Honoring public child welfare agencies, nonprofit organizations and private entities providing services for foster children.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 789, honoring public child welfare agencies, nonprofit organizations and private entities providing services for foster children. I first would like to thank my distinguished colleague, Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, for introducing this important legislation. This resolution acknowledges the importance of foster parents and other community partners who care for hurting children.

Children are placed in foster care because of society's concern for their well-being. Any time spent by a child in temporary care should be therapeutic but may be harmful to the child's growth, development, and well-being. Interruptions in the continuity of a child's caregiver are often detrimental. Repeated moves from home to home compound the adverse consequences that stress and inadequate parenting have on the child's development and ability to cope. Adults cope with impermanence by building on an accrued sense of self-reliance and by anticipating and planning for a time of greater constancy. Children, however, especially when young, have limited life experience on which to establish their sense of self. In addition, their sense of time focuses exclusively on the present and precludes meaningful understanding of ``temporary'' versus ``permanent'' or anticipation of the future. For young children, periods of weeks or months are not comprehensible. Disruption in either place or with a caregiver for even 1 day may be stressful. The younger the child and the more extended the period of uncertainty or separation, the more detrimental it will be to the child's well-being.

The observance brings sharply into focus the critical needs of foster children and the importance of our foster parents who respond so faithfully and selflessly to the children's needs. Some children are placed in foster care briefly while a family crisis is resolved. Others remain in care for longer periods of time, depending upon the circumstances that led to their removal from their family's home. Over 500,000 children in the United States are currently in foster care which is twice as many as 20 years ago. The majority of these children and youth have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect. Our foster parents deserve special praise because they open their homes and their hearts to foster children and love them unconditionally. They understand that a safe, secure home is very important to the healthy development of a child.

An increasing number of young children are being placed in foster care because of parental neglect. Neglect has very profound and long- lasting consequences on all aspects of child development--poor attachment formation, understimulation, development delay, poor physical development, and antisocial behavior. Being in an environment in which child-directed support and communication is limited makes it more difficult for a child to develop the brain connections that facilitate language and vocabulary development, and therefore may impair communication skills. Recent findings in infant mental health show how development can be facilitated, how treatment can enhance brain development and psychological health, and how prevention strategies can lessen the ill effects of neglect.

Adoption by foster families has the potential to benefit not only the child being adopted, but also the foster family and the child welfare agency. There are a number of reasons that a child's foster parents may be the best adoptive parents for that child. Foster parents have a greater knowledge of a child's experiences prior to placement and know what behaviors to expect from the child. If they have sufficient background information about what happened to a child before this placement, some knowledge of how children generally respond to such experiences, and extensive information about this child's specific behavior patterns, the foster family is better able to understand and respond to the child's needs in a positive and appropriate way. Foster parents usually have fewer fantasies and fears about the child's birth family, because they often have met and know them as real people with real problems. Foster parents have a better understanding of their role and relationship with the agency--and perhaps a relationship with their worker.

Foster children experience a number of unique challenges based on instability in their home and school environments. Just over half of all foster children complete high school, 40 percent continue to rely on public assistance into adulthood and 25 percent will experience homelessness at one point in their lives. Numerous public child welfare agencies, nonprofit organizations and private entities work tirelessly to recruit loving foster families and improve the lives of foster children. These groups strive to consider the best interest of each child and focus on keeping families together when possible. They provide invaluable resources to foster families as well as teachers, counselors, physicians, clergy, and others who work closely with children in the foster care system.

Mr. Speaker, I recognize and honor the contributions of all public child welfare agencies, nonprofit organizations and private entities dedicated to finding homes for foster children and assisting foster families in securing their future success.

Madam Speaker, due to illness, I was unable to participate in the following votes. If I had been present, I would have voted as follows:

May 13, 2008: Rollcall vote 306, on motion to suspend the rules and agree--H. Res. 1181, Expressing condolences and sympathy to the people of Burma for the grave loss of life and vast destruction caused by Cyclone Nargis--I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote 307, on motion to suspend the rules and pass--H.R. 6022, Strategic Petroleum Reserve Fill Suspension and Consumer Protection Act--I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote 308, on motion to suspend the rules and pass--H.R. 4008, Credit and Debit Card Receipt Clarification Act of 2007--I would have voted ``aye.''

