Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that in the engrossment of the bill, H.R. 1350, the Clerk be authorized to make technical corrections and conforming changes to the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Speaker may be permitted to entertain motions that the House suspend the rules on Wednesdays through June 25, 2003, as though under clause 1 of rule

Mr. Speaker, I regret that I was absent for roll No. 140 and 141. I respectfully request the Record to reflect that, had I been here, I would have voted ``yea'' on each.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table the Senate bill (S. 342) to amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to make improvements to and reauthorize programs under that Act, and for other purposes, with the House amendment thereto, insist on the House amendment, and agree to the conference asked by the Senate.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Hoekstra amendment to strike a non-emergency provision in this bill that provides $64 million in new funding for the Corporation for National Community Service.

Last month, the Administration requested $64 million in new funds for the Corporation to ``liquidate obligations incurred in previous years'' in the National Service Trust.

The Administration requested these new funds to make up for a shortfall that was incurred because of poor tracking procedures at the Corporation with regard to AmeriCorps participants and a recent decision by the Office of Management and Budget to change the way the Corporation has been determining the amount of funds available in the National Service Trust.

The purpose of the Administration's request is to ``complete the implementation of a comprehensive corrective action plan developed by CNCS to strengthen financial management of the Trust, change reporting procedures, and restore [National Service Trust] fund balances.''

While I will continue to work with President Bush and Mr. Hoekstra to reach agreement on a bill to reauthorize our national service laws-- this is not the right time or place to address Corporation financial difficulties.

Mr. Hoekstra is currently working on this very issue in his Subcommittee. In fact, he held a hearing this week on ``Performance, Accountability, and Reforms at the Corporation for National and Community Service.'' There was significant discussion on this $64 million shortfall.

I am concerned about adding money to the National Service Trust at this time because, we can't exactly figure out why there is a $64 million shortfall in the Trust, especially considering the language in section 129(f) of current law. Section 129(f) explicitly states that ``the Corporation may not approve positions as approved national service positions . . . for a fiscal year in excess of the number of such positions for which the Corporation has sufficient available funds in the National Service Trust for that fiscal year . . .''

In addition, the Committee on Education and the Workforce has been examining this issue and this provision was added to the supplemental without prior consultation with our Committee.

Accordingly, I believe that funding to eliminate the shortfall should be addressed after Mr. Hoekstra and other Members on our Committee have had time to make sure that these financial problems do not continue at the Corporation. This is a specific issue that will be examined during reauthorization and I ask my Colleagues to let the Committee do its work and to support the Hoekstra amendment.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding time to me, and congratulate the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Kline), one of our freshman members of the committee, for the introduction of this bill.

Let me also thank my colleague, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan), another freshman member of our committee, for his contributions to this effort.

None of us believe that our active duty soldiers should be in a position where they are going to have to make payments on their student loans while in fact they are not here. This discretion has been given to the Secretary under the Higher Education Act Amendments, the recent reauthorization.

What we want to do here is to make it clear to the Secretary that not only does he have that authority and we expect that he will work with it, but also to give him a more permanent authority in the case of a national emergency

that he can, in fact, defer these payments.

Members of our committee have a very good relationship with the Secretary of Education. He is working with those institutions and agencies today to ensure that our active duty soldiers, sailors, airmen, and the rest have this protection. I do think the passage of this will give him clear authority to make sure that they and their families do not have this in this time of war.

Again, I wanted to congratulate both of my colleagues for their efforts on this bill and urge all of my colleagues in the House to support the HEROES Act of 2003.

Madam Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Madam Speaker, as I have mentioned to the gentleman and staff, we have worked on his important addition to this bill, but under the 1973 Budget Act we are required to find offsets. As the gentleman is aware, there is about a $10 million cost estimate from the CBO on this bill. But I commit to the gentleman we will continue to work with you to try to find these offsets under the Budget Act so that we can, in fact, bring this bill to the floor.

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for yielding me the time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this important legislation to establish a compensation program for our Nation's emergency personnel in the event they suffer complications from smallpox vaccinations. As our United States troops fight the battle for freedom in Iraq, I am pleased that Congress can contribute this important piece of legislation which has been crafted to aid in our war effort and to enhance the safety of our Nation.

The face of war is changing. While past efforts may have focused solely on the armed aggression, the new face of war includes new threats in the form of biological or chemical warfare. Our Nation's armed services are not the only ones on the front lines of this conflict, because the threat of terrorism is here in the United States. Our emergency personnel, health care workers, and first responders are also on those front lines.

