Floor Statements

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5086, the Innovators to Entrepreneurs Act of 2018, a bill that I introduced to spur entrepreneurship and turn American innovation into jobs.

I want to thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Webster) for being a lead cosponsor of this legislation.

This bill expands the National Science Foundation's highly successful Innovation Corps, or I-Corps, program, which, as my Science, Space, and Technology Committee colleagues know, I have been a major champion of since it was first created by NSF in 2011.

In 2016, I led the effort that officially authorized I-Corps. I-Corps teaches scientists and engineers how to turn their federally funded laboratory research into successful products and services. The program has educated more than 1,100 teams, including many women and underrepresented minorities, and has been linked to over 400 startup companies.

Since it was authorized in the last Congress, NSF has helped spread I-Corps to other agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, NASA, and the Department of Energy.

The Federal Government invests billions of dollars in research and development annually, both at government facilities like National Labs and at universities and research institutions. I-Corps is a modest investment that leads to a much higher return on our federally funded research by significantly increasing rates of commercialization and job creation.

Our economy is driven by the ingenuity of our scientists and engineers, developing innovations today that become tomorrow's great products; and yet, still only a minority of federally funded research with commercial potential ever makes it to the marketplace. The I-Corps program helps change that.

But we can do even more, and this bill helps to do that. First, it helps more people participate in the program. Right now, unless you are a grantee of the NSF or another agency with an I-Corps program, the training can be difficult to access. This bill will give recipients of small business grants from any Federal agency the flexibility to pay for I-Corps with their grant funds. It will also let private citizens apply and pay out of pocket to participate.

Second, the bill directs NSF to establish a new course as part of the I-Corps program to teach scientist entrepreneurs how to start and grow a company. While the current I-Corps course does a great job of helping scientists develop innovation and determine whether or not it is suitable for commercialization, it offers only limited guidance for what to do after the decision is made to become an entrepreneur.

Skills such as how to write a business plan, hire a team, and attract investment are taught in business schools, but not in Ph.D. programs. NSF recognizes that need and has already begun a pilot program to test curricula for this new course. This bill will make sure the new course is fully developed and made available around the country.

Finally, this bill requires a GAO assessment of the I-Corps program, its first comprehensive, independent evaluation since it was created. Although the program's success to date speaks for itself, it is important to continuously improve it by developing metrics to measure its performance and to ensure that Federal funds are well spent.

This bill has been endorsed by a wide range of stakeholders, including the former NSF program officer who founded the program, Dr. Errol Arkilic; Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur who developed the curriculum that I-Corps is based on, Steve Blank; and directors of I- Corps Nodes around the country.

The bill is also endorsed by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, the National Venture Capital Association, the Council on Governmental Relations, and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Smith and Ranking Member Johnson for their support of this legislation, and again I want to thank the lead cosponsor, Mr. Webster of Florida. I also want to thank Senator Coons, who is leading the Senate companion bill.

I ask my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation which will help spur greater American innovation and create more jobs, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Smith again for his support of this legislation.

We all know that helping our scientists, engineers, and academics not only advances our knowledge and understanding of the world, but it also creates jobs and products that fuel our economy, which is a goal that all of us can agree upon.

As a former university professor, I know that it is not something that we teach in Ph.D. programs. We have the greatest researchers in the world here in the United States. We invest so much in Federal dollars for research. This is a simple program, low cost, that helps get the biggest bang for our buck, helps create jobs, and keeps

America on the leading edge of innovation in the world. It is something that we need for today and for our future.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Carolyn C. Judd and Clementine M. Zaker, twin sisters who will be celebrating their 80th birthdays on May 2nd.

Carolyn and Clementine were born on May 2, 1938, to Theodore and Clementine Price in Chicago, Illinois, where they lived until moving a short distance to Burbank. From a young age, the sisters were an inseparable pair and their bond remains strong. Carolyn and Clementine have four and three children, respectively, and watching their grandchildren grow up has brought the sisters plenty of joy. To this day, the sisters live less than 15 minutes away from each other, with Carolyn in Hickory Hills and Clementine in Burbank.

