To increase the insurance limitations on Federal insurance for bonds issued by the designated bonding authority for Historically Black Colleges and Universities capital financing.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4154) to increase the insurance limitations on Federal insurance for bonds issued by the designated bonding authority for Historically Black Colleges and Universities capital financing.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may insert material relevant to H.R. 4154 into the Record.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), the majority whip of the House, who has worked and moved all might here to get this legislation to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), a member of the committee.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cooper).

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings).

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Mr. Cummings, Mr. Clyburn, Mr. Scott and Mr. Cooper who have worked diligently to get this legislation to the floor. And I want to thank Mr. Keller and Mr. McKeon on the Republican side, and our House leadership and the Republican leadership for facilitating this.

The Historically Black Colleges and Universities Capital Financing Program was established by Congress in 1992 to help these schools fund capital projects to construct, rehabilitate, or renovate existing and new campus facilities.

Under current law, the HBCU Capital Financing Program has a legislative cap or limit to the total amount of bonds that the Secretary of Education may guarantee to provide loans to these schools to undertake their capital projects.

In dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Secretary exceeded, with congressional approval, the original cap that Congress imposed on the amount of bonds the Secretary could guarantee. Given the cap on such bonds was reached during the tragic events caused by Hurricane Katrina, the program is now unable to provide any loans to other schools.

The bill we are considering under suspension today will simply increase the lending authority of the Secretary and establish a new cap to ensure other HBCUs in the pipeline for consideration of such loans will receive those loans. This is a short-term solution to the capital needs of these schools, and we will continue to address the reauthorization in the Higher Education Act the Education and Labor Committee is currently considering.

So I want to thank all of those who participated in this legislation.

I also want to take a moment, as we are talking about historically black colleges, to remember a pioneer that we lost this last weekend, former Congressman Gus Hawkins, who is a former Chair of the Education and Labor Committee and a member of the California delegation.

He was a wonderful politician who had a great vision for this country on behalf of its students and workers. He fought every day of his public life to make their lives better in this country. He was a trailblazer in so many aspects, including advancing legislation that barred employment discrimination and increasing the minimum wage and access to colleges.

I had the honor of serving on the committee while Gus was the Chair and can attest to his passion and dedication to the issues that affect America's students and workers.

As a founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus and the first African American to represent California in the Congress, he led the way for many legislators who are here today.

Gus was also the author of legislation which established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which continues to combat employment discrimination. Throughout his career, Gus Hawkins authored more than 300 pieces of State and Federal legislation, a feat that few can claim.

After retiring, he served as director of the Hawkins Family Memorial Foundation for Education, Research and Development, where Gus continued helping many young people find a path to college.

His voice is going to be missed, and I know my thoughts and thoughts of all of our colleagues are with the Hawkins family today.

I also want to say that Gus Hawkins was a wonderful friend of my mother and father when Gus and my father served together in the California legislature where they fought many of these same fights on the State level. They were a remarkable group of people who blazed these trails for justice, economic and social justice, in this country. Gus Hawkins set the bar and the standard very high for all of us, and I think it is fitting that we are also addressing the needs of the historically black colleges here on the day we

choose to remember him and the delegation will have an hour of remembrance and testimony to Gus and his great accomplishments tomorrow.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4154, a bill to increase the limit placed on the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Capital Financing Program. This worthy program provides Federal insurance for bonds issued to support capital financing projects at HBCUs. Generally, the funds are used for repair and renovation.

This program includes important safeguards to protect taxpayers while making funds available to HBCUs. Under current law, the total outstanding principal and interest payments on loans made under this program cannot exceed $375 million. During fiscal year 2006, the Department of Education made 24 loans from this program. Since the last Congress, at least four institutions have submitted applications to the Department of Education to obtain funds from this program. Another seven schools have expressed an interest in the program, according to the Department. Without expanding this cap, none of these schools would have access to these critical funds.

Historically black colleges and universities are integral to the fabric of our Nation's higher education system. HBCUs serve many low- income and first-generation college students that would not otherwise have the opportunity to attend college. Students attending these institutions should have access to safe, up-to-date facilities.

