Jackie Speier

“ I am happy to report that CASE furthers San Francisco's proud legacy by successfully harnessing the power of collaboration and communication to engage children, parents, educators and the community to advance the admirable goal of improving educational opportunities for children with disabilities so that they, too, can become happy and productive members of the community.
It is with great admiration that I commend the Community Alliance for Special Education for making our world a better place by advocating for those who otherwise might not be heard. ”

“ I stand in solidarity with these workers whom, like the truckers who mobilized in Washington earlier this week and many other working and middle-class Americans, have simply had enough of the diet of mistruths and deceptions that our President continues to feed the American public.
Madam Speaker, Americans are saying enough is enough. We spend billions every week in Iraq while the government there banks its oil profits and refuses to pitch in to help fund the necessary projects required to get the Iraqi people back on their feet. ”

“ The spirit of altruism that was instilled in them is one that permeates the entire community.
We often talk about good citizenship, a sense of neighborhood and civic responsibility as if they were things in our past. I can attest that those values are alive and well in Hillsborough under the able leadership of Mayor Christine Krolik who states that 7,000 of the 11,000 total residents are registered to vote. And that 11,000 number includes children as well as adults, so a truly extraordinary number of voting-age adults are actively participating in our democracy. ”

“ Domestic violence impacts all of us. It is a significant drain on police and emergency resources and costs the national economy eight to ten billion dollars annually in medical bills, community support and lost wages and productivity. It is also a leading cause of homelessness and often leads to depression, substance abuse and--most troubling--an increased likelihood that victims and young witnesses will go on to become abusers themselves. ”

“ A man in a union hall put it simply: “When will our government care as much for Main Street Americans as Wall Street speculators?” As long as I am here, I will strive to make sure that the voices of Main Street are heard as loudly as the voices of Wall Street. ”

“ Volunteering to be an organ or tissue donor is a simple, painless, and selfless act of love and generosity, the impact of which cannot be understated. A single organ donation can save up to 8 lives and the donation of one person's tissue can save the lives of up to 50 others. Each year, 28,000 men, women and children are saved through organ donation. Despite the 80 million of us who are enrolled in state donor registries, there is still a need for more. ”

“ Equal pay is not solely a women's issue, it's a family issue; when women aren't paid equally, their families pay the price. There are long-term consequences too: lower pay means less Social Security and less saved for retirement. ”

“ The entire Crocker School family believes strongly that its role is to help each child build a foundation that will serve her or him for their entire life. Every aspect of its educational curriculum is designed to build a close, caring community in which every child and every adult is recognized and respected.
Madam Speaker, I am proud to be a William H. Crocker Middle School parent and I salute Crocker's longtime principal, Janet Chun, who has been a beacon of expanded learning that includes a strong community service component. ”

“ Madam Speaker, in our democratic system of government, we are taught to believe that all voices are heard equally. But most 12-year-olds don't have a lobbyist and few tables in the halls of power make room for families. That is why the work of the Peninsula Partnership Leadership Council and the San Mateo County Youth Commission and the principles laid out in the Bill of Rights for Children and Youth are so vitally important. ”

“ End this war before your term is over. Eight tragic years for our country is bad enough, don't saddle future generations with a prolonged commitment in a country we never should have gone into in the first place. ”

“ Madam Speaker, our entire nation is eternally grateful for the dedication of these and so many other public education professionals who, every day at schools across this country, take on the awesome responsibility of doing "whatever it takes" to educate, prepare, and protect our children. ”

“ The people of Hillsborough have a real connection to their town. The public schools are a source of shining pride to the entire community, and indeed diplomas my children earned at Hillsborough public schools have a place of distinction in our home. The dedicated public servants of the Police, Fire, Public Works and Administration Departments are among the very best in our great state of California. The town cares deeply about their natural resources, and Hillsborough has set a very high standard for preservation of public space and preservation of natural beauty. ”

“ A public servant is never more in tune with her constituents then when she is first running for an office. While holding over sixty community meetings in my district, the most common question was, “When will we get out of Iraq?” It was asked by voters across the spectrum – veterans, students, parents, the prosperous, middle class and those still working toward their piece of the American dream.
The process to bring the troops home must begin immediately. The President wants to stay the course and a man who wants to replace him suggests we could be in Iraq for a hundred years. ”

“ I would like to point out that over 5,000 teens seek medical services from the clinic during the year and that most of the care revolves around reproductive health. These services are free although staff will work with these young people in terms of helping them apply for health insurance. ”

“ Harvey Milk's assassination, like that of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, provided a foundation upon which people of divergent views could come together. Today, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered people have more than just one seat at the table and are represented by a wide range of officeholders at every level of government. ”

“ This ground-breaking document was born from the shared belief that all young people--regardless of race, gender, disability, economic status or other identifying characteristic--should be allowed to grow and blossom to their fullest potential, experiencing the joy, wonder and happiness that so many of us remember from our own childhoods. ”

“ Stan Rockman who after 35 years has this to say about his choice to practice public healthcare: "I love providing high quality care to patients with few options." He asserts that the patient mix at the San Mateo Medical Center enables him to practice international medicine. ”

“ Madam Speaker, thanks to increased public awareness, domestic abuse is emerging from the shadows of shame and ignorance. Still, there are far too many instances of cruel and dehumanizing behavior within what should be the security of the family home. Because of this, society will always need an organization like CORA. My sincere hope is that, someday, we will need them less. ”

