To amend the Department of Agriculture Organic Act of 1944 to ensure that the dependents of employees of the Forest Service stationed in Puerto Rico receive a high-quality elementary and secondary education.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I want the record once again to reflect that I am standing in for the ranking member, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) as he appears in the Committee on Rules arguing for consideration of an amendment that would allow the House to express its support for disaster relief for farmers similar to what was passed earlier by the Senate; $3 billion for disaster relief for farmers was an amount established in the Senate consideration on this matter. Certainly, it was not all that some wanted, but it was viewed as a substantive response to the disaster need to our farmers.

It troubles me that some in the House are talking about no response, talking about doing whatever is necessary for Florida, by the way, I stand in strong support for a response of Florida, but leaving behind the losses faced in other agriculture production areas.

We all have to stand together, and the production loss of my farmers is just as devastating, albeit from other causes than hurricane losses, as the hurricane losses have been to the farmers in southern Florida.

Therefore, I wish the ranking member well in his testimony to the Committee on Rules. We will fully engage this debate tomorrow, but I want the record to reflect that the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm) in my opinion is clearly advancing the interest of farmers tonight as he testifies to the Committee on Rules in favor of his disaster legislation, legislation supported by both Republicans and Democrats representing hard-hit areas of production agriculture.

That said, I will now read from the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Stenholm's) statements on behalf of H.R. 5042: ``Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5042, and I thank the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Acevedo-Vila) for bringing this issue before the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture.

``Until recently, 11 dependents of the Forest Service employees stationed in Puerto Rico attended the DOD Educational Authority schools at the Naval Station Roosevelt Road. However, this naval station closed earlier this year at the direction of Congress. As a result, Federal Forest Service employees assigned to Puerto Rico are faced with limited choices and opportunities for their children's education. This could lead to loss of qualified staff of the Forest Service willing to work in Puerto Rico.

``While other Federal agencies have authority to reimburse their staff for educational expenses incurred by their dependents while assigned to Puerto Rico, the Forest Service has no similar authorization. This legislation, which is supported by the Forest Service, will simply employ authorization to the Forest Service to reimburse its staff for educational expenses incurred by their dependents when assigned to Puerto Rico.

``I encourage Members to support this simple but fair legislative solution.''

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5042. This legislation is an important step to provide access to stable and quality education for the dependents of our federal employees who are assigned to Puerto Rico. This is a non-controversial bill that will allow the dependents of USDA Forest Service employees to receive convenient, reliable and high quality education when assigned to Puerto Rico.

Until Naval Station Roosevelt Road's closure earlier this year, dependents of Forest Service employees who work at both the Caribbean National Forest and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry (IITF) had attended the DOD Educational Authority (DODEA) schools at NSRR, and the Forest Service reimbursed DODEA for the expense of educating its staff's dependents.

The closest DODEA school, at Fort Buchanan, is approximately a 1 to 1\1/2\ hour commute each way from their previous school, and therefore is not a convenient or suitable alternative. Most of the classes taught in Puerto Rico's public schools are in Spanish, and are not acceptable alternatives to English-based education for these federal employee dependents. Private schools, while close by, are an expensive cost to federal employees, and though other federal agencies, such as the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Justice, the Federal Aviation Administration and others have authority to reimburse their staff for educational expenses incurred by their dependents at private schools while assigned to Puerto Rico, the Forest Service has no similar authorization.

As a result, federal Forest Service employees assigned to Puerto Rico are faced with limited choices and opportunities for the continuing education of their dependents. This legislation will simply provide authorization to the Forest Service to reimburse its staff for educational expenses incurred by their dependents' when assigned to Puerto Rico.

This bill is budget neutral, as it caps the Forest Service's reimbursement authority to not exceed the per-child amount previously reimbursed to the DODEA. The Forest Service supports this legislation.

I support this legislation and urge my colleagues to vote yes on this important fix to

allow the dependents of federal employees working for the Forest Service to receive the highest educational experience.

In closing, I would like to thank Agriculture Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, ranking member Charles Stenholm, and the committee staff of their assistance in quickly sheparding this bill through their committee and to the floor. I appreciate their help in addressing this important measure.

I urge my fellow members to support this measure, and to ensure that the dependents of our dedicated and professional Forest Service employees in Puerto Rico maintain convenient access to quality education.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5042) to amend the Department of Agriculture Organic Act of 1944 to ensure that the dependents of employees of the Forest Service stationed in Puerto Rico receive a high-quality elementary and secondary education.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5042, introduced by the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Acevedo-Vila).

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5042 amends the Department's Organic Act to allow the Secretary of Agriculture to cover tuition and transportation costs for dependents of Forest Service employees in Puerto Rico.

When the U.S. Naval Base at Roosevelt Roads closed its school, several Forest Service employees lost the only nearby English language school available to their children. H.R. 5042 would allow the Department of Agriculture to reimburse tuition and transportation costs for these employees' dependents. Currently, several other Federal agencies, including the FAA, Department of Justice, and the Coast Guard, have made use of this authority for their employees assigned to Puerto Rico.

The bill should have minimal fiscal impact, as USDA was reimbursing the Department of Defense for the use of their school at the same rate authorized in this bill.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 5042.