Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, as we continue to discuss the importance of Head Start, the Head Start program to our communities, I want to draw attention to a resolution that I offered, H. Res. 238, expressing support for the Head Start program, which has had such a positive impact on the lives of millions of children nationwide.

This resolution not only recognizes the contributions of Head Start; it also supports maintaining its current designation at the Department of Health and Human Services.

Earlier this week, I participated in a hearing convened by our chairman, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) of the Congressional Black Caucus, where we had an opportunity to hear from those who are directly involved in administering the program, including Maxim Thorne, executive director of the New Jersey Head Start Association. He expressed his concern about the effort to block grant the program, which he said would have a devastating impact on New Jersey's Head Start children.

The majority backed off of the block grant to all of the programs, but selected eight States, one of which is New Jersey. The eight States carry about one-third of the children, as was indicated by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Most of the States selected are States that have financial problems, as we have in New Jersey. In New Jersey, we are already grappling with the Abbott decision, which was a decision where our Supreme Court of New Jersey said that every child in New Jersey is entitled to a thorough and efficient education.

The State administration is before the courts asking for relief from that decision, saying that the budget is tight, they have constraints, they cannot fully fund this court order; and they are asking to be allowed to delay and defer programs under the Abbott decision.

What will happen when the Head Start money comes? It will be very tempting to see if perhaps this money can go further and be used in trying to comply with the Abbott decision. I think it is wrong, and I definitely oppose it, as do all of the members of the Democratic Party on the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Also echoed by our executive director of the Head Start program was the provision which would allow for open discrimination of Head Start workers based on religion. This goes against everything our Nation stands for.

Mr. Speaker, Head Start has a proud and successful history. In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson gave his State of the Union Address before Congress and our Nation with an announcement to declare war on poverty. In his declaration, he believed, for the first time in history, poverty could be eradicated, and offered his proposal, the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964.

Despite opposition that believed poverty was on the decline from the heights of the Great Depression, President Johnson was undaunted. He declared the act does not merely expand old programs or improve what is already being done, it takes a new course. It strikes at the causes, not just the consequences of poverty. It can be a milestone in our 180- year search for a better life for our people.

After the bill was signed into law, an Office of Economic Opportunity was created to fulfill its mission. At the same time, a pediatrician by the name of Dr. Robert Cooke was asked by the head of this new office to lead a steering committee to come up with specialists to find out what should be done.

The Cooke memorandum outlined what we know as the Head Start program. Launched as an 8-week summer program, Head Start was designed to help break the cycle of poverty by providing preschool children of low- income families with a comprehensive program to help meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional, and psychological needs.

Since its inception, Head Start has served over 20 million children. Today it is a full-day, full-year program providing pre-school children of low-income, working families with a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, social, health, nutrition, and parental support needs.

Head Start's focus on the whole child extends to recognizing the importance of the family, not the institution. Throughout its history, Head Start has included parents in both their child's education and membership in the Head Start Policy Council, which serves as a vital link between the community and the public and private agencies. Parental involvement is a critical and integral part of the program. Economically deprived families are no longer seen as passive recipients of service, but rather as active, respected participants and decision- makers.

So, as I conclude, with the average child care cost in my State of New Jersey over $5,000 a child, thousands of children across the State and others would not have had access to an exceptional program that has them ready to learn by the time they enter kindergarten if Head Start was not there to serve them. Terms such as ``State options'' and ``coordination'' will mean shortchanging and ending a 38-year program which has proven to be successful to millions of children.

We need to move towards full funding of Head Start. We need to support and preserve the Head Start program. I look forward to working with my colleagues to accomplish this goal.

Mr. Speaker, let me thank the gentlewoman from California for framing the argument. I think she did an excellent job, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), a person who helped organize Head Start parents and who for many years has held the importance of children as our most valuable possessions and has seen the success of this program, as have all of us, and that is why we stand here this evening, the Congressional Black Caucus, with our chairman the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), to discuss this question of Head Start.

I commend our chairman for organizing these Special Orders on issues that impact on the poorest of our people, the people with no voice, people in Appalachia and delta regions and in urban centers that are not represented by lobbyists, and so we are their voice. We are their spokesperson. We speak for those who have no voice, and so I am proud to say that Head Start should not be tampered with.