Chicagoland has always been home to Carolyn and Clementine, and they have been active in their communities throughout their lives. Carolyn spent her career with Nabisco before retiring from her position as a secretary to the general manager at the Chicago plant. She remains involved in the community through her work as the Secretary ofthe Justice Chamber of Commerce. Clementine is a dedicated wife and mother, having raised her three children with her husband, Ronald Zaker. She is very committed to her Catholic faith and helped bring the Eucharist to those in the community who were unable to attend Mass. Until recently, the sisters greatly enjoyed going to local craft shows where they would sell items including ornaments, jewelry, and embroidered pillows. They continue to enjoy each other's company in sharing meals and taking vacations together.

I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Carolyn and Clementine on this special occasion. It is not often that twin sisters are able to celebrate their 80th birthday together, and I am inspired learning about these remarkable women and their lifelong companionship. May Carolyn and Clementine live long and healthy lives with family and loved ones, while continuing to contribute to their communities.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ms. Sheri Caine, a teacher at Harold L. Richards High School in Oak Lawn, Illinois, for receiving this year's Northrop Grumman Foundation Excellence in Engineering Education award. The National Science Teachers Association presented Ms. Caine with the award in March at their National Conference on Science Education. As an engineer, a former teacher, and strong proponent of STEM education, I am especially proud to recognize this tremendous accomplishment.

For the last 10 years, Ms. Caine has been teaching all levels of chemistry and physics at Richards High School. Throughout her teaching career, she has earned a reputation for engaging students in the classroom and urging them to think about science both theoretically and as a tool to solve real world problems. In the lesson plan she created to meet

the award criteria, students design a musical instrument, predict the frequency the instrument will play, and then measure the actual frequency using an iPad. Sheri Caine's impact on her students goes beyond the classroom with her dedication to after-school tutoring and the school's volleyball program.

Ms. Caine's background in research has undoubtedly contributed to her success in the classroom. While she is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Global STEM Education at Texas Tech University, she spent her previous summers working at Argonne National Laboratory. After being diagnosed with thyroid cancer, Ms. Caine contributed to the advancement of cancer treatment by agreeing to undergo a minimally invasive procedure known as transoral thyroidectomy. After learning that the University of Chicago was looking to be the first pioneer of this treatment in the Midwest, Ms. Caine eagerly volunteered. Her bravery and commitment to science proved successful as she is now cancer free.

I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Ms. Sheri Caine on this award and on the accolades she has received throughout her career. Richards High School is fortunate to have such an exceptional teacher on staff and I wish her the best as she continues teaching and inspiring students.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur of Ohio's Ninth District, for becoming the longest serving woman in the history of the U.S. House of Representatives. She breaks a record that has stood since 1960, when it was set by another great American trailblazer, Congresswoman Edith Nourse Rogers.

It is only fitting that Congresswoman Kaptur becomes the longest serving woman in the history of the House during Women's History Month. This dedicated public servant has demonstrated time and time again her commitment to constituent service and her passion for tackling the tough issues. In representing the Great Lakes Region, she has shown her dedication to preserving the waters, lands, and environment our states share. Her leadership in the Polish Caucus is greatly appreciated and I have learned much through exploring our mutual heritage. And as she has stood up for the middle class, I have had the privilege of watching her fight for the Midwest and our manufacturing roots.

I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Congresswoman Kaptur on this achievement. During my time in Congress, I have been honored to serve with Congresswoman Kaptur. Her conviction, work ethic, and strength stand as a model to all Americans. As we celebrate Women's History Month, I hope that many more women will be inspired by her example and pursue a career in public service. I extend the most heartfelt congratulations to Congresswoman Kaptur, both on her phenomenal accomplishment and her proud tenure in Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Ms. Kendall Coyne of Palos Heights, Illinois, for winning a gold medal as a member of the United States Women's Ice Hockey team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. This is the first Olympic gold medal won by our women's ice hockey team since 1998.