Health care workers, law enforcement officers, firefighters and others across the country are currently being vaccinated for smallpox. With this vaccine, as my colleagues have heard,

come some risk of some workers having serious reactions to the vaccine. It is also possible, though unlikely, that some may suffer life- threatening complications and even death, and fittingly, this measure will provide security to these workers who put their own health at risk in order to help the American public.

This legislation provides an important backstop to ensure that workers and their families will be protected if they suffer complications from the smallpox vaccine. Workers injured in the line of duty will be compensated first by their employers and second by the United States Government. For those who may not have access to workers compensation and other employer-sponsored health care, the Federal Government will provide appropriate compensation. Even those workers who have access to employer-sponsored benefits may receive additional compensation from the smallpox fund; and as such, the bill sets a Federal floor and ensures that each worker will be adequately compensated.

Under the bill, workers who might suffer a totally disabling injury or death as a result of the vaccine will receive cash benefits consistent with the amounts of benefits paid under the Public Safety Officers Benefits Program. For workers who suffer a less serious injury, the bill provides compensation for medical expenses and the loss of employment at a rate of 66\2/3\ percent of monthly pay, and workers who have dependents will be compensated at a rate of 75 percent monthly pay; and if a worker is eligible for less compensation than the federally established level, the fund will compensate the individual at the higher Federal level.

As chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, I am pleased to assist in helping my colleagues at the Committee on Energy and Commerce draft this legislation, which I believe will ensure the safety of health care workers and first responders. I am also particularly pleased because my committee has primary jurisdiction over the employer-sponsored health care and workers compensation disability programs, which would include the Federal Employee Compensation Act, which will be the primary payers of the compensation. This measure will not only help our emergency personnel and first responders but enhance the safety of our Nation as well.

I want to urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. Chairman, I speak in support of H.R. 1104, the Child Abduction Prevention Act, which strengthens the punishment and consequences of those criminals who would dare to harm our children, as well as provides for the national coordination of the AMBER Alert communications network. This legislation also increases the authorization for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which serves as the national resource center and clearinghouse to aid missing and exploited children and their families.

H.R. 1104 includes Section 305, which increases the authorization level of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to $20,000,000 for fiscal years 2004 and 2005. As the nation's resource center and clearinghouse for missing and exploited children, the Center carries out many important responsibilities that provide assistance to families and law enforcement agencies in locating and recovering missing and exploited children, both nationally and internationally.

In order to do this, the Center operates a national 24-hour toll-free telephone line for individuals to report information regarding the location of any missing child. A call to NCMEC's

Hotline sets into motion the Missing Children's Division where Case Management staff:

Disseminate lead information to the investigating agency in charge of a missing or sexually exploited child's case;

Assist citizens and law enforcement in filing missing person reports;

Verify information on missing children entered into the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computer system and instruct law enforcement in the proper handling of these cases;

Offer resources and information to assist in local, regional, national, or international searches;

Coordinate with and send publications to enhance the investigative skills of law enforcement officers handling these cases; and

Work in conjunction with INTERPOL, the U.S. Department of State, FBI, and the U.S. Customs Service.

And on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, NCMEC handles cases coming into the United States arising from the Hague Convention on International Child Abduction.

This worthwhile organization deserves our support. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1104.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 113 offered by my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Arizona, Mr. Hayworth. House Resolution 113 recognizes the social problem of child abuse and neglect and supports the goals and ideals of the National Day of Hope. I am pleased to have the opportunity today to speak on behalf of it.

This resolution addresses an issue that, unfortunately, plagues many of our districts. Each year approximately 3 million reports of possible child abuse and neglect are made to child welfare agencies. As a result, about 556,000 children are unable to live safely with their families at home and are placed in foster care.

Child abuse and neglect is a social problem that affects all Americans. The results of such abuse and neglect have great human and economic costs and are related to crime and delinquency, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and welfare dependency. Therefore, all Americans should strive to break the cycle of child abuse and neglect to give victimized children hope for the future.

Childhelp USA is one of the Nation's oldest and largest nonprofit organizations dedicated to the prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. As part of their efforts to bring attention to this issue, Childhelp USA has initiated a National Day of Hope to be observed on April 2, 2003. A day that is appropriate and timely as April is designated as National Child Abuse Prevention Month.

This day of hope is a reminder to all Americans that they should keep the victims of child maltreatment in their thoughts and prayers, and it encourages community efforts to mobilize resources to assist abused and neglected children.

Mr. Speaker, this resolution is very simple and straightforward. It rightly recognizes the need for more public awareness of the problem of child maltreatment and supports the goals and ideals of the National Day of Hope.