In 1964, President Lyndon Johnson gave his State of the Union address before Congress and our Nation with an announcement to declare war on poverty. This was a great declaration which caught the imagination of our Nation. In his declaration, he believed for the first time in history that poverty could be eradicated and offered his proposal, the Economic Opportunity Act, EOA, of 1964. Despite opposition that believed poverty was on the decline from the highs of the Great Depression, Johnson was undaunted.

He declared, ``The Act does not merely expand old programs or improve what is already being done. It charts a new course. It strikes at the causes, not just at the consequences of poverty,'' and that is where the Head Start program is so important. It strikes at the causes of poverty to deal with poverty elimination in this country. ``It can be a milestone in our 180-year search for a better life for our people,'' said Lyndon Baines Johnson.

After the bill was signed into law that very year, the Office of Economic Opportunity was created to fulfill its mission. At the same time, a pediatrician by the name of Dr. Robert Cooke was asked to head a new office to lead a steering committee of specialists in all fields to discuss what should be done for young people to bring them out of poverty and to assist them in their early lives. Their recommendations, known as the Cooke Memorandum, outlined what we now know today as the Head Start program.

Launched as an 8-week summer program, Head Start was designed to help break the cycle of poverty by providing preschool children of low- income families with a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional and psychological needs. That is why this program is so important. Head Start is to break the cycle of poverty because it deals with emotional, social, health, nutrition and psychological needs.

Since its inception, Head Start has served over 20 million children. Today, it is a full-day, full-year program providing preschool children of low-income families, working families, with a comprehensive program to meet their emotional, social, health, nutritional and parental support. Head Start focuses on the whole child, extends to recognizing the importance of strengthening the family, not necessarily the institution but the family.

Throughout its inception, Head Start has included parents. Parents sit on committees to select teachers. They help with the curriculum, this is the participation, and parents learn through this program. Head Start has included parents in both their child's education and in their membership to the Head Start Policy Council, which serves as a vital link between the community and public and private agencies.

Parental involvement is a critical and integral part of this program. Economically disadvantaged families are no longer seen as passive recipients of service but, rather, as active, respected participants and decision-makers, and many of them have moved on to complete their education, and they have become leaders, and they have become elected officials, and they have become stalwarts in their community. That is why Head Start is so good because it takes the total family.

Today we stand here to support our Head Start program, and oppose H.R. 2210, a bill which will dismantle the program as we know, hurting the very ones we should be helping, our Nation's children. If the bill were enacted today, it would mean changing the current Federal to local partnerships to a State optional plan. As indicated by the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), a State optional plan is another way of saying block grants.

The Federal Government would give States the authority to create their own preschool programs without the same performance standards as Head Start and without additional funding. Nationwide, States' commitment to preschool is $2 billion. It is much less than the Federal contribution of over $6 billion. In light of the $38 billion shortfall in the State budget in California, $5 billion in New Jersey, in excess of $70 billion in shortfalls in State budgets across the Nation, we cannot leave the fate of our children in the hands of States struggling to meet their other needs.

The impetus of this bill, the administration's Head Start proposal, states a

need to better coordinate preschool programs in the States. But Head Start already coordinates with child care and prekindergarten programs. According to research done by the Center for Law and Social Policy, many Head Start agencies have formal agreements with school districts around the country to coordinate transitional services for children and families. Coordinating will not help the fact that Head Start is severely underfunded. You can coordinate all you want; you cannot get more with a limited amount of funds. So the problem is not coordination; it is the lack of funding.

There are a half million children in the country that are eligible to attend Head Start today. That is three out of five children, and they are not all being covered today.

In conclusion, I have offered a resolution, H. Res. 238, a resolution expressing support for the Head Start program which has had a positive impact on the lives of millions of children nationwide. The resolution not only recognizes the contribution of Head Start; it also supports maintaining its current designation at the Department of Health and Human Services. With the average child care cost in New Jersey at over $5,000 a year, thousands of children across my State and others would not have access to an exceptional program that has them ready to learn by the time they enter kindergarten if Head Start were not there to serve them. Terms of such State options and coordination will mean a shortfall and this 38-year program does not need to have this fate. We need to move towards full funding of Head Start, furthering the quality of this program, preserving the focus of comprehensive services to children and their families. We need to support Head Start as it is today.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to recognize Ms. Adrienne E. Byers on her retirement from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield after thirty-four years of dedicated service.

