Keep Teachers Teaching Act of 2009

Madam Speaker, I rise to direct the House's attention to Public Service Recognition Week, a time in which we honor the more than 20 million men and women who serve our Nation as Federal, State, county and local government employees.

On May 4, 2010, I joined the Partnership for Public Service at an event they hosted to commend all of our Nation's public servants and to recognize one in particular: the late Vicki Levin, wife of our colleague from Michigan. The Partnership presented a plaque to Representative Sandy Levin with the following inscription: ``In memory of Vicki Levin with deep appreciation for three decades of dedicated service to our country.'' I was pleased to offer the following remarks to commend our Nation's public servants and to honor Vicki Levin. I also wish to enclose in the Record a column reflecting on Vicki's exemplary public service, written by the Levins' son, Andy.

remarks at the partnership for public service reception honoring vicki

levin

Thank you for inviting me to join you at tonight's

celebration of Public Service Recognition Week. It's a

pleasure to be here and to help acknowledge the contributions

of our nation's public servants--and of one very dedicated

individual in particular.

As a political scientist by training, I am often asked

about how the academic perspective of government compares

with the day to day reality. The question itself is as

interesting as the answer, because it reveals the tendency of

both academics and civilians to view government as a kind of

abstract entity. But in a representational democracy,

government is very much a living entity. It is intended to be

an instrument of our common purpose, and like most

instruments, it doesn't play itself. People make government

work.

People keep us safe from terrorist threats and food-borne

illness; people develop new treatments for diseases; people

protect our natural resources. The list goes on and on, and

yet, far too often, we overlook--or simply take for granted--

these people: America's public servants. And so for all you

do to make government work in pursuit of the greater good,

let me say thank you.

You stepped up to the plate, and we urgently need to find

more people who are willing to take up the mantle of public

service. In the next few years, an estimated one-third of the

government's top scientists, engineers, physicians,

mathematicians, economists, and other highly specialized

professionals are expected to retire.

Since a high-quality workforce is the key to success for

any organization, we need to both inspire the next generation

to enter government service--and make sure we have the tools

to compete for the country's best minds. I'm pleased to have

worked with the Partnership for Public Service on legislation

to do just that: The Roosevelt Scholars Act (H.R. 1161). This

legislation would create a much needed pipeline of talent for

the federal government by awarding graduate-level

scholarships to students who commit to public service.

Another element of our personnel and recruitment efforts

must be recognizing public servants and lauding the intrinsic

rewards of a career in government service. I believe it is

the personal stories of our public servants themselves that

will best help us make this case.

One such person is Vicki Levin, the dear wife of our friend

and colleague Congressman Sandy Levin, who passed away in

September 2008.

The Levin family has a long record of service in our

justice and judicial systems both in their home state of

Michigan and here in Congress. Sandy chairs the Ways and

Means Committee in the House while his brother Carl chairs

Armed Services in the Senate; they are the longest-serving

brothers in congressional history and one of the few sets

ever to serve as chairman simultaneously. And yet Sandy's

son, Andy, who oversees workforce development and adult

education programs for the state of Michigan, says it was not

his father or his uncle who inspired him to choose a career

in public service.

Andy wrote a column about his mother shortly after her

death, the sort of column any of us would be immeasurably

proud to have our children write. Andy says this about the

source of his inspiration: ``my mom . . . not famous and

never elected to office . . . a classic `Washington

bureaucrat'.''

Vicki worked for nearly three decades--until health reasons

forced her to retire--as a science research officer for a

variety of agencies within the U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services (DHHS). During her career there, as well as

for much of her

life, she was a tireless advocate for research on children's

mental health. In fact, it was her interest in this issue

that prompted Sandy to spearhead an effort to rewrite

Michigan's special education laws during the time he was

serving as a state senator.

The official description of Vicki's work on an NIH

scientific review committee is that she ran a committee of

scientists who decided which research proposals to fund in

the areas of infant and children's mental health. However, as

with many of our public servants, that description simply

doesn't give a full picture of what her job really was, or

more importantly, what her work meant to the average person.

Since her death, volumes of letters from coast to coast

have been sent to the Levin family. Some credited Vicki Levin

with helping develop the emerging field of development

psychopathology; many highlighted how she improved the lives

of children by advancing research on the biological and

environmental factors necessary for a healthy childhood; a

number of scholars credited her with nurturing and

encouraging their work at a critical point; and others told

personal stories about how Vicki helped them through a

personal situation.

In his column, Andy Levin noted that Vicki ``was like so many others among the 21 million federal, state, and local public servants who make sure we have clean water to drink, safe roads and park lands, and who try to protect us from things such as tainted Chinese milk without setting up crippling barriers to international trade.''

Vicki Levin serves as a perfect example of the kind of person that conducts government work: someone whose goal is promoting and protecting the common good. Her story is a stirring reminder of the recognition that public service professionals merit, and an inspiration for others to join her son and commit to a life of public service.