“ I stand before you, eager to learn and ready to help make the laws of the greatest country on earth reflect its values --- Fairness, justice and a guarantee that working men and women, parents, students, seniors, the disabled and the disaffected – every American – has the right to a seat at the table of opportunity. ”

“ The center has been hailed for its development of programs covering mental health counseling, teen pregnancy prevention, peer leadership and the always challenging transition from school to a career. We would all do well to adhere to the center's mission to increase resiliency, encourage responsibility and promote self-determination among youth and young adults. ”

“ Mark Highman is a hero of healthcare to a generation of the less fortunate in our county and State. The San Mateo Medical Foundation is right to honor his contributions at a special ceremony on April 30th. ”

“ Faced with massive war debts, Congress excluded a class of veteran that had no voice and no vote. Since then, piecemeal attempts have been made to rectify the inequities of The Rescission Acts, but time is clearly working against us.
Today, the few Filipino veterans who are still living are in their eighties. Their number is estimated to be at or around 20,000, with 7,000 living in the United States. Many of those veterans reside in my district, which boasts the largest number of Filipino Americans in the nation. ”

“ SPEIER. Madam Speaker, today, as we observe Equal Pay Day, I rise with my colleagues and professional women everywhere to say: Women are the face of pay equity.
The Census Bureau reports that, on average, a woman earns 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. ”

“ In 2000 and 2001, Shawne suffered two complete collapses to his right lung. The condition, known as spontaneous pneumothorax, is extremely painful and can be fatal if not treated quickly. After multiple surgeries, Shawne was told that he was unlikely to ever return to full strength and should resign himself to a more sedate lifestyle. But the lifelong athlete wasn't accustomed to taking it easy and set out to prove that he could come back to full strength--and then some. ”

“ The center, a satellite office of the San Mateo Medical Center, offers primary medical care, reproductive health care, mental health counseling, sexuality education, case management of pregnant teens, vocational guidance and life skills training. This center has been highly effective in helping girls and boys from low-income backgrounds where individual needs require a multi-service response. ”

“ I learned from one of the best and he taught me three important lessons:
1. Question the status quo.
2. Always listen to the people you represent.
3. Always stand up for what you believe in --- even if you have to stand alone. ”

“ Meier's reason for coming to work each day is captured in his positive attitude. He heaps praise on the other doctors, nurses and support staff who combine to make the center a wonderful place to practice medicine. ”

“ They have access to a 21st century education that promotes success in life, in future careers and a love of life-long learning;
They have training in life skills that will prepare them to live independently, be self-sufficient and contribute to their community ”

“ Just as a second bomb went off, 12-year teaching veteran Kennet Santana, a favorite among students for his innate ability to inspire and motivate young people, tackled the running assailant before he could ignite more of the home-made bombs he had strapped to his vest. ”

“ Harvey Kaplan who proudly states that he has spent his entire career as a pediatrician. I have been friends with Dr. Kaplan for three decades and have witnessed his passion for those entering the world. ”

“ Seventy-eight years ago, Harvey Milk was born in New York. After college at Albany State College, he enlisted in the United States Navy, but was dishonorably discharged when authorities discovered that he was gay. ”

“ Deportation of and excesses against peaceful Armenians is increasing and from harrowing reports of eye witnesses it appears that a campaign of race extermination is in progress under a pretext of reprisal against rebellion. ”

“ With the opening of this important north-south roadway along one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in this or any country, his work will be memorialized for residents of our district and passing motorists for generations to come. ”

“ They serve more than 6,000 clients annually, providing legal, medical and mental health services, as well as counseling and safety in the county's only shelter for abuse victims and their children. This operation is overseen by the CORA governing board and a diverse staff of 35 who represent the vibrant cross-section of the county and region. Besides English and Spanish, CORA staff-members speak Tagalog, French, Mandarin, Italian, Korean, Hindi, and Farsi.
Madam Speaker, domestic violence is a silent epidemic. Every nine seconds, a woman in our country is abused by someone she knows. ”

“ SPEIER. Madam Speaker, today, 17 Americans awaiting organ transplants will die because a suitable donor was not available. These will be our mothers, fathers, children, and friends--some of the 100,000 of our fellow Americans on the national organ transplant waiting list. ”

“ Without their support, some say, American forces likely would have been outmanned and outgunned at many of the decisive battles in the Pacific Theater during World War II. But because of an unfair designation set into law, our government treats one class of Filipino veteran differently than another. ”

“ It is time to bring our men and women home to their families and communities. It is time for all Americans, like the Longshore and Warehouse workers, to stand up and tell the President "Enough is enough. ”

“ CORA's mission is to end domestic violence and abuse through intervention and prevention. The dedicated staff and volunteers respond to thousands of calls on the CORA hotline, and answer an equal number of requests for legal assistance each year. ”

“ Since breaking ground, significant progress has been made on this ambitious and environmentally sensitive project. Along with the completion of the two bridges, crews have excavated a combined two thousand six hundred feet in the northbound and southbound bores of the tunnels. With specialized equipment, leading edge technology and carefully designed and engineered plans, crews work twenty-four hours a day on the tunnels which will eventually connect with the newly- constructed bridges. ”

“ They have a healthy mind, body and spirit that enable them to maximize their potential;
They develop a healthy attachment to a parent, guardian or caregiver and an ongoing relationship with a caring and supportive adult ”