Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding the time and for his consistent, continuous leadership on this issue.

Mr. Speaker, as a father and grandfather, I find it difficult to imagine anything more terrifying than a loved one falling victim to youth sex trafficking. Yet each year, hundreds of thousands of children and families are forced to live with the pain and suffering that stems from this deplorable crime.

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. This crime is taking place right here in our own country. It is impacting our communities, our families, and our children. We face a national crisis, and it demands a national response.

Fortunately, there are heroic efforts underway to fight this heinous crime, care for the victims, and support their families.

The dedicated staff at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, or NCMEC, are on the front lines every day identifying victims, assisting law enforcement in the recovery of missing children, and returning children to their loved ones.

NCMEC is also partnering with schools and employers to enhance support for victims and their families. Parents with children in school are probably familiar with Lifetouch photography. Through its SmileSafe Kids initiative, Lifetouch is making it easier for parents and NCMEC to alert law enforcement of a missing child in order to accelerate the search and rescue.

NCMEC and others are always finding new ways to help, and so should we, and that is why we are here today. We have learned too often victims fall through the cracks of States' child welfare systems. Those who may be runaway or homeless youth do not have access to the full range of services they need.

And believe it or not, due to a flaw in the law, there are times when children are treated as criminals--as criminals, Mr. Speaker--rather than the victims of a violent crime.

Congress has an opportunity to address these challenges and strengthen our support for victims of youth sex trafficking. I want to thank my Republican and Democratic colleagues for working with us on this important effort, including Mr. Walberg, as I mentioned earlier; the ranking member of the Education and the Workforce Committee, Mr. Scott; and Representatives Joe Heck, Karen Bass, and Joyce Beatty.

I am pleased that in the early days of the 114th Congress, we are taking action to address youth sex trafficking. It reflects both the seriousness of this crime and our commitment to the victims and their families.

I urge my colleagues to support these important legislative proposals.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Ryan for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 30. It was noted not long ago that the President's health care law will ``destroy the foundation of the 40-hour workweek that is the backbone of the American middle class.''

Those aren't my words, of course, Mr. Speaker. Instead, those are the words expressed by leaders of some of the Nation's largest labor unions, including the president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Echoing these concerns, members of the AFL-CIO endorsed a resolution that warned ObamaCare will lead to a ``new underclass of less-than-30-hour workers.''

We have all seen the headlines in recent years, headlines describing how employers are left with practically no choice but to cut workers' hours in order to avoid the health care law's punitive employer mandate. Put simply, the law punishes employers who provide workers with full-time jobs.

A small business owner and constituent of mine from Savage, Minnesota, wrote earlier this week that the President's health care law is ``wreaking havoc on the American workplace.'' No doubt many Americans agree.

Unfortunately, the law is wreaking havoc in schools as well. According to a recent report, Louisiana school administrators are being forced to cut staff hours and hire more part-time teachers to avoid Federal penalties. Schools in New Jersey and elsewhere are facing similar tough choices. One superintendent described the costs associated with the health care law's mandates as ``an unbelievable drain on school systems.''

Don't America's teachers and students deserve better?

Mr. Speaker, let's tell our Nation's school leaders that we won't sit idly by while ObamaCare makes it more difficult to provide students the quality education they deserve. Let's tell our small business owners that we want to help make it easier, not harder, to create full-time jobs. Let's tell the country's union leaders that we share your concerns and are prepared to do something about it. And finally, let's tell workers that we won't let a flawed law deny them the wages that they need to provide for their families.

I urge my colleagues to stand with the American people by supporting this commonsense, bipartisan legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life of Katherine ``Kelly'' Marjory Krauser Knott. Kelly fought a courageous battle against breast cancer, which sadly took her life on December 3.

As demonstrated at a memorial service earlier this week, Kelly touched many lives. The gathering held in her memory overflowed with love and grief shared by her many friends, colleagues, and family members.

Kelly was a graduate of New Canaan High School and St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana. She earned a master's degree from George Washington University.

She began her career in the nation's capital as an aide to our former colleague, Rep. Mel Hancock of Missouri. She worked in and around policy with true grace and professionalism. She held various positions throughout her distinguished career and was universally respected and admired.

I met Kelly my first week as a new Member of Congress and was struck by her knowledge of both policy and politics. She had a great understanding of the Hill and worked tirelessly to advance the goals of her members. I not only considered her a colleague but a friend.

As important as her professional achievements were, they do not compare to the success she enjoyed in her personal life. Kelly was a devoted wife to her husband Stewart and beloved mother to Carson, Halle, and Kendall.