From a young age, Kendall displayed extraordinary talent and skill at ice hockey. In 157 games over three seasons with the Chicago Mission under-19 girls' team she scored 254 points and led the club to two league championships. By 2011, Kendall's dominant performance had earned her a spot on the U.S. Women's National Team. As part of the national team, she competed in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, where her strong work resulted in two goals and four assists. That team won the silver medal, and when I met with Kendall to congratulate her on her performance and that of the team, it was clear that she was determined to return to the Olympics in four years and finish on top of the podium. And that is what she did. Once again reaching the gold medal game against Canada, Kendall along with twenty-two amazing young women won a hard-fought 3-2 victory in a shootout to bring home the Olympic gold.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Kendall Coyne and the U.S. Women's Ice Hockey team for their success. They all have represented our nation with the utmost integrity on the world stage. Hockey is a demanding sport that requires grit and perseverance. Ms. Coyne has demonstrated these qualities with true distinction. I wish her and her teammates continued success as they progress in their athletic careers and future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize St. Cajetan Parish, a vibrant Catholic parish on the Southwest Side of Chicago, who will celebrate its 90th Anniversary with a Mass on March 4th.

Father Daniel Murphy was given the task of establishing St. Cajetan Parish in what was then the far reaches of Chicago, and the first Mass was celebrated on July 3, 1927. A tiny prefabricated frame church was soon set up at the corner of 112th and Artesian. From a very humble beginning, parish leaders went to work on an intense fundraising and building campaign. In 1932, Fr. Meade became pastor and succeeded in building a school and rectory, enlarged the Church, and found a place to live for the Sinsinawa Dominicans who faithfully taught in the school.

Fr. Sharp, who became pastor in 1943, enlarged the rectory and the school, constructed a convent, and built the Church that is in use today. Father Schomburg built the new rectory in 1970 and Fathers Boyle, Sivore, Burke, Maloney, and Barkemeyer all kept improving and building the community of faith. In the early 2000s, the buildings of the parish were modernized and improved. In 2005, Fr. Kurucz was appointed the 10th Pastor of St. Cajetan and the church was completely renovated in 2015.

St. Cajetan's continued commitment to the Catholic faith and service continue to make it a tremendous asset to the community. The parish has a Ministry of Care which provides prayer, comfort, and healing to those who are unable to physically attend Mass. There is a Special Religious Development Ministry for those with disabilities that helps to integrate people into the wider community. In addition, St. Cajetan's PB & J Ministry works tirelessly to provide meals for the homeless by putting together sack lunches for those in need. It is with this in mind that we remember all the compassion and care this parish has for everyone in the community.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing St. Cajetan Parish and congratulating them as they celebrate their 90th Anniversary. I am confident that St. Cajetan will continue to be an inspiration to all of us through their faith and dedicated service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the passing of Chicago Police Commander Paul Bauer, who was shot and killed in the line of duty yesterday. This is a terrible tragedy for the Chicago Police Department, our city, and, most of all, Paul's wife and young daughter.

Paul Bauer graduated 2 years ahead of me at Saint Ignatius and joined the police department soon after, when he was just 21 years old. He rose through the ranks over 32 years to lead the mounted horse unit and, later, became commander of the Near North District.

A member of Nativity Parish in Bridgeport, Paul is being remembered as a loving father and husband, someone who knew the value of community policing and giving back, and for leading efforts to raise funds for the Chicago Police Memorial Fund.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in mourning the passing of Commander Paul Bauer. Please pray for him, his family, and for our city.

Please remember to take a moment to thank the police and other first responders that you encounter every day. We owe them so much.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of National Catholic Schools Week, and in recognition of the outstanding contributions that Catholic schools make to our educational system and our country. I am a proud graduate of St. Symphorosa Grammar School and St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, and have been a lifelong supporter of Catholic education.

Earlier this month, I introduced H. Res. 692 honoring January 28th through February 3rd as National Catholic Schools Week. I would like to thank the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Smith for working with me on this resolution, along with 29 additional cosponsors.

This year marks the 44th anniversary of Catholic Schools Week, which, since 1974, has celebrated the important role these institutions play in America. They provide both a strong academic education, with a graduation rate of 99 percent, and strong moral grounding, while also teaching community responsibility and outreach. This year's theme-- ``Catholic Schools: Learn. Serve. Lead. Succeed.''--highlights the values that are the centerpiece of a Catholic school education.

I urge my colleagues to take time this week to recognize the Catholic schools in your districts.

Mr. Speaker, DACA must be fixed for the good of these young immigrants and for the good of our Nation.

