A bill to require the Federal Communications Commission to make the provision of Wi-Fi access on school buses eligible for E-rate support.

Mr. President, I rise to talk about the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2019, or DERA, which I am introducing today with Senators Inhofe, Barrasso, Whitehouse, Sullivan, Booker, Capito, Gillibrand, Cramer and Van Hollen.

In today's hearing, we will be focusing on legislation that reauthorizes a program that is near and dear to my heart--the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, or DERA. I would like to say thank you to my DERA co-pilot, Senator Inhofe. Senator Inhofe has been a staunch supporter of DERA since day one. I greatly appreciate his continued support and the hard work of his staff on this legislation. I also thank our cosponsors from last Congress who have joined us again this year, Chairman Barrasso and Senator Whitehouse. Chairman Barrasso and his staff teamed up with us last Congress to make DERA work even better, and I appreciate his strong support. I also would like to say thank you to our new cosponsors this year, Senators Sullivan, Booker, Capito, Gillibrand, Cramer and Van Hollen.

In all my years of public service, it's not every day that I've seen programs that generate this much bipartisan support--but, then again, not many programs are as effective and commonsense as DERA.

Our Nation still relies heavily on diesel power to transport commuters and kids, harvest our crops and build our infrastructure. Today diesel engines are found everywhere, from our schools to our ports, and from our highways to our agricultural fields.

Many of my colleagues have heard me say that the great thing about diesel engines is that they last a long time. And the bad thing about diesel engines is that they last a long time. Diesel engines are reliable and efficient, but older diesel engines are big polluters. Dirty diesel engine emissions are some of the biggest contributors to our Nation's smog, soot and black carbon air pollution. These dirty diesel emissions harm our health and our climate.

Because of smart emission standards, new and retrofitted diesel engines using American technology are now much cleaner than older diesel engines--over 90% cleaner. Unfortunately, diesel engines run forever and there is little incentive for a diesel engine owner to replace an engine before it breaks down. That's why today, more than a decade after diesel emission standards were implemented by the EPA, millions of older diesel engines that lack the latest pollution control technology are still in use and will remain in use for decades to come.

Back in 2005, my very good friend, the late-Senator from Ohio, George Voinovich, came to me with an idea to help solve this problem--he came to me with the idea for DERA. Senator Voinovich said to me, let's provide financial incentives for people to replace or retrofit their older diesel engines with American-made clean vehicle technology. He told me that we can dramatically reduce diesel emissions, protect our health and create jobs here at home. I said ``Sign me up!'' And I've been DERA's strongest supporter ever since. In 2005, Congress passed DERA faster than I think we've passed any EPA program ever before. This simple idea has turned into one of EPA's most effective clean air program on the books today.

For every dollar spent in the DERA program, our Nation sees $13 in economic and health benefits. The emission reductions have helped States meet clean air standards and resulted in more than $12.6 billion in health benefits alone since the program's inception.

From requests for electric school buses, to replacement ferry engines, to simple diesel retrofits, EPA tells us that the requests keep coming in--but, unfortunately, funding for DERA far exceeds the program's available funds. With millions of dirty diesel engines on our roads, DERA is as important today as it was when it first started. Now, we must work together to ensure that every State, Tribe and territory can still benefit from this unique program.

At a time when our Nation is looking for ways to create jobs, have healthier air and a better climate, cleaning up dirty diesel engines through DERA stands out as a prime example of what works.

Today, I'm proud to continue the bipartisan tradition that started more than 15 years ago with my good friend, Senator Voinovich. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass reauthorization of DERA this Congress.

Thank you Mr. President.

Mr. President. As career opportunities and the requisite skills for success adapt to the demands of the 21st century, so too must the instruction and preparation students receive. Educators are tasked with designing educational experiences that rise to the rigorous State academic standards and reflect the needs and interests of our Nation's diverse student population. We have become accustomed to welcoming the start of the school year with news headlines describing overfilled classrooms and districts struggling to fill teacher vacancies. Though the challenge of teacher and principal shortages is felt broadly across the country, with a particularly acute impact on our rural communities, it is an issue we can remedy.

The reauthorization of the Higher Education Act is an opportunity to strengthen the preparation and leaders and to further support State efforts to successfully implement the Every Student Succeeds Act. It is also an opportunity to address the fact that schools in high-need communities are often staffed by a revolving door of underprepared and inexperienced teachers who are unable to meet students' needs. This in part due to State teacher shortages.

This is why I am pleased to introduce today with my colleague Senator Collins, the Preparing and Retaining Education Professionals Act, or PREP Act. As schools across our Nation continue to face growing class sizes, many are struggling with a shortage of qualified teachers. Rural communities in particular are experiencing a dearth of teachers equipped to meet their growing needs. The PREP Act aims to create high- quality teacher residency programs to develop a diverse workforce that is well-prepared to provide the educational opportunities students need to be successful in the 21st century.

More specifically, this legislation would expand the definition of ``high need'' districts under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) to include those experiencing teacher shortages in rural communities and in areas such as special education, English language, science, technology, engineering, math, and CTE, to allow for access to additional support and improvement. It would also encourage school districts to establish partnerships with local community colleges and universities to ensure their education programs are developing future teachers in content areas where there is currently a shortage of educators. It would increase access to teacher and school leader residency programs and preparation training while requiring States to identify areas of teacher or leader shortages by subject across public schools and use that data to target their efforts. Additionally, the PREP Act bolsters support for teacher preparation programs at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) or Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to invest in a diverse and well-prepared educator workforce.

Improving our Nation's educational system is contingent on our ability to prepare, support, and retain quality educators. Research shows that better prepared teachers stay longer in the profession and are more likely to remain in their roles and positively impact young people and their communities. As we look to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle see the PREP Act as a commonsense opportunity to help ensure that students in every zip code across the country have the well-prepared teachers and school leaders they deserve.

Mr. President, the Federal Communications Commission Schools and Libraries program, commonly known as E-Rate, has helped connect our schools and libraries to high-speed broadband. Recent changes allowed for schools to pay for Wi-Fi on campuses, recognizing that students are using laptops and other devices for learning. This bill, cosponsored by my friends Senators Gardner, Cortez Masto, and Whitehouse, would allow schools to receive reimbursement for Wi-Fi on school buses--an idea inspired by a New Mexico high school student. A few years ago, a football player from Hatch Valley High School in Hatch, New Mexico told me how, after being on a bus for hours after a game, he would sit in the dark parking lot of his school doing his homework--because he didn't have high-speed broadband at home. Making Wi-Fi available on school buses is one piece to solving the homework gap--especially in rural areas. Adequate internet is an absolute necessity in this day and age. And I will continue to work with my colleagues to make sure every home in the country has adequate internet access.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, the Federal Communications Commission Schools and Libraries program, commonly known as E-Rate, has helped connect our schools and libraries to high-speed broadband. Recent changes allowed for schools to pay for Wi-Fi on campuses, recognizing that students are using laptops and other devices for learning. This bill, cosponsored by my friends Senators Gardner, Cortez Masto, and Whitehouse, would allow schools to receive reimbursement for Wi-Fi on school buses--an idea inspired by a New Mexico high school student. A few years ago, a football player from Hatch Valley High School in Hatch, New Mexico told me how, after being on a bus for hours after a game, he would sit in the dark parking lot of his school doing his homework--because he didn't have high-speed broadband at home. Making Wi-Fi available on school buses is one piece to solving the homework gap--especially in rural areas. Adequate internet is an absolute necessity in this day and age. And I will continue to work with my colleagues to make sure every home in the country has adequate internet access.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.