The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“CONGRESS MUST MEET ITS CONSTITUTIONAL OBLIGATION” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H2685-H2686 on March 13, 2019.
The Department handles nearly all infrastructure crisscrossing the country. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department should be privatized to save money, reduce congestion and spur innovation.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
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, 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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