Joining Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield in January of 1969, Ms. Byers has worked in many different facets of the organization, beginning in the Cashiers Department and moving to her current position with Special Letters. Working with many areas of the corporation has given Ms. Byers a great and unique understanding of Horizon and has allowed her to help enrich a company which is truly fortunate to have her as a dedicated employee.

Raised in the 10th Congressional District of New Jersey, Ms. Byers spent her early years growing with the programs at the YMCA where I was fortunate enough to meet this promising young woman. Since those early years she has proven herself time and time again and I am proud to see what a dedicated and motivated individual she has become.

In addition to her devotion to Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, Ms. Byers has also invested time in the community as a whole. A strong advocate of community service, she serves on the Advisory Board for Community Agencies Corporation and on the board of directors for Friendly Fuld. She is also Chair for the Newark Fighting Back Partnership.

Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleagues here in the U.S. House of Representatives join me today in congratulating Ms. Adrienne E. Byers on her long and successful career with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. I wish her the very best in her retirement and a healthy and happy future.

Mr. Speaker, I stand today to deplore in the strongest possible terms this past weekend's nationwide crackdown in Burma. The attack by armed goons supported by Burma's military regime on 1991 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi is an insult and an offense to all freedom loving peoples around the world. Even worse, it is reported that several of her supporters have been brutally killed.

When I traveled to Burma to meet with Aung San Suu Kyi, I was immediately impressed by her staunch commitment to freedom and her refusal to yield to unremitting government pressure.

I was proud to hear that Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a man I know and admire, has called for the international community to immediately impose sanctions on Burma's regime. I urge that the United States cooperate promptly in this regard; failure to act decisively would be to miss an opportunity to reaffirm our support for liberty and justice in Burma.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to honor my predecessor and one of the most outstanding members ever to serve in this body, the Honorable Peter Rodino, as he celebrates his 94th birthday on June 7th.

As Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee from the 93rd through the 100th Congress, former Representative Rodino set a standard for excellence which earned him a national reputation. While he is best known for presiding over the Watergate hearings with fairness, decorum, and a respect for history, he also had many other legislative accomplishments during his 40 years of service in the U.S. House of Representatives. He managed the historic 1966 Civil Rights Bill on the floor of the House. He was the author of the 1982 Voting Rights Act Extension and a leader in the successful effort to make Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday a national holiday.

Chairman Rodino has been honored with numerous international, national and local awards, including Pope John Paul II's Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Award; the Democratic Council on Ethnic Americans' Democratic Ethnic Heritage Award for Leadership, and the Rutgers University Award. He has received honorary degrees from more than 15 colleges and universities, including Seton Hall, Princeton, Rutgers and Fairleigh Dickinson. He joined the Seton Hall Law School faculty in 1988.

Along with many others, as a youngster growing up and as a college student, I was inspired by Peter Rodino to enter public service. Many of us followed his work in Congress with great pride and admiration for his integrity and willingness to stand up for what was right. I was proud that he served as Chairman of a reception held in my honor during my reelection campaign for county office in 1976 at my alma mater, Seton Hall University.

It has been a privilege for me to serve in the Congressional seat once held by Representative Rodino. I am always aware that I have big shoes to fill in replacing such a legendary public servant.

I know that my colleagues here in the U.S. House of Representatives join me in sending best wishes for continued health and happiness to Chairman Rodino on his birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask that my colleagues here in the U.S. House of Representatives join me in congratulating a highly respected and accomplished professor, Dr. Ralph Nurnberger, on being selected as the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Faculty Award at Georgetown University. Dr. Nurnberger received this outstanding honor at the University's 2003 commencement ceremonies.

For over 2 decades, Dr. Nurnberger has taught courses in the Liberal Studies Degree Program focusing on an array of issues including American foreign policy, congressional relations, and international affairs. Most recently, he has been teaching a course on the aftermath of September 11, considering the domestic and international ramifications for the United States. His teaching has been marked with extensive experience in domestic and international affairs. Dr. Nurnberger has held positions with former Senator James Pearson, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the U.S. Department of Commerce. He currently holds the position of Counsel with the law firm Preston Gates Ellis and Rouvelas Meeds.

Following the signing of the Oslo Accords, Dr. Nurnberger was appointed to the position of Executive Director of the organization ``Builders for Peace'' to assist the Arab-Israeli peace process. Also an accomplished writer, his articles have appeared in The Washington Post, The Washington Times, Christian Science Monitor, Baltimore Sun and numerous journals.

