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[Pages H2685-H2686]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONGRESS MUST MEET ITS CONSTITUTIONAL OBLIGATION
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from
Minnesota (Mr. Emmer) for 5 minutes.
Mr. EMMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart as another
individual has lost her life on U.S. Highway 12 in my home State of
Minnesota, in fact, right in my neighborhood.
U.S. Highway 12 is the road we drive to get to and from our hometown
of Delano, Minnesota. This is one of the most dangerous stretches of
road in our State. The highway has actually been called the ``Corridor
of Death.''
On March 2, 2019, Marleena Anna Dieterich, an 18-year-old from
Delano, Minnesota, lost her life in another crash on this highway.
Marleena was a student at Delano High School, a member of our
hometown, and a young life with so much promise. We lost her far too
soon.
Today I rise to remember the life of Marleena, to remember that she
was an honor student, a black belt in Taekwondo, and was planning to
major in biomedical sciences and minor in premed. Her life held endless
promise.
This accident, like so many on U.S. Highway 12, was tragic and
senseless.
Over the years, some improvements have been made to portions of U.S.
Highway 12, but until massive improvements are made to the most
dangerous stretch of this highway, tragic accidents will continue to
occur.
Since the beginning of 2019, just 2 months, 14 crashes have already
occurred on that stretch of the highway leading into Delano in
Minnesota's Sixth Congressional District. More must be done, and
quickly.
While we are committed to working with the Minnesota Department of
Transportation and the Highway 12 Safety Coalition to ensure that
Minnesotans can travel safely and securely on this road, I am inviting
our Transportation Secretary Chao to visit us and see firsthand some of
our most desperate transportation needs in Minnesota.
At the Federal level, Congress must start to exercise its obligation
under Article I of the Constitution to dedicate and direct Federal
funds to build,
[[Page H2686]]
maintain, and improve our Federal highways, especially lifesaving
safety improvements.
Together, we can find a solution to the safety hazard that U.S.
Highway 12 poses, and together, we will.
Congratulations to the Minnesota Whitecaps
Mr. EMMER. Mr. Speaker, this March, during the National Hockey
League's Gender Equality Month, I want to congratulate the Minnesota
Whitecaps for making it to the National Women's Hockey League playoffs.
Not everyone can play professional sports, but everyone can
participate at some level. Sports are a great training ground for life.
Lessons in sportsmanship, teamwork, how to handle adversity are all
important to the development of productive, contributing citizens in a
civil society.
Professional women athletes play a large role in the development of
girls hockey in communities across the country, but especially the
Minnesota hockey community.
We are lucky to have inspiring players turn coaches that mentor the
next generation of female hockey players and great Americans.
I know the entire Minnesota hockey world is proud of the Whitecaps.
Congratulations on your success, and good luck in the playoffs.
HealthPartners Recognized for Serving the Underserved
Mr. EMMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize HealthPartners for
receiving the 2019 CMS Health Equity Award from the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services.
This award recognizes organizations that demonstrate an exceptional
commitment to serving the most underserved individuals among us.
HealthPartners has locations throughout Minnesota's Sixth
Congressional District, which I am honored to represent in this
Congress.
HealthPartners is committed to eliminating healthcare disparities for
those with language, cultural, and other barriers.
I am pleased to congratulate this outstanding company for receiving
this well-deserved award.
I hope other healthcare providers will take note of the small changes
that can make a big difference in eliminating bias in the distribution
of healthcare services.
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