In September, Leaders Pelosi and Schumer and President Trump agreed to protect DACA recipients and improve border security. Since that time, I have worked in the 48-Member, bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus to come up with a plan that would do just that.

I thank Senators Durbin, Graham, Bennet, Gardner, Menendez, and Flake, who have put together a compromise bill in the Senate, which is gaining momentum. After working on this for 5 months, I know just how hard it is to come up with a compromise, so I just want to thank these Senators for what they have done.

The Problem Solvers Caucus continues to work on a plan, and I am hopeful that we will have one imminently because time is running short.

I was very happy to hear Congressman Gutierrez right here from this podium a few minutes ago endorse the idea of a compromise even though it is not what he wants, but we need to protect these DACA recipients.

We have to break the status quo in Washington--the bickering and the gridlock--which gets in the way of good solutions for our country. This solution on DACA can and should get done if only we can get away from the rhetoric and use some common sense.

Unfortunately, common sense is not common in Washington. I call on my colleagues to get past the bickering and the rhetoric. Do what is right for the American people. Fix DACA, and let's move on and do great things together for our Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Don Orseno on the occasion of his retirement from Metra, Northeast Illinois's commuter rail agency. Don's retirement is well-deserved after 4 years leading the agency and 44 years in the railroad industry.

Don began his railroading career in 1974 when he was hired by the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company as a commuter train ticket taker, later working his way up to become a locomotive engineer. These experiences gave Don the applied knowledge that helped propel him to the top spot at one of the nation's premier commuter railroads. After joining Metra in 1984, Don continued his upward trajectory by advancing to Deputy Executive Director before his appointment as CEO/ Executive Director in 2013 and confirmation in 2014.

Don's leadership at Metra could not have come at a more critical point in the agency's history, as he faced an uphill battle in tackling the many issues with Metra's operational performance and overall health. Leading a $1 billion commuter rail agency that runs 750 trains per day across a 3700-square mile, six-county region is a challenge under normal circumstances, but Don quickly showed he was the right fit for the job. Under Don's tenure, Metra has pursued ambitious modernization efforts while dealing with political uncertainties and complex regulatory mandates. Don's recent successes at Metra include improving on-time performance, expanding train car rehabilitation programs, modernizing the ticketing and fare system, and beginning the installation of wireless internet on Metra trains.

Don is not just an excellent leader and seasoned railroader, but he is also a great person and those of us who have worked with him or have come to know him are fortunate for that opportunity. Metra is a better place because of Don and he will be missed as he starts a new chapter to spend more time with his wife, Charm, two children, and five grandchildren.

I ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Don Orseno for his many years of service to Chicagoland commuters and wishing him well in his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Marist High School RedHawks girls volleyball team for winning the 2017 Illinois girls high school volleyball championship. Marist is an exceptional Catholic prep school on the South Side of Chicago.

Marist's state championship win at Redbird Arena in Normal, Illinois is the crowning achievement after an incredible 41-1 season. The Marist girls volleyball team proved their ability to perform at the highest level in the Class 4A division, beating out Minooka High School to win the state championship. This win marks the first time that Marist has won the girls state volleyball championship since the team was established in 2002.

The championship match was a thriller. Marist was tied with Minooka at one set apiece going into the third and final set. Marist quickly went down 8-4 but mounted a strong comeback. An 18-4 rally gave Marist a 25-15 victory in the final set to close out the match.

I commend the work of head coach Jordan Vidovic who led his team on a long winning streak after their only loss in September. Since that loss the team members have worked hard to perform as a cohesive unit and push each other to greatness. The leadership of the team's nine seniors played no small role in bringing the season to a fantastic end. The members of this team are well positioned for further success in their athletic careers and some will surely have outstanding playing careers in college.

I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating the girls volleyball team at Marist High School and I extend my wishes for their continued success.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Neal, the ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee, for all his work.

I want to talk tonight from the perspective of Blue Dog Democrats.

Now, clearly, we all know--and Mr. Welch very eloquently talked about the needs of the middle class and people who are struggling--it is far past time that we reform the Tax Code by making it simpler, closing loopholes, and lowering rates. However, this bill that we are going to be voting on tomorrow is certainly not the answer for the middle class.