Dr. Nurnberger is popular with students because of his reputation as an insightful educator who promotes lively and thought-provoking discussions encouraging the expression of all points of view.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that we here in the U.S. House of Representatives join Georgetown University in commending Dr. Ralph Nurnberger for his excellence in teaching and congratulate him on receiving such a prestigious award.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Margaret and Andrew Wyatt as they celebrate their fiftieth wedding anniversary. On May 17, 2003 the pair renewed their vows at Greater Abyssinian Baptist Church in my hometown of Newark, New Jersey.

Marrying at a very young age, Margaret and Andrew have grown together over these past fifty years, enjoying times of great joy and happiness. Finding a special person and friend to share your life with is one of the great joys of life. The Wyatt's have found that special bond and continue to grow and change together.

Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleagues here in the U.S. House of Representatives join me today in congratulating Margaret and Andrew on this wonderful occasion and in wishing them many more wonderful years together.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a wonderful woman and outstanding educator, Mrs. Barbara Harris. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and a graduate of Cheyney State College, Mrs. Harris has been a resident of Newark, New Jersey since 1969.

On June 13, 2003 at the Galloping Hill Inn in Union, New Jersey, the Social Welfare Committee, the Bragaw Avenue School, family and friends will be honoring Mrs. Harris on the occasion of her retirement from the Newark Public School System.

Beginning her work as an educator in Philadelphia, Mrs. Harris taught within the Philadelphia School System from 1962-1966. She then moved to Newark and has taught in our public school system since 1969. As a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee here in the U.S. House of Representatives and a former teacher, I am extremely appreciative and proud of the hard work and dedication of educators such as Mrs. Harris.

In addition to her dedication within the classroom, Mrs. Harris has also dedicated herself to bettering the entire community. Volunteering with the United Way, late New Jersey State Senator Winona Lipman, as well as former Mayor Kenneth Gibson and Ralph Grant she also has served on many local, county and state committees for the Newark Teachers Association.

A dedicated educator and citizen, Mrs. Barbara Harris will certainly be missed within the Newark educational community. Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleagues here in the U.S. House of Representatives join me today in saluting Mrs. Harris for her many years of educating our Nation's children, wishing her the very best for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great man, Mr. Jim Culver. An involved constituent in my district, Mr. Culver will be recognized on June 1, 2003 by Saint Paul's Calvary United Church of God in Union, New Jersey with their Lifetime Achievement Award as Usher of the Year.

An active member of Saint Paul's Calvary United Church for the past thirty-five years, Mr. Culver has served as Secretary of the Usher board for the past thirty-one years. In this capacity he has been a great supporter of all activities of the church as well as lending a helping hand to the entire community of Union. A hard and reliable worker, he continues to give selflessly of himself to all of those whom he encounters.

Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleagues here in the U.S. House of Representatives join me today in recognizing Mr. Jim Culver for his innumerable contributions to the town of Union as well as to his congregation. I wish to congratulate him as he is recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award as Usher of the Year and wish him the very best for the future.

Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman for bringing this very important issue to the floor. I too would like to add my support.

Haitian-Americans, Haiti in particular, had a great deal to do with the development of this country during our fight for independence in the Revolutionary War. There was a battalion in the Savannah battles where Haiti sent troops to fight alongside the colonies against the British.

Also, I think that because of Haiti's battle against Napoleon, one of the first countries to defeat the Napoleon Army, France was very strapped for cash, and it therefore had to sell the Louisiana Territory to the United States for a very, very low sum of money because they needed money

after their wars. That opened up the great West. If it had not been for the Haitian country depleting funds from the French Government, the progress of moving west would not have happened so soon. So we are tied together.

As a matter of fact, Simon Bolivar lived in Haiti; and he went to liberate South America. So Haiti has had a tremendous importance in the growth and development of not only this country but the entire Western Hemisphere, and I appreciate the gentleman yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise today to recognize Ms. Karol Corbin Walker as she is sworn in as the first African American President of the New Jersey State Bar Association.

