[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 31 (Tuesday, February 28, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1085-S1086]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          SENATE YOUTH PROGRAM

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the achievements of 
the U.S. Senate Youth Program, USSYP, an organization that has molded 
some of our Nation's brightest students to become the next generation 
of public servants.
  This year marks 50 years of a commitment to educate and nurture 
talented young leaders interested in serving their communities. The 
USSYP hails from a strong family that valued bipartisanship and 
democratic lawmaking. William Randolph Hearst's sons, George R. Hearst 
and Randolph A. Hearst, envisioned this program and brought it to life 
with the collaboration of then-Senators Tom Kuchel, R CA, Mike 
Mansfield, D MT, Everett Dirksen, R Ill., and Hubert Humphrey, D MN.
  The USSYP was created by S. Res. 324 in 1962 ``to increase young 
Americans' understanding of the interrelationships of the three 
branches of government, the caliber and responsibilities of federally 
elected and appointed officials, and the vital importance of democratic 
decision making not only for America but for people around the world.''
  I would also like to commend the State departments of education 
across the country that select the outstanding students each year and 
the Department of Defense, which provides competitively selected 
military officers from every service branch to serve as guides and 
mentors to the students during the program. The Hearst Foundations have 
continued to administer and fund the program since inception, including 
college scholarships for each student given with the encouragement

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to continue their studies in history and government.
  This year, 104 impressive student delegates were selected because of 
their outstanding leadership abilities and volunteer work by the chief 
educational officer from each State to travel to Washington and serve 
as young ``senators'' from their respective States for 1 week. They 
will keep a busy schedule attending meetings and briefings with 
Senators and congressional staff, the President, a Justice of the 
Supreme Court, leaders of Cabinet agencies, an ambassador to the United 
States, and top members of the national media.
  The USSYP has a proud roster of more than 5,000 alumni of the program 
who continue to use the skills they learned from their experience as 
delegates and many of whom have become public servants.
  I am proud to serve as an honorary cochair of the program, and I send 
my best wishes to each of the students selected to represent their 
States during Washington Week. I especially send my sincere 
congratulations to the two Nevada delegates, Daniel Waqar of Las Vegas 
and Benjamin Link of Eureka.

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