I commend the gentleman from Arizona for his leadership on this matter and urge my colleagues to vote in support of the resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 14, the ``Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003.'' This bill reauthorizes the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, and related child and family protection acts. H.R. 14 represents our efforts and commitment to once again ensure that programs aimed at the prevention of child abuse and neglect are strengthened and continue to serve vulnerable children.

It's fitting that we are considering this bill today, as next week marks the beginning of National Child Abuse Prevention Month. This bill reflects our strong belief that every child in America deserves the security of being a part of a safe, permanent, caring family.

H.R. 14 aims to improve program implementation. It makes improvements to current law to ensure that states have the necessary resources and flexibility to properly address the prevention of child abuse and neglect.

It ensures that children are protected from abuse and neglect through best practice prevention and treatment services. It also reflects our belief that we can help achieve this goal by maintaining resources for adoption opportunities, identifying and addressing the needs of abandoned infants, and ensuring that resources continue to be available to promote family violence prevention activities. This bill also addresses the problem of child abandonment and abuse with effective solutions that can make a real difference in the lives of children.

H.R. 14 appropriately addresses issues regarding child protective services across the United States by enhancing training for personnel, requiring more effective partnerships between child protective services and private and community-based organizations, and improving public education on the child protection system.

This bill enjoys bipartisan support and is widely supported throughout the child abuse prevention and family violence prevention communities.

Finally Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues--Select Education Subcommittee Chairman Hoekstra, Mr. Greenwood, and Mr. Miller, the ranking member of the full committee--for their efforts in bringing forward this important and timely legislation.

I urge my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 14, the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate, thank, and recognize my constituent Mrs. Neldleen ``Nell'' Wright. Nell is a testament to the innate goodness of human nature and the overwhelming positive effect one individual may have on the community.

As a wife, mother, and tireless volunteer in Ohio's Eighth Congressional District, Nell has quietly given much more than she has taken. Her work, as an employee with the Butler County Republican Party, over the past fifteen years has been a constant source of pride and unconditional praise. Nell's dedication is undoubtedly a major reason for the party's huge success.

Mr. Speaker, Nell's warm smile and gentle personality are known throughout Southwest Ohio. Her attitude, fierce determination, and community spirit are a constant source of energy for all those around her. So much of Nell's work is done quietly and without reward, and it is my honor to take this moment and say thank you to her. I congratulate Nell and wish her a very happy 80th birthday.

Mr. Speaker, today, I join my colleague from South Carolina in offering this important legislation to improve and increase the options available to parents of students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The IDEA reauthorization is a top priority for my Committee this year. We want to build on the success of the No Child Left Behind Act and align IDEA with NCLB.

One of our key principles for reauthorization is the encouragement of innovative approaches to parental involvement and parental choice. IDEA already contains choice, for the educated and the wealthy. There is no reason to deny millions of parents those same opportunities. We should empower all parents to expand their participation and increase knowledge of their rights and responsibilities under the law.

This bill would accomplish three goals:

Encourage states to develop innovative, flexible choice programs for children with disabilities and permitting states that have such programs to allow federal funds to follow the child based on the parents' choice. According to a report by Education Week, Florida's pioneering program, launched two years ago under Governor Jeb Bush and Lieutenant Governor Frank Brogan, resulted in state education officials receiving more than 14,000 inquiries from parents interested in exploring scholarships as a means of securing the best education possible for their children. Federal law should not discourage other states from emulating the Florida model or from engaging in other innovative efforts to improve choices for the parents of children with special needs.

Permit districts to use their funds under this Act to provide necessary accommodations (including reasonable, additional expenses) to allow children with disabilities being educated in schools designated for improvement under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to participate in supplemental educational services. NCLB, enacted in 2002 with overwhelming bipartisan support, guarantees parents with children in underachieving federally-funded schools--including children with disabilities--the right to obtain tutoring and other supplemental educational services for their children from providers reimbursed with their children's share of federal education funds. Eligible providers include private and faith-based providers of educational services. NCLB established an important historical precedent for the portability of federal Title I education funds, in which the money follows the child. The same principle should be applied to federal special education funds when children with special needs are otherwise being denied the opportunity for a quality education.

Expand the options of parents and decrease transition problems for the youngest children with disabilities by allowing states to expand current Part C (currently ages 0-2) programs to children that would otherwise be participating in Section 619 (ages 3-5). Parents can choose for their preschooler to remain in the Part C program with their current providers (including private providers) without interruption or transition from traditional Part C at age 3.

School choice, particularly for children with disabilities, provides a constructive way to continue to improve public education by insisting on excellence for every child. I strongly believe that parents are in the best position to determine where their child should be educated. We should allow all parents the right and the responsibility to have that choice.