May 14, 2008: Rollcall vote 309, question of consideration on the role--H. Res. 1189, providing for consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 2419, the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act-- I would have voted ``nay.''

Rollcall vote 310, on ordering the previous question on the rule--H. Res. 1189, providing for consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 2419, the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act--I would have voted ``nay.''

Rollcall vote 311, on agreeing to the resolution--H. Res. 1189, providing for consideration of the conference report to accompany H.R. 2419, the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act--I would have voted ``nay.''

Rollcall vote 312, on motion to suspend the rules and agree--H. Res. 1134, Supporting the goals and ideals of Mental Health Month--I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote 313, on motion to suspend the rules and agree--H. Res. 1176, Supporting the goals and ideals of National Train Day--I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote 314, on motion to recommit conference report with instructions--H.R. 2410, the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act--I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote 315, on agreeing to the conference report--H.R. 2410, the Farm, Nutrition, and Bioenergy Act--I would have voted ``nay.''

Rollcall vote 316, on motion to suspend the rules and agree to, as amended--H. Res. 1133, Congratulating Winona State University on winning the 2008 Division II men's basketball championships--I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote 317, on ordering the previous question--H. Res. 1190, Providing for the adoption of the concurrent resolution, S. Con. Res. 70, the Congressional Budget Act--I would have voted ``nay.''

Rollcall vote 318, on agreeing to the resolution--H. Res. 1190, Providing for the adoption of the concurrent resolution, S. Con. Res. 70, the Congressional Budget Act--I would have voted ``nay.''

Rollcall vote 319, on motion to suspend the rules and agree to--H. Res. 1173, Recognizing AmeriCorps Week--I would have voted ``nay.''

Rollcall vote 320, on motion to instruct the conferees on--H.R. 4040, Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act--I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote 321, on motion to instruct the conferees on--S. Con. Res. 70, the Congressional Budget Resolution--I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote 322, on motion to suspend the rules and agree to, as amended--H. Res. 789, Honoring public child welfare agencies, nonprofit organizations and private entities providing services for foster children--I would have voted ``aye.''

May 15, 2008: Rollcall vote 323, on ordering the previous question-- H. Res. 1197, Providing for consideration of the Senate amendment to H.R. 2642, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act--I would have voted ``nay.''

Rollcall vote 324, on agreeing to the resolution--H. Res. 1197, Providing for consideration of the Senate amendment to H.R. 2642, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act--I would have voted ``nay.''

Rollcall vote 325, on motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended--H.R. 5614, Original Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle Ultra-High Relief Palladium Bullion Coin Act--I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote 326, on motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended--H.R. 406, Alice Paul Women's Suffrage Congressional Gold Medal Act--I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote 327, on motion to suspend the rules and pass, as amended--H.R. 5872, Boy Scouts of America Centennial Commemorative Coin Act--I would have voted ``aye.''

Rollcall vote 328, on agreeing to the Senate amendment with amendment No. 1--H.R. 2642, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act--I would have voted ``present.''

Rollcall vote 329, on agreeing to the Senate amendment with amendment No. 2--H.R. 2642, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act--I would have voted ``nay.''

Rollcall vote 330, on agreeing to the Senate amendment with amendment No. 3--H.R. 2642, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act--I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Speaker, on December 19, 2007, the last day of the session before the holiday season, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4040, the Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act. The vote was 407-0. Today, with this Motion to Instruct Conferees, we are taking yet another step towards fulfilling our pledge to the American people to protect their children from dangerous products and overhaul the Consumer Product Safety Commission. I am confident that in the coming weeks, we can resolve all of the differences between the House and Senate versions of their respective bills and send a strong piece of legislation to the President that he will sign into law.

We have much to be proud of in the House version of consumer product safety reform legislation. H.R. 4040 was introduced by Chairman Dingell, Ranking Member Barton, Ranking Member Steams, and me. This historic bill, of which I am the lead sponsor, authorizes desperately needed resources to the Commission and dramatically rewrites the Consumer Product Safety Act, as well as the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, both of which are administered by the CPSC. After decades of neglect, the House bill restores the CPSC to its rightful place of prominence and gives it the necessary tools to grapple with the global marketplace and protect American consumers, particularly children, from dangerous and defective products.