With so many institutions in need of assistance, this bill will increase the overall limit on this program from $375 million to $1.1 billion. With this new cap, the Department of Education will be able to make over $400 million in loans to deserving public and private institutions. Through the HBCU Capital Financing Program, we can help these institutions to help themselves.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and vote ``yes'' on H.R. 4154.

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

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 4154. This is going to help many worthy historically black colleges to rebuild and renovate after the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, and it is worthy of support of colleagues on both sides of the aisle. I urge them to vote ``yes'' on this legislation.

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

I thank the gentleman from California, my friend from Virginia, and the gentleman from South Carolina for the prompt consideration of this vitally important measure.

I have the privilege of representing not only Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee, but also Meharry Medical College, as well as Tennessee State University and American Baptist College. But Fisk and Meharry are two private institutions that are in urgent need of funds such as these.

People should be more aware of the historic role these institutions have played in American history. At one point Meharry Medical College alone had supplied literally half of the African American physicians practicing medicine in the United States of America. This country would be completely different without the legacy and the bright, bright future of Meharry Medical College.

Equally prominent is Fisk University, what some people have called the Harvard of the historically black colleges and universities world. Currently led by Hazel O'Leary, many have heard of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, a group that is literally famous worldwide. But they should also know about the science, the liberal arts, and the incredible education that is going on at Fisk University every day.

These are vitally important institutions, and I am thankful that even the administration has seen that we need to increase this loan fund. We need to offer help to these vitally important institutions so they can continue their historic mission of educating not only African American youth, but people of all colors and persuasions to live up to their full God-given potential.

Fisk and Meharry are two vital institutions in my district. But as the gentleman noted, there are hundreds of other institutions spread nationwide. These are very important institutions to support, and I am grateful that the House leadership, with Republican cooperation, has brought this bill forward. We must pass this important legislation.

I want to thank Chairman Miller for yielding the time to me, and I want to thank Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, Chairman Miller, Messrs. McKeon and Keller, Leader Boehner, Minority Whip Blunt and all the other committee members on both sides of the aisle for bringing the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Capital Financing Improvement Act to the floor, and I rise in strong support of this legislation.

As a proud graduate of an HBCU, South Carolina State University, I understand the important role that HBCUs play in the development of our country. It is essential that this congressional body do all that we can to support these institutions and the students they serve.

Our Nation's historically black colleges and universities have produced some of America's brightest stars and most principled leaders, many of whom serve in this body.

I requested the introduction of this bill because many of the builders and buildings and facilities at some of these fine colleges and universities are deteriorating as we speak. This bill goes a long way toward making it possible for many of these schools to refurbish their infrastructure and to better serve the needs of their faculties and student bodies.

This legislation provides increased lending authority for bonds issued to support capital financing projects at HBCUs. Funds authorized through this bill will be used for the repair, renovation and the construction of facilities used for instruction, research and housing.

Mr. Speaker, institutions of higher learning are only as good as what they produce, and, in my opinion, no other set of institutions has a more impressive alumni role than our Nation's HBCUs. I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation.

I want to thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, as a graduate of Howard University and first-generation graduate of college, to see my daughter graduate from Howard University, too, and then to sit on the board of Morgan State University, this bill is very, very important.

I have had an opportunity to visit a lot of historically black colleges and universities. I have often said if they did not exist, we would have to invent them because they have touched so many people. But so often when we go to campuses, we see buildings that are in very bad shape. Sometimes it almost brings tears to your eyes to think that students will come from far away and so often when they get there, so often they are disappointed. But the fact is that they still learn.

But it is nice to know that extending this bonding authority will be helpful to them in getting these buildings built and renovated. It is so very, very important. So I want to congratulate Mr. Miller and the committee, and certainly Mr. Clyburn.

I have often said that our children are the living messages we send to a future we will never see. I think if we are going to send a powerful message, our children must be educated and they must be educated in the best facilities. They must be educated with the best faculties. So as one who also represents Morgan State and Coppin, as well as Sojourner-Douglass in my district, I think this bill is so very, very important; and I think it says a lot about this body that we would even be doing this.