[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 10, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H5310-H5311]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNIZING THE ST. CLOUD POLICE DEPARTMENT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Minnesota (Mr. Emmer) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. EMMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the St. Cloud 
Police Department for receiving the United States Department of 
Justice's L. Anthony Sutin Civic Imagination Award. This award 
recognizes collaborative partnerships between law enforcement and their 
communities.
  The St. Cloud Police Department received the award for its Community 
Outpost Project. The ``Cop House,'' as is it is more commonly known, is 
a refurbished residential home in a neighborhood that previously 
experienced a high level of calls for local law enforcement.
  The St. Cloud Police Department, together with numerous community 
partners, now provides not only a local gathering place, but safety and 
health programming for the neighborhood residents out of this home.
  Congratulations to Chief Blair Anderson, Lieutenant Lori Ellering, 
the Greater St. Cloud Public Safety Foundation, and all of the officers 
of the St. Cloud Police Department for this well-deserved award.
  Our community appreciates all of you and all that you do to protect 
and serve us.


                   Prioritizing Transportation Safety

  Mr. EMMER. Mr. Speaker, on Minnesota's U.S. Highway 12 between the 
cities of Independence and my hometown of Delano, in just the last 5 
years, there have been 811 crashes in which 239 people have been 
injured and 24 people have lost their lives.
  Several of those lost have been high school classmates of my own 
children. In fact, this past March, Marleena Dieterich, a senior honor 
student at Delano High School and the child of Thom and Deb, lost her 
life as she was trying to get home.
  Recently, Deputy Administrator for the Federal Highway Administration 
Brandye Hendrickson visited Minnesota on behalf of Secretary Chao. 
Following a bus tour of the most dangerous stretches of U.S. Highway 
12, we held a roundtable with community leaders and residents to 
discuss possible solutions and the need for action.

                              {time}  1030

  The accidents and fatalities on this road are avoidable. We continue 
to urge Secretary Chao to visit and see firsthand the danger this 
highway presents.
  Congress must do its part to provide long-term Federal transportation 
funding for needed infrastructure repairs and improvements. We must 
find innovative and long-term solutions to address these sorely needed 
improvements, like the need on U.S. Highway 12.
  I thank Deputy Administrator Hendrickson and everyone who 
participated in our roundtable. Together, we will continue fighting for 
improvements on U.S. Highway 12 until we see the changes that will 
prioritize the safety of our neighbors, our friends, and our fellow 
Minnesotans.


                    Inspiring Future Female Leaders

  Mr. EMMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my staff and to 
highlight a program our office launched during my first term in 
Congress for high school women in Minnesota's Sixth Congressional 
District.
  The program is called the Young Women's Leadership Program.
  In addition to my staff, I want to personally thank the amazing women 
leaders who have participated in the program and who have agreed to be 
a resource and mentors for the young women who attend these programs as 
they get ready for life beyond high school.
  Every summer, our Young Women's Leadership Program hosts three 
roundtable discussions featuring high-achieving professional women in 
our district.
  To date, we have been honored by the first female brigadier general 
for both the Army and Air Force, the first Asian American female U.S. 
district attorney, a surgeon, a college professor, and numerous female 
entrepreneurs and business owners.
  This program gives our participants insight into valuable leadership 
experiences and career advice during a pivotal time in their lives.
  Our panelists have discussed how to negotiate your first salary, tips 
for networking successfully, managing a work-life balance, and 
countless other lessons.
  We live in a time in our Nation's history where everyone is important 
and needed, especially strong women.
  Again, I want to thank the incredible women leaders who have 
participated in our program to pay it forward for the next generation 
of women leaders, and I encourage my Republican and Democrat colleagues 
here in Congress to do the same in all of your districts.


                          A Better Way to Age

  Mr. EMMER. Mr. Speaker, we recently held a senior forum for residents 
of Minnesota's Sixth Congressional District. This forum was an 
opportunity to connect our seniors and their caregivers with resources 
to assist with health, lifestyle, and future planning needs.
  I want to thank the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging and the Central 
Minnesota Council on Aging for partnering with our office to make this 
event a success.
  Recently, the House passed the Setting Every Community Up for 
Retirement Enhancement Act. This nonpartisan law, more commonly known 
as the SECURE Act, will make it easier to establish retirement plans 
and removes age limits for IRA contributions.
  The SECURE Act will allow our seniors more flexibility and improve 
their quality of life in retirement.

[[Page H5311]]

  This is great, nonpartisan work by Congress. And, going forward, we 
must all be committed to doing what we can to ensure our seniors are 
able to plan for their financial futures, stay healthy, and maintain 
connections to their communities.

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