From the Detroit Free Press, Nov. 27, 2008]

Be Grateful for Public Servants, Maybe Become One Yourself

(By Andy Levin)

I come from a family of public servants, people who work

for the people.

In recent years, this calling has fallen out of public

favor. Approval ratings for the federal government sank to

37% this year, from a high of 73% six years earlier,

according to the Pew Center. While much of this has to do

with the economy and attitudes toward the Bush

administration, distrust of ``Washington bureaucrats'' is an

enduring feature of the American polity.

But two developments herald a public service comeback.

The first, of course, was the election--and the campaign--

of Barack Obama. More than any other successful presidential

candidate since John Kennedy in 1960, Obama placed at the

center of his campaign a call for each of us to serve and to

sacrifice for the common good.

The second is the financial meltdown. In the last quarter

century, Democratic and Republican administrations alike

participated in the mechanistic trend of ``less government is

better'' to the point where banks and investment houses could

engage in virtually any scheme to make money with no one

really responsible for making sure decisions were sound. And

the companies were able to pay their executives outrageous

sums that bore no relationship to performance.

In this moment of political opening in reaction to economic

crisis, people seem to be realizing that we need public

servants, people whose goal is promoting and protecting the

common good, to build a new financial system that encourages

investment, the building of real things and the provision of

useful services, and that holds financial decision makers

accountable for their actions--the essence of capitalism.

If you've been in Michigan for any time at all, you may

recognize my last name from our family's long line of public

servants. My grandpa, Saul Levin, served on the Michigan

Corrections Commission. Saul's brother, Theodore, was a

federal judge, and Uncle Ted's son, Charles, served on the

Michigan Supreme Court. My dad, U.S. Rep. Sandy Levin, and my

uncle, U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, have quietly become the longest

serving brothers in the history of Congress.

But it's none of these men who set me to wondering whether

we're about to see a public service renaissance. No, it was

my mom, Vicki Levin, not famous and never elected to office.

For almost 30 years, until she was forced to retire in the

spring for health reasons, Mom worked hard as a federal

employee--a classic ``Washington bureaucrat.''

We kids thought we knew a lot about Mom's career. She ran a

committee of scientists who decided which research proposals

to fund in the area of infant and children's mental health.

We watched her read through mountains of papers, often

bringing work home. We watched her sweat in preparation for

the thrice-yearly meetings of her committee, making sure all

the details were just right.

But I don't think I ever appreciated what her work meant to

her and to others, not fully. Back when I lived in the

Washington, D.C., area, I tried to convince Mom to retire so

she could spend more time with my four kids and her other

grandchildren. After all, she was in her early 70s. Why not

kick back? Mom bristled at the idea, saying her work and her

relationship with colleagues were central to her life.

When her battle with breast cancer forced her to retire in

April, we all learned just what Mom was talking about--and

just how much public service can mean. Letters of tribute

poured in from colleagues, dozens and dozens of research

scientists at universities from coast to coast. (You can read

them at http://eskoink.com/VL/Vickilevin.pdf.)

Many scholars, some now department chairs, told detailed

stories about how they got their research start with Mom's

help, or how she co-authored a paper with one scientist that

is still her most cited work, or how her committee was the

intellectual salon of their field.

Some credit her with helping create the emerging field of

developmental psychopathology. More than one said she has

made the lives of children everywhere better by helping spawn

and nourish path-breaking research on the biological and

environmental factors necessary for a healthy childhood. Many

of them told personal stories about how Mom had counseled

them through a divorce, adoption or rocky situation at the

office.

OK, this is my mom, so you can imagine how reading all this

felt. But if you step back, Vicki Levin was like so many

others among the 21 million federal, state and local public

servants who make sure we have clean water to drink, safe

roads and park lands, and who try to protect us from things

such as tainted Chinese milk without setting up crippling

barriers to international trade.

Thanksgiving will be hard for my family this year. Mom died

Sept. 4 just a few weeks shy of my parents' 51st wedding

anniversary. But as we gather together, and each work

privately through our losses and gratitudes, I wonder whether

our nation is ready to move on from the simplistic notion

that ``government is the problem.''

Perhaps, with the consequences of unregulated greed staring

us in the face this holiday, we are ready to give thanks for

the humble public servants, who forgo the greater monetary

rewards of the private sector to toil for the good of us all.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1161, Honoring the Centennial Celebration of Women at Marquette University, the first Catholic university in the world to offer co-education as part of its regular undergraduate program.

Marquette University was founded on August 28, 1881, as Marquette College by John Martin Henni, the first Catholic bishop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The university was named after 17th-century missionary and explorer, Father Jacques Marquette, S.J. The highest priority of the newly established college was to provide an affordable Catholic education to the area's immigrant population. Marqette College officially became a university in 1907. Marquette University High School, formerly the preparatory department of the university, became a separate institution the same year.

In 1909, Marquette University became the first Catholic university in the world to offer co-education as part of its regular undergraduate program. Since that time, the role of women at Marquette has changed and expanded dramatically. In 1923 the first dean of women was appointed. In 1936 the first female academic dean at Marquette provided leadership for the all-female college of nursing. By 1944, the enrollment of women at Marquette grew to

more than 40 percent of students during World War II.