Completing an undergraduate degree at New Jersey City University, Ms. Walker went on to pursue her law degree from my alma mater, Seton Hall University. Through her many positions within the law community, Ms. Walker has become the first African American woman to attain Partner status at any major New Jersey law firm, representing clients in commercial, employment, environmental, hazardous waste, insurance coverage, toxic tort and product liability matters. An outstanding litigator, Ms. Walker has been the recipient of many awards and been recognized by many organizations including Business News New Jersey which recognized her as one of New Jersey's Top 20 African American Business People.

A former trustee of the Essex County Bar Association and President of the Garden State Bar Association, Ms. Walker is also a member of the Morris County Bar Association, the National Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Association of the Federal Bar of the State of New Jersey.

In addition to her many accomplishments as a lawyer, Ms. Walker also takes time out of her busy schedule to give back to her community. Frequently speaking at many grade schools, high schools, and colleges, Ms. Walker is a shining example to our nation's youth of the success that can be reached if they follow their dreams.

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honor and a privilege to rise today to recognize Ms. Karol Corbin Walker and her innumerable contributions to not only my district but to the state of New Jersey. I know that my colleagues here in the U.S. House of Representatives join me today in wishing her congratulations on this momentous occasion and in wishing her the very best for the future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the Community Problem Solving Team of the Quest Program at the Dr. John Howard, Jr. School in East Orange, NJ. Working through various mediums, this group of fourth, fifth, and sixth graders has sought to combat the growing problem of gangs in their community.

Using their peer influence, these students reach out to elementary school children to teach them the dangers of gang involvement. They have made it their mission to educate the community through publishing monthly gang awareness newsletters, organizing a unity celebration night against gangs, organizing a kids against gangs rally, participating in an inmate day with gang members currently serving time in prison, as well as creating a website to inform students of the dangers of gangs. With the goal of educating others to prevent gang involvement and violence, these students have demonstrated that they are truly inspiring members of the community. Volunteering over 400 hours to this project, the dedication of this team has been outstanding.

These exceptional students will represent New Jersey at the International Competition in Storrs, CT, June 4-8, 2003, having placed first in the New Jersey junior division of the Problem Solving Component of the International Future Problem Solving Program. It is with great pride that I recognize the Community Problem Solving Team of the Quest Program in East Orange, New Jersey. These young people have taken great strides to assist the members of their community and to see that they have a part in securing a healthy future for our country. Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleagues here in the U.S. House of Representatives join me in wishing the Quest Program continued success.

Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise today to commemorate the 49th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, which struck down the separate but equal doctrine of Plessy v. Ferguson of 1896.

A young girl by the name of Linda Brown attended the fifth grade at public school in Topeka, Kansas. After being denied admission to a white elementary school, the NAACP took up her case along with similar ones in Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia and Delaware. All five cases were argued together in December 1952 by Thurgood Marshall, who headed the NAACP Legal Defense Fund at that time. Mr. Marshall, born in Maryland, educated at Douglass High School, went on to Lincoln University, a small black college in Oxford, Pennsylvania, and then graduated with honors and applied to the white University of Maryland law school. He was denied admission. Howard University accepted him, and he graduated at the top of his class, passing the bar exam, taking up private practice and specializing in civil rights cases.

At 26, he was hired by the Baltimore branch of the NAACP, and one of his

first civil rights cases was a successful effort to gain admission for a young black man to the University of Maryland, the very institution that denied Thurgood Marshall admittance 2 years earlier.

The unanimous 1954 decision ruled all school segregation unconstitutional. W.E.B. du Boise wrote, ``I have seen the impossible happen. It did on May 17, 1954.'' The Brown decision did not come out of nowhere, and it was far from the end of the story. The decision was a climax of a long series of NAACP court victories, many won by chief counsel Thurgood Marshall, that had slowly laid the legal groundwork for school desegregation. In some schools it had an immediate powerful effect. By 1958, desegregation was under way in a number of Southern school districts. Both white and black peoples were going to school together. Black children in Wilmington, Delaware; Baltimore, Maryland; and Washington, D.C., sat in classrooms beside white children as did African-American students in certain counties in Missouri, Arkansas and West Virginia.

In Louisville, Kentucky, the school system became a national model of school desegregation.

But most southern jurisdictions strenuously resisted desegregation, encouraged by the Supreme Court ruling a year after the Brown decision that the transition need only to take place with all deliberate speed. States and counties passed more than 145 laws to hold off desegregation altogether. The Georgia legislature, for example, decided to withhold State funds from any school that enrolled students of both races. Prince Edward County, Virginia, closed all public schools from 1959 to 1964 when it was forced to reopen the schools by the Supreme Court.