The House bill is the culmination of a deliberative, bipartisan process that entailed countless meetings with consumer groups, industry, and staff of the Consumer Product Safety Commission. In the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, we held five hearings before our subcommittee markup. The full-committee reported H.R. 4040 as amended with a vote of 51-0. As Chairman of the Subcommittee, I am extremely proud of our collective efforts during this process.

H.R. 4040 has two titles. Title I specifically addresses children's products by establishing the strictest lead standard in the world for children's products and requiring certification and testing. Title II overhauls the CPSC itself, giving the beleaguered agency much needed resources and strengthening its underlying organic statutes. At both the Subcommittee and Full Committee mark-ups, the bill underwent significant changes: We strengthened the lead standard, raised the age requirement for mandatory testing to 12, required CPSC to appropriately tailor their corrective action plans to fit consumer needs, granted emergency recall authority to CPSC, bestowed enforcement authority to state Attorneys General, banned corporate-sponsored travel for Commission employees, and preserved state common law rights of action.

All of these excellent changes were made at the behest of members of the Energy and Commerce Committee who offered their valuable input on how to make the underlying bill better. The House bill is much stronger than the Senate bill in numerous ways, and it is my hope that our friends on the other side of the Capitol will agree to adopt those provisions in the final version that becomes law. Of course, likewise, the Senate bill has provisions absent in the House bill that are worthy of consideration and adoption. Indeed, the final product of a good conference should reflect the very best work of both bodies of Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I cannot emphasize enough that ours is a bipartisan bill that, from the very beginning, we drafted in consultation with Democratic and Republican members, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, consumer groups, and industry. I want to sincerely thank the distinguished Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, my dear friend, John Dingell, for his unparalleled leadership. This bill simply would not be possible without his guidance. Of course, I also want to thank my friends, the distinguished Ranking Member of the Committee, Joe Barton, and the former Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, Cliff Stearns, for their leadership and unwavering cooperation.

I hope H.R. 4040 returns to the floor in a few weeks in the form of a conference report that the House can pass in unanimous fashion, just as we did on the last day of session last year. If we continue our deliberative approach of bipartisan cooperation, I am confident that we can do so and will eventually send to the President's desk a bill that will become law. I am confident that all of us will be able to go home to our constituents and tell them that we have done our job to protect American consumers and their families from dangerous and defective products.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the Motion to Instruct Conferees.

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield to the distinguished Congresswoman from Minnesota (Mrs. Bachmann) such time as she may consume. She is the sponsor of the resolution.

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

I am also a strong believer in what we are doing here in honoring foster care with this month. This is an opportunity to give these children a sense of well-being, a home, a stability, nurturing adults.

We've seen it work time and again, as the gentlewoman from Minnesota has explained. There are currently over 500,000 children in foster care in the United States, and the majority of these children have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect. So those who welcome these children in, give them that opportunity, deserve our plaudits in terms of what they've done to help in our society.

Just over half of all foster children complete high school, 30 percent continue to rely on public assistance into adulthood, and 25 percent will experience homelessness at one point in their lives. So we're dealing with circumstances, in many instances, in which we have to try to intervene and to make a difference.

We should pay tribute to the public child welfare agencies, the nonprofits and the private entities that provide these services for these children because, indeed, they are reaching out and making a difference in the lives of many of these individuals.

The groups we honor today provide invaluable resources to foster families, teachers, counselors, physicians, clergy and others who work closely with the children in the foster care system. They sponsor research, develop best practices, and offer assistance to youth transitioning out of the system to ensure they receive adequate support as they reach adulthood. There are an estimated 12 million foster care alumni in the United States representing all walks of life.

We pay tribute to those individuals in this resolution, and I would hope

that all of our colleagues would be supportive of the resolution.

I thank the gentlewoman for her sponsorship and all those who brought it to the floor today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 789, honoring public child welfare agencies, nonprofit organizations and private entities providing services for foster children.