Today, five of Marquette's 12 academic deans are women. Seven of the 17 key university leaders are women. Marquette's faculty is considerably enriched by the presence of women, 42 percent of part-time faculty and 39 percent of full-time faculty. In 2006, Marquette's board elected its first female chair, Mary Ellen Stanek. Today, women make up more than 50 percent of the student body.

With a student body of 11,500, Marquette is one the largest Jesuit universities in the United States and the largest private university in Wisconsin. It is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities and is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. The university has 11 schools and colleges; and in 2009, Marquette ranked 84th overall among undergraduate programs for national universities by the U.S. News and World Report.

I want to extend my congratulations to Marquette president, Rev. Robert Wild, the faculty, the staff and students on their 100th anniversary. Today, we recognize Marquette University for focusing on its four core values of excellence, faith, leadership and service, and honor them for 100 years of service of offering premiere higher educational opportunities to all students who have a desire to learn.

I ask my colleagues to support this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I associate my remarks with the gentlelady. I think it was a historic occasion; you're absolutely right. Some would say more than 50 percent of the brain power, if women are left out.

It's a historic time for them, and that was a big step for the Catholic Church in 1909. And so I agree with you, it did pave the way to the 19th amendment that occurred less than 10 years after that. So this is indeed a pleasure to be on this bill, and I thank you for that.

I yield back the balance of my time

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1161) honoring the Centennial Celebration of Women at Marquette University, the first Catholic university in the world to offer co-education as part of its regular undergraduate program.

Mr. Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on H. Res. 1161 into the Record.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1161, which celebrates 100 years since Marquette University became the first Catholic university in the world to admit women as part of its regular undergraduate program.

Marquette University started as a dream of the Most Reverend Martin J. Henni, the first Catholic Bishop of Milwaukee. At the time of its establishment, Marquette University was Marquette College. It was a small liberal arts school for men named for the Reverend Jacques Marquette, a French missionary and explorer in North America. The school was founded in 1881 by the Society of Jesus, a Catholic religious order established in 1540 by St. Ignatius Loyola.

Only 30 years later, Marquette University became a more inclusive institution when it made the pioneering move to embrace coeducation. In 1909, Marquette University became the first Catholic university in the world to offer coeducation as part of its regular undergraduate program. This gallant move was led by the president of the college, Reverend James McCabe, S.J.

Just one year after becoming president of the school, Father McCabe saw the need to further the education of teachers, who were primarily females, in Catholic elementary and high schools. While father McCabe's significant action was met with opposition within the local Jesuit community, Marquette prepared to open the first summer session in 1909 in Catholic higher education and to permit women to study alongside men in their bachelor of arts program. Father McCabe's groundbreaking decision was the introduction of coeducation to Catholic higher education.

Since 1909, the role of women at Marquette University has changed dramatically. Marquette now has a student body where women make up more than half of the student population. In addition, seven of the 33 members of the board of trustees, 12 of the 27 members of the University Leadership Council, and 39 percent of the full-time faculty are female as well.

Mr. Speaker, once again I express my support for House Resolution 1161 and congratulate Marquette University on this remarkable milestone. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this resolution.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the author of the resolution, the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore).

Mr. Speaker, as a proud graduate myself of Jesuit College, I urge my colleagues to pass this resolution, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. Speaker, today I am so proud and honored to be able to offer this resolution to my alma mater, Marquette University, which, of course, is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its admission of women during this academic year, 2009 to 2010.

Not only have we noted in this resolution that Marquette was the first Catholic university in the world to admit women to be educated alongside men in its undergraduate programs; but in doing so, it paved the way for women's access to higher education in the United States of America.

This, of course, was very controversial, the admission of women in these programs, and the objections among the religious communities in Milwaukee and elsewhere were rampant. But Father McCabe bravely persisted in admitting women to Marquette University for 4 years before he got word from Rome that it was okay to do so. And we certainly applaud that legacy, as well, today.

In the century following this landmark event, the role of women at Marquette has expanded and evolved. Not only is 50 percent of the Marquette student population women, but the university offers a Women's and Gender Studies major and minor. Marquette counts women among its student body leaders, its most outstanding students and its internationally recognized faculty and staff.

In the decades following this historic inclusion of women, the university has become known for its commitment to expanding access to higher education, not only to women, but also to low-income students, to veterans and to students who are the first generation in their families to attend college. This year, Marquette celebrates the 40th anniversary of its Educational Opportunity Program, of which I am among its first beneficiaries, which now serves over 500 high school and college students every year.

I am so proud of my alma mater, and Milwaukee, that they were on the front lines of change, and recognized long ago, before many other similar institutions, that in order to grow and move forward as a society we can't leave half our population behind. Expanding opportunities and access to education for women benefits our families and our society. I am so honored to recognize Marquette in this way.

I congratulate Marquette, its board of trustees, its student body, all of its alumni, and urge passage of H.R. 1161.