has brought its expertise in science, innovation, and partnerships to address the challenge of preventing and eradicating malaria. For nearly 70 years, SC Johnson has used its entomological expertise, philanthropy, and product innovations to help families protect themselves from malaria and other deadly insect-borne diseases. In 2013, the company established a dedicated Healthier World Initiative team, which has been focused on preventing insect-borne disease among the world's most vulnerable populations and increasing health education in communities around the globe. In this effort, SC Johnson has established a network of 86 community health posts across four countries--Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Indonesia. These clinics serve over two million people annually who would otherwise not have access to care. In Rwanda in particular, the clinics have reduced the average walking time to receive care from 3 hours to 30 minutes. The company's primary focus in this initiative has been to develop and distribute a new class of tools known as spatial repellents to prevent the transmission of diseases like malaria and dengue. Ten-plus years and more than $120 million invested in development, testing, production, and deployment has produced two spatial repellent products--SC Johnson and Guardian and SC Johnson Mosquito Shield. In August 2025, the World Health Organization announced a policy recommendation for spatial repellents to be used to fight insect-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, and Zika--allowing these prevention tools to be distributed to communities with a high malaria burden at a much larger scale. This is one of the first new categories of vector control tools to receive a policy recommendation from the WHO for malaria prevention within the last 25 years. A second important milestone took place on May 13, 2026, when SC Johnson, the U.S. State Department, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria announced a three-year agreement to expand access to Guardian spatial repellents. That collaboration will support the procurement and distribution of approximately 30 million units of Guardian to protect more than 60 million people in high malaria burden countries over the next three years. Guardian is a low-cost, electricity-free tool that provides protection for up to a year and can be used in a wide range of household and humanitarian settings. SC Johnson's partnership with the Global Fund demonstrates how American innovation combined with the Global Fund's global procurement and delivery platform can expand access to life-saving malaria prevention tools, while also enabling sustainable manufacturing in Sub-Saharan Africa. Additionally, partnering to deploy this innovative American malaria prevention tool aligns with the America First Global Health Strategy, which seeks to promote American public health innovation and technology around the world through private sector engagement and collaboration. Finally, as a testament to SC Johnson's commitment to improving people's lives around the world, the manufacture and distribution of their Guardian spatial repellent remain a not-for-profit initiative for SC Johnson. Sadly, malaria remains one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases, causing more than 600,000 deaths each year, most of them children under the age of five in Sub-Saharan Africa. And nearly every minute, a child dies from this entirely preventable disease. While these statistics may seem discouraging, the innovative work of companies like SC Johnson, along with many other organizations that are united in the fight against malaria, gives me great hope that we are moving closer to eliminating this terrible disease that robs individuals and families of precious futures. Mr. Speaker, I commend SC Johnson, along with the vision and commitment of their Chairman and CEO Dr. Fisk Johnson and the dedication of the company's Healthier World Initiative team, for working to protect vulnerable families from malaria and other insect- borne diseases. I have no doubt that SC Johnson's innovative malaria prevention tool will be a true gamechanger in achieving our shared vision of a world where no one dies from a mosquito bite. ____________________

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RECOGNIZING SC JOHNSON'S COMMITMENT TO ENDING MALARIA AND OTHER INSECT- BORNE DISEASES Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 95 (Thursday, June 4, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 95 (Thursday, June 4, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page E527] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] RECOGNIZING SC JOHNSON'S COMMITMENT TO ENDING MALARIA AND OTHER INSECT- BORNE DISEASES ______ HON. BRYAN STEIL of wisconsin in the house of representatives Thursday, June 4, 2026 Mr. STEIL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the consumer product company SC Johnson for their longstanding commitment to eliminating malaria and other types of insect-borne disease. Founded in 1886 and headquartered in Racine, Wisconsin, which I have the honor to represent in this chamber, SC Johnson is dedicated to creating a more sustainable, healthier, and transparent world that inspires people and creates opportunities. SC Johnson's commitment to working for a better world is evident in how the company has brought its expertise in science, innovation, and partnerships to address the challenge of preventing and eradicating malaria. For nearly 70 years, SC Johnson has used its entomological expertise, philanthropy, and product innovations to help families protect themselves from malaria and other deadly insect-borne diseases. In 2013, the company established a dedicated Healthier World Initiative team, which has been focused on preventing insect-borne disease among the world's most vulnerable populations and increasing health education in communities around the globe. In this effort, SC Johnson has established a network of 86 community health posts across four countries--Rwanda, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Indonesia. These clinics serve over two million people annually who would otherwise not have access to care. In Rwanda in particular, the clinics have reduced the average walking time to receive care from 3 hours to 30 minutes. The company's primary focus in this initiative has been to develop and distribute a new class of tools known as spatial repellents to prevent the transmission of diseases like malaria and dengue. Ten-plus years and more than $120 million invested in development, testing, production, and deployment has produced two spatial repellent products--SC Johnson and Guardian and SC Johnson Mosquito Shield. In August 2025, the World Health Organization announced a policy recommendation for spatial repellents to be used to fight insect-borne diseases like malaria, dengue, and Zika--allowing these prevention tools to be distributed to communities with a high malaria burden at a much larger scale. This is one of the first new categories of vector control tools to receive a policy recommendation from the WHO for malaria prevention within the last 25 years. A second important milestone took place on May 13, 2026, when SC Johnson, the U.S. State Department, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria announced a three-year agreement to expand access to Guardian spatial repellents. That collaboration will support the procurement and distribution of approximately 30 million units of Guardian to protect more than 60 million people in high malaria burden countries over the next three years. Guardian is a low-cost, electricity-free tool that provides protection for up to a year and can be used in a wide range of household and humanitarian settings. SC Johnson's partnership with the Global Fund demonstrates how American innovation combined with the Global Fund's global procurement and delivery platform can expand access to life-saving malaria prevention tools, while also enabling sustainable manufacturing in Sub-Saharan Africa. Additionally, partnering to deploy this innovative American malaria prevention tool aligns with the America First Global Health Strategy, which seeks to promote American public health innovation and technology around the world through private sector engagement and collaboration. Finally, as a testament to SC Johnson's commitment to improving people's lives around the world, the manufacture and distribution of their Guardian spatial repellent remain a not-for-profit initiative for SC Johnson. Sadly, malaria remains one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases, causing more than 600,000 deaths each year, most of them children under the age of five in Sub-Saharan Africa. And nearly every minute, a child dies from this entirely preventable disease. While these statistics may seem discouraging, the innovative work of companies like SC Johnson, along with many other organizations that are united in the fight against malaria, gives me great hope that we are moving closer to eliminating this terrible disease that robs individuals and families of precious futures. Mr. Speaker, I commend SC Johnson, along with the vision and commitment of their Chairman and CEO Dr. Fisk Johnson and the dedication of the company's Healthier World Initiative team, for working to protect vulnerable families from malaria and other insect- borne diseases. I have no doubt that SC Johnson's innovative malaria prevention tool will be a true gamechanger in achieving our shared vision of a world where no one dies from a mosquito bite. ____________________