Now, it didn't have to be this way. Throughout the year, I heard from Republican lawmakers and from the White House about the benefits of creating a bipartisan tax reform plan. As the policy co-chair of the Blue Dog Coalition representing modern Democrats, I coordinated the coalition's creation of key principles needed for a permanent, bipartisan tax reform bill. Our reform principles called for the following:

First, tax reform must be passed with an open, bipartisan process and through regular order.

Second, tax reform must be credibly revenue neutral and should not use unrealistic economic growth projections to offset the costs of tax reform or tax relief.

Third, American companies need a more competitive corporate tax rate and structure in order to maintain their ability to compete globally. Congress must also account for the needs of small businesses when it comes to setting tax rates.

Fourth, and most importantly, the middle class must be the priority in this tax bill.

Fifth, Congress should use tax reform to address the funding challenges for the highway trust fund.

Taken together, I think most people would say that this is a good, sound set of principles; but, disappointingly, H.R. 1 fails to meet these criteria.

First, this bill is not bipartisan. The Blue Dogs met with the Treasury Secretary, the Director of the National Economic Council, as well as the chairman of the committee. We were told that they wanted this to be a bipartisan bill.

But the bill was passed in committee less than a week after it was introduced and less than a day--even less than that--after last-minute changes were made by the chairman. The committee voted down every Democratic amendment on a party-line vote, and 1 week later, this bill is being brought to the floor with no amendments allowed.

This is clearly not bipartisan, and it is tough to argue that this is an open process of regular order where Members get to participate in the process.

But what about the contents of the bill?

First, it is not revenue neutral. We were told that this bill would be revenue neutral using dynamic scoring, that is, when considering additional revenue that will be raised from increased economic growth because of

the tax cuts. Some dismiss dynamic scoring out of hand, but I believe that it can be legitimate. But as we were about to vote on the bill, even the idea of having an official dynamic score of this bill before voting on it seems to have completely disappeared.

What we do know is that the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation says it will add nearly $1.5 trillion plus interest to our debt, which is currently $20 trillion and growing. The one rough dynamic score that has been produced by the rightwing Tax Foundation shows that this bill, as originally introduced, would still add over $1 trillion to our debt.

The new debt is not even used to put the needs of middle class Americans first. The bulk of the benefits from the bill favor businesses and corporations rather than individual taxpayers.

The Tax Policy Center estimates that families would only get the benefit of about one-third of the tax cuts offered by the bill, with corporations and other businesses getting twice as much. This is because of the unbalanced way in which business tax rates are lowered with relatively few cuts to corporate deductions.

But as we have heard many of our speakers talk about all of the deductions, they are going to hurt middle class Americans as they try to deal with growing expenses for healthcare, education, and childcare.

Of course, true tax reform can alter some of these provisions in order to simplify the Tax Code. But we must make sure that, at the end of the day, middle class families' pocketbooks are not harmed by the changes that we make.

While many tout that this bill doubles the standard deduction, it is important to understand that it also eliminates personal exemptions. This means that families with children or other dependents may be worse off.

There are other examples of deductions lost that will negatively impact middle class families. We have heard many of them, including the medical expense deduction. That means that families with very high expenses, such as long-term care for extraordinary illnesses, will pay higher tax bills.

The bill also makes student loan borrowers pay new taxes on the loan interest they pay.

The list goes on.

One particularly contentious part of this bill is that it severely curtails the deduction individual taxpayers take for State and local taxes paid. Supporters of this idea claim that this deduction is an unfair subsidy from the Federal Government to high-tax cities and States, but in my own State of Illinois where taxpayers will get hit hard by this, we already get only 79 cents back from the Federal Government for every dollar we contribute in taxes. Taking away the State and local tax deduction will only make this discrepancy worse.

Now, one particularly troubling aspect of this bill is that, while it adds some new incentives to make it easier to raise children and support families, these incentives expire after 5 years, even as provisions that primarily benefit high-income taxpayers and corporations are made permanent.

When analyzed as a whole, the nonpartisan Tax Policy Center predicts that any tax relief some middle class families might receive from this bill will disappear over time. Yet families in the top of 1 percent and even the top one-tenth of 1 percent will not only see immediate relief, but even larger returns in the long run.

