[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 21 (Wednesday, February 2, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H341-H342]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1115
            CELEBRATING THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF MARGO CARLIN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Pennsylvania (Ms. Scanlon) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate an outstanding 
female athlete and native of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, for her service 
to our community.
  Margo Carlin currently plays field hockey at Boston College, where 
she has won multiple awards and played in the NCAA Final Four. But her 
accomplishments go far beyond the field hockey turf.
  Last year, after a new rule allowed college athletes to raise money 
from the use of their names and likenesses, Margo saw an opportunity to 
make a difference in our community. She used her platform as a college 
athlete to partner with Covenant House and raised nearly $30,000 to 
help that charity house and feed young people who are experiencing 
homelessness in our area. That successful partnership allowed Covenant 
House to seek out similar partnerships with athletes in other parts of 
the country.

[[Page H342]]

  Margo's approach to community service is an example of how each of us 
has the power, with a little creativity, to use our unique talents to 
make a difference. I am so proud to recognize Margo Carlin today, and I 
look forward to all she will accomplish in the future.


                  Support Workforce Training Programs

  Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, since coming to Congress, my office has 
focused on forging closer connections between the jobs that we are 
developing in our region and the people who live here.
  I have been proud to support a number of workforce training programs 
that bridge that gap, particularly for the jobs that are revitalizing 
the Philadelphia Shipyard, thanks to a contract we helped secure for 
the building of five national security multi-mission vessels.
  Another sector of our local economy that is going to benefit 
immensely from investments in workforce training and public-private 
partnerships is biotech and life sciences.
  Last week, the U.S. Economic Development Administration announced 
that the Wistar Institute in Philadelphia is receiving a STEM Talent 
Challenge Grant, one of only eight such grants awarded in the entire 
Nation.
  The Wistar Institute will use this grant to support workforce 
training to address the demand for skilled workers from the life 
sciences industry which has been growing by leaps and bounds in our 
region.
  For over 20 years, the Wistar Institute has been pioneering workforce 
training for young people attending high schools and community colleges 
in our region to enter this exciting field. And I am delighted that 
this new program is training students from Cheyney University, the 
oldest HBCU in the country, which is also located in my district.
  The Quality Science Pathway Apprenticeship offers an earn-and-learn, 
hands-on training curriculum, taught by experts to uniquely address the 
critical need for a highly skilled, quality science labor force based 
in the Philadelphia region.
  For the last decade, our regional economy has been driven by dynamic 
eds, meds, and tech sectors. Life sciences is a key part of that 
economy, so I am grateful that the EDA chose to invest in this model 
program at the Wistar Institute to help people from our region win 
these critical jobs and the opportunity to have careers in an 
expanding, in-demand industry.


                  Fighting Gun Violence in Our Country

  Ms. SCANLON. Mr. Speaker, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, 
we have seen an unprecedented rise in gun violence across the entire 
country.
  While most conversations about gun violence are quickly overwhelmed 
by extremist rhetoric, one of the strategies to reduce gun violence 
that has widespread support is to make sure that law enforcement has 
the resources needed to investigate and clear cases that get criminals 
and guns off of the streets. That is why I am proud to support an 
important piece of legislation introduced by former police chief and 
our colleague in Congress, Representative Val Demings.
  The VICTIM Act targets resources to the things we know can help 
reduce gun violence. Grants would support the hiring, training, and 
retention of detectives and victim services personnel. These grants 
will also fund training, equipment, and personnel needed to process and 
analyze evidence in gun crimes.
  In Philadelphia, our Police Department would like to use such funding 
to support a new unit dedicated to investigating non-fatal shootings.
  One of the reasons I came to Congress was to fight for an end to gun 
violence, to protect our children, our families, and our communities.
  In our country today, gun violence is hitting ever closer to home. 
Several of my employees have lost relatives to gun violence. In 
November, a constituent was killed in a carjacking near his college 
campus. A month later, I became the victim of carjacking, though I am 
extremely lucky that no one was injured in my case.
  Then, just last week, I found myself embracing a mother devastated by 
the death of her daughter after she was struck by gunfire at a 
playground. This has to stop.
  There is no one solution. But as a legislator, I want to pass laws to 
tackle the underlying issues driving this epidemic of violence, as well 
as providing the means to end it. That means commonsense gun safety 
reform, resources for law enforcement, support for mental health 
services, and investments in education and employment opportunities for 
all Americans.
  The VICTIM Act can be an important part of this effort, and I hope we 
will soon be able to bring it to the floor for a vote.

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