I urge my colleagues to support this measure to give parents and children with disabilities the choice they deserve.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome the members of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) to Washington, D.C. for their 20th Annual Employment Law and Legislative Conference. Today, more than 200 SHRM members will visit Capitol Hill to share their views and experiences with issues such as the Fair Labor Standards Act, health care reform, and pension reform.

SHRM is the world's largest association devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 170,000 individual members, the Society serves the needs of human resource (HR) professionals by providing the most essential and comprehensive set of resources available. As an influential voice, SHRM also seeks to advance the HR profession by ensuring that HR is an essential and effective partner in developing and executing organizational strategy.

As a legislator, I want to congratulate the members of SHRM for recognizing the important role individuals can play in affecting the legislative process. HR professionals maintain demanding schedules and are crucial to the successful operation of our nation's organizations. Most importantly they understand the positive impact of meeting with their Senators and Representatives to discuss recent workplace trends, their policy implications, and suggested remedies. Citizen participation is a crucial component of the legislative process, allowing legislators and their staff the opportunity to hear constituents explain personal experiences as they live and work within our nation's laws. Finally, legislators gain critical knowledge through these conversations, resulting in legislation that's clearly applicable to the workplace and effective for employees and employers.

Mr. Speaker, I sincerely thank the members of SHRM for their commitment to provide value to employees and employers across the United States while contributing an essential component to the political process--practical real world experience.

Madam Speaker, I am privileged to join my friends from the Ohio delegation on the House floor today to mark yet another special occasion for our home state. Several weeks ago, we gathered here to celebrate and honor the Ohio State Buckeyes' college football national championship. And now we're here to mark yet another significant and historic event for the Buckeye State: Ohio's bicentennial.

Ohio's heritage is rich, and its importance to the nation is immeasurable. Consider these bits of trivia: Ohio played a vital role in the American Civil War. Our state contributed more of its population to the Union Army than any other state. Ohio is the home of 8 U.S. presidents. In fact, between the years 1840 and 1920, Ohio natives won 11 of 14 presidential elections. Ohio is home to legends in America's space program. Not only do Neil Armstrong and John Glenn call Ohio home, but the Buckeye State also is the home to twenty-two current astronauts. And finally, Ohio is the birthplace of aviation. The Wright Brothers called Ohio home and this year will be the focus of a celebration very close to my congressional district marking 100 years of flight.

Today, in Ohio schools, scores of students are poised to lead our state into its third century, and if the past two centuries are any indication, the best is yet to come.

Madam Speaker, it has been an honor to represent my friends and neighbors in Ohio on the local, state, and federal levels during my time in elected office. I wish them and all Ohioans across our state the very best today and in the years to come. May our next two hundred years be as prosperous and exciting as the last two hundred.

Mr. Speaker, this year more than 865 million people will visit a museum in America and millions will use their local library for books and other community services. Libraries and museums play a vital role in educating our children and promoting communities.

Throughout our Nation, libraries are at the forefront of reading and family literacy programs. Libraries are critical to many people with disabilities, providing them with specialized materials and resources that are obtainable in a single accessible location. For those persons of limited financial resources or who live in remote areas, libraries provide access to books and reference materials, computer services, and other community-based services.

Museums across the country work with local schools to provide K-12 educational programming. They are an important source of cultural and historical knowledge for people, as they learn about the history and traditions of our country and other places around the world. In addition, museums serve as places where people of different backgrounds come together to share information about history, culture, and civilization.

Under the leadership of Chairman Hoekstra in the last Congress, the Education and the Workforce Committee worked in a bipartisan manner to report the Museum and Library Services Act of 2002. That bill had 94 cosponsors, was supported by the Bush Administration, and had been endorsed by the American Library Association, the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies, and the American Association of Museums. The Museum and Library Services Act of 2003 is very similar to last year's bill, and with 126 cosponsors, it builds on the bipartisan bill reported by the Committee on Education and the Workforce last year.

The legislation before the House today funds the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal agency devoted exclusively to museums and libraries, which partner with our Nation's schools. It consolidates museum

and library board activities to reduce unnecessary paperwork and duplication. In addition, the reauthorization of the Museum and Library Services Act is an important next step in ensuring that the President's education reforms signed into law last year are properly implemented. H.R. 13 requires that all library activities are coordinated with activities under the No Child Left Behind Act, President Bush's landmark education reform legislation.

First Lady Laura Bush, a former librarian, supports reauthorization of the Museum and Library Services Act. Mr. Miller, the ranking Democrat on our Committee is a cosponsor of this legislation--I would like to thank him for his support. Mr. Hoekstra has put together a good, bipartisan bill and I encourage my colleagues to support the legislation and our Nation's museums and libraries.