And yet the clock could not be turned back. From the late 1950's to the mid 1960's, one previously white school after another grudgingly admitted its first black students, from nine black teenagers in 1957 who endured harassment and threats to attend Central High School, where Federal troops were brought out by President Eisenhower, to Air Force veteran James Meredith who in 1962 became the first black student to enroll in the University of Mississippi.

School segregation based on race received its final blow in 1969, when an exasperated Supreme Court overturned its ``all deliberate speed'' ruling and ordered full desegregation immediately. A few years later, Federal courts began ruling that school segregation based on residential patterns, de facto segregation, should also be remedied as de jure was done by law. Sometimes the way this was done was by busing of students to other schools. In some cases, though, buses filled with black students became magnets for mob violence, especially in South Boston where white residents stoned buses carrying little black children in 1974.

Even within seemingly integrated public schools, subtle mechanisms often continued to divide race. Standardized tests, for example, are thought by many educators to be culturally biased in favor of white middle-class students. Yet groupings by ability or tracking was often based on that such test or on sometimes faculty teachers' expectations. In addition, so-called white flight became a pattern in urban centers as white students left suburban areas and went to private schools.

So as we are here, we fight for integration even in my State of New Jersey where a thorough and efficient education was granted by everyone. Our governor, Jim McGreevey, is attempting to turn the clock back to ask the courts to relieve the State from the thorough and efficient education, and we will fight to see that that law is not overturned.

Mr. Speaker, Chen Shui-bian, President of Taiwan, is nearing the end of his third year of service as its leader. I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate him, and to note several of Taiwan's accomplishments.

Taiwan, our eighth largest trading partner, has maintained friendly ties with the United States for more than half a century. We appreciate Taiwan's support for the war against terrorism, and its pledge of humanitarian assistance to post-war Iraq, a generous measure of support for its reconstruction.

Over the past several decades, Taiwan has become a successful model of rapid political reform and a true democracy. The people of Taiwan enjoy one of the highest levels standards of living in Asia, including universal education and medical care for people of all ages.

We look forward to Taiwan strengthening its bilateral relations with the United States, and wish it good luck as Taiwan seeks to join the World Health Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization. Taiwan's participation in worldwide organizations and activities would be a positive step worthy of commendation.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in my opposition to H.R. the Workforce Investment Act.

Our Nation is facing the worst unemployment since the Great Depression. The 6 percent unemployment rate that was announced the beginning of the month equals to nearly nine million American out of work.

2.7 million private-sector jobs have vanished since the Administration took office a little over 2 years ago. Over the last 3 months alone, the economy has shed 538,000 private-sector jobs.

What is the Majority's solution? To severely undermine the very Act that is designed to create opportunities for our unemployed workers.

The other side of the aisle uses words such as efficiency, steam- lining, reforms and improvements in this bill. If this bill becomes law in its present form, efficiency will result in more lost jobs, streamlining will result in fewer resources for workers, and reforms and improvements will result in privatization.

Congress has traditionally responded to the employment, training and education needs of workers by constructing bipartisan legislation to provide unemployment compensation and strengthen the job training system when needed. Instead, the bill we have on the floor today falls short of securing needed training and employment programs and fails to assist our Nation's unemployed and disadvantaged workers.

This bill does not extend unemployment benefits; it would repeal a 21-year-old civil rights standard that prohibits federally funded job training organizations from using religion as a qualification in hiring decisions.

This bill would block grants the current dislocated workers programs, adult training programs with the Employment Service. By eliminating the funding focus for the Employment Service program, it will essentially terminate the very service which connects people to jobs, a critical job assistance to the unemployed workers hardest hit by the current recession.

Participation for in school youth would be capped at 30 percent. These are the very youth that are most likely to drop out if they don't receive services such as summer employment opportunities, mentoring, and job counseling.

H.R. 1261 allows Governors to use adult education funds to pay for One Stop Center's administrative costs, thus taking critical funds from programs such as the Perkins vocational education and Vocational rehabilitation programs.

Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao has described our Nation's job training and workforce development system as ``world class''. We cannot consider our system to be world class if we allow this bill to move forward. Ladies and gentlemen, are hurting our Nation's workers by offering this bill as a solution and that is why I urge my colleagues to vote against this bill.