Finally, this bill does nothing to address a major tax issue that our Nation faces: the fact that the highway trust fund that pays for Federal roads and transit projects is taking more and more money every year out of general revenue. We need to fix the highway trust fund, and if we did that here, we could also start finally doing some of those trillion-dollar infrastructure projects that the President keeps talking about.

So, once again, in this bill, the House is choosing to pursue a needlessly partisan, closed process for major legislation with wide- ranging impacts and enormous price tags. I really urge my colleagues to change course. Pursue a truly bipartisan reform so that we do well by American families and businesses that need Congress to act on this critical issue.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Ranking Member Neal for all his work on this.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Conrady Junior High School for receiving the prestigious 2017 U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School Award. The school's award was conferred under the Exemplary High Performing Schools category.

In 1982, the U.S. Department of Education established the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program to recognize public and private schools with high or significantly improved achievement. I am proud that Conrady Junior High School, located in Hickory Hills, has been honored as an exceptional school.

The teachers and staff at Conrady Junior High take great care to focus on the needs of individual students, and this hard work is reflected in the school's academic performance. The school employs a unique curriculum with variable length math periods based on student need, and daily periods of exploratory and intervention classes.

This is not the first time Conrady Junior High has been honored for excellence in education. The school was designated as a National Title I Distinguished School in 2014, which recognizes success in educating students who come from families with low socioeconomic status. As Principal Andy Anderson often says, ``Conrady is a hard place to work, but a great place to work.''

The Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program and the Academic Student Success Enrichment Teams (ASSETS) developed by teachers and administrators have also had a positive impact on student achievement. This success has resulted in visits by teachers and administrators from other schools seeking to learn about their curriculum, methodology, and technology integration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Conrady Junior High School for this impressive achievement and recognizing the teachers, administrators, students, parents, and community for the hard work that they have put in to earn this award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Lemont High School for being honored with the prestigious 2017 U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School Award. The award was conferred under the Exemplary High Performing Schools category.

District Superintendent Mary Ticknor, School Principal Eric Michaelsen, administrative staff, and an amazing group of teachers are committed to Lemont High School's mission for all students to become life-long, independent learners and productive citizens. To further the mission, teachers are afforded the freedom to take risks in the classroom, and the school encourages project-based learning with real- world applications. In this environment, students learn that success is open-ended and further educational attainment requires persistent hard work and self-improvement.

Lemont High School takes pride in preparing students for their next steps in education and future careers. This past school year, Lemont students set two school records with the largest number of students ever to take at least one Advanced Placement exam for college credit and the highest percentage ever of those exams earning a passing score. Lemont High School's diverse set of accomplishments, both in and out of the classroom, speaks to the effort the school makes to produce well- rounded young women and men.

The U.S. Department of Education established the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program in 1982 to recognize public and private schools with high or significantly improved achievement. I am proud that Lemont High School has been honored as one of these exceptional schools.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Lemont High School for this impressive achievement, and recognizing the teachers, administrators, students, parents, and community for the hard work that they have put in to earn this award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate McClure Junior High School in Western Springs for receiving the prestigious 2017 U.S. Department of Education National Blue Ribbon School Award. McClure Junior High was recognized under the Exemplary High Performing Schools category.

In 1982, the Department of Education established the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program to recognize a select group of public and private schools with high or significantly improved achievement. I am proud that McClure has been honored as one of those exceptional schools.

McClure's mission statement is ``Be respectful, be responsible, and be safe.'' Principal F. Daniel Chick, his hard-working staff, and the school's exceptional teachers do a fantastic job perpetuating this motto by encouraging students to help one another and build a foundation of respect throughout the school community. After winning a National Blue Ribbon School award in 2010, the staff at McClure and in District 101 continued to strive for success by developing a Professional Learning Roadmap and undertaking a thorough strategic planning process.

McClure has promoted student ownership of their education as well as various other programs to enrich students' lives and provide for a better school experience. A great partnership with parents has also played an essential role in the school's success. Parent-run organizations such as the Parent Council and the Spirit Club raise funds that directly impact the lives of McClure students. I commend the school for going above and beyond with their offerings for students and I hope that other schools will use them as an outstanding example to follow.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing McClure Junior High School for this significant achievement and congratulating the teachers, administrators, parents, students and community on a job well done.