May is National Foster Care Month. We take this time to bring awareness to the many sides of foster care. Children are placed in foster care when their parents are no longer able to ensure their essential well being. These children need stable, loving care until they can either safely reunite with their families or cultivate other lasting relationships with nurturing adults.

Foster care is essential to protecting abused and neglected children. There are currently over 500,000 children in foster care in the United States. The majority of these children have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect.

During this month we recognize the unique challenges foster children experience based on the instability in their home and school environments. Just over half of all foster children complete high school, 30 percent continue to rely on public assistance into adulthood, and 25 percent will experience homelessness at one point in their lives.

Today, we pay tribute to the public child welfare agencies, nonprofit organizations and private entities that provide services for foster children. These organizations work tirelessly to improve the lives of foster children by considering the best interest of each child, focusing on keeping families together when possible, and recruiting loving foster families.

The groups we honor today provide invaluable resources to foster families, teachers, counselors, physicians, clergy, and others who work closely with children in the foster care system. They sponsor research, develop best practices, and offer assistance to youth transitioning out of the system to ensure they receive adequate support as they reach adulthood. There are an estimated 12 million foster care alumni in the United States representing all walks of life.

Today, we honor the contributions of public child welfare agencies, nonprofit organizations and private entities dedicated to finding homes for foster children and assisting foster families in securing the future success of their foster children. These groups are committed to raising awareness related to the special needs of foster children.

That is why I stand in support of this resolution and I ask for my colleagues' support.

I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the bill (H.R. 4040) to establish consumer product safety standards and other safety requirements for children's products and to reauthorize and modernize the Consumer Product Safety Commission, with a Senate amendment thereto, disagree to the Senate amendment, and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on the motion to instruct under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to speak on behalf of the thoroughly bipartisan legislation underlying this motion. I begin with a commendation to my good friend from Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield) and to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, including Mr. Barton, the ranking minority member, and the other members of the subcommittee and full committee who have worked so hard on this legislation on both sides of the aisle.

I would observe that this is a thoroughly bipartisan piece of legislation. It passed out of the committee 51-0, and it passed the House 407-0. It is one of the most important consumer protection bills to come before this House in this Congress. It is crucially important for us to have such legislation signed into law this year. And I want to point out that without it, people will remain at risk from dangerous products and from an important Federal regulator who will remain both underfunded and incapable of acting properly to take care of consumers' legitimate concerns with regard to the safety of all manner of products from toys from the very beginning of life right through the time that we enter the graveyard.

On December 19, 2007, the House passed this legislation then without a dissenting vote. It represents extraordinary work by the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and it shows how bipartisanship can function, and it shows how an excellent staff on both sides of the aisle working together can bring before us legislation that is in the broad overall public interest. The Senate substituted its version of the bill on March 6, 2008. Some elements of the Senate bill are problematic, but others are indeed worthy of serious consideration by the conference committee. The differences between the two bills are outweighed by their similarities. There is no reason why the House conferees should not return here in short order with a workable, balanced, and strong conference report deserving the full support of the House and upon which I intend to work closely with my good friends on the minority side, as we have so far.

I want to remind my colleagues what the House bill does. It bans lead beyond the most minute amount in products intended for children under 12 years of age. It mandates premarket testing by certified laboratories for lead and other hazards in children's products, and it sees that those laboratories are properly qualified and able to carry out their important responsibilities. It places requirements on manufacturers to enhance recalls. It empowers the Consumer Product Safety Commission, CPSC, to share information about dangerous products immediately. It requires CPSC to provide public access to a database of serious injuries and deaths caused by consumer products, but it does so requiring also that the information be truthful, correct, and properly verified. It prohibits the sale and export of recalled products. It ensures that CPSC effectively shares information with the States. And it bans industry-sponsored travel by CPSC Commissioners and their staff.

I want to observe that the motion is a good one. I support it. I commend my

good friend from Kentucky for his offering of it and for his leadership in the handling of this legislation.

I again want to pay my respects and compliments to my colleagues on the Republican side and to my colleagues on this side for the outstanding way in which they have put together this legislation.

I urge that the House support the motion to instruct offered by my good friend from Kentucky.

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

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