I ask the House to join me in offering condolences to the Knott family and keep them in your prayers as they mourn the loss of a remarkable woman.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 83, the omnibus appropriations bill for 2015. I want to commend the members of the House Appropriations Committee, all of them, especially the committee's distinguished chairman, Hal Rogers, for their hard work in writing a responsible proposal that will fund our national priorities and prevent a government shutdown. I am also pleased that the bill includes critical reforms that will help our country avert a looming pension crisis.

Today, Mr. Speaker, roughly 10 million Americans participate in a multiemployer pension plan, men and women who have and continue to move our country forward: builders, truck drives, carpenters, electricians, and store clerks, to name a few.

These people worked hard and earned the promise that a pension would provide financial security in retirement; yet for many, that promise is now in jeopardy. Pension plans are on the brink of bankruptcy. Employers, workers, and retirees are stretched thin, and a Federal insurance agency is on the path to insolvency.

The multiemployer pension system is a ticking time bomb. When the bomb goes off, businesses will close their doors, workers will be laid off, taxpayers will be on the hook for a multibillion-dollar bailout, and retirees will have their benefits cut or wiped out entirely.

A crisis is staring us in the face, and the question we have to answer is: Will we act? Will we do what is right and necessary to help fix this problem? Or will we simply kick the can down the road? I believe we have a public duty and a moral responsibility to act.

My Democratic colleague, George Miller, and I have worked hard to craft a bipartisan legislative response to this looming disaster. With the help of our friend, Dr. Phil Roe, and the work of many employers and union leaders, we have reached agreement on a series of reforms that offer the best chance we have to protect taxpayers, working families, and retirees.

Our bipartisan proposal includes tough medicine for a pension system in critical condition. It requires higher premiums so the Federal backstop can meet its obligations without taxpayer assistance. It also provides new tools to trustees to help plans avoid insolvency, including the ability to adjust benefits.

Let me be clear: if we reject this bill and continue the status quo, benefits will be cut. It is only a matter of time.

As plans go under, the Federal Government inflicts maximum pain on the maximum number of people, but if we offer trustees more flexibility, they can avoid insolvency and provide retirees greater financial security. We have a choice between an axe in the hand of a first-year med student or a scalpel in the hand of a trusted surgeon.

This isn't easy. No matter what happens, retirees will face some difficult hardships. That is why the proposal includes numerous protections, but most importantly, it ensures all retirees are better off than if we did nothing.

This isn't a perfect solution. I am disappointed we couldn't do more to provide workers more options to plan for their retirement. Make no mistake, this is the first step in addressing a tough problem, and it won't be the last.

Despite its shortcomings, this is a strong proposal that deserves our support. We cannot let this opportunity pass by. This problem will be harder to solve after the bomb goes off. I urge my

colleagues to do what is in the best interest of workers, employers, and retirees by supporting this bipartisan agreement.

Before I close, Mr. Speaker, I want to thank some members of the staff who worked day and night to make this happen, starting with my staff director, Juliane Sullivan, and workforce policy director, Ed Gilroy. I also want to thank Brian Kennedy, Megan O'Reilly, and Julia Krahe of Mr. Miller's staff for all of their hard work.

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to offer my deep appreciation to a trusted member of my team, Andy Banducci. Andy has poured more time and energy into this effort than anyone else, and he has earned the right to a good night's sleep.

Finally, I would like to extend my sincere thanks to my colleague, George Miller, who will leave this Chamber after 40 years of public service. Without his courage and determination to do what is right, this effort would not have been possible; through it all, he has been a trusted friend and ally.

George has long been a tireless advocate for working families from the start of his distinguished career down to these final moments in Congress. He will leave behind a lasting mark on the House and the Education and Workforce Committee.

We haven't agreed on every issue, but in the fine tradition of our committee, we have always found a way to disagree without being disagreeable. I have no doubt he will remain a powerful voice for students, teachers, and working families.

George, thank you for your service and your friendship. I wish you and your wife, Cynthia, and family all the best.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am very, very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee, Dr. Roe, chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks), another member of the committee.

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

In closing, again, I want to thank the staff and Republicans and Democrats for working on this.

We have talked a lot about what this does for employees, for retirees. It also does an awful lot to strengthen the position of employers. You need strong employers. They need some relief from the crushing liability that is on them. You need strong employers and a strong plan in order to guarantee the pensions for all of these workers.

I have a long list here, which I will not read, of employers who are supporting this because they understand that they, like the employees and like the retirees, need relief from the broken system that we have today.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to support this legislation,

and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize one of Minnesota's true dedicated public servants: former Congressman Bill Frenzel.

For twenty years, Bill represented the Third District of Minnesota in the U.S. House of Representatives with distinction. During his time in this chamber, he established himself as an expert in fiscal responsibility and trade

issues setting himself apart from his colleagues as a leader on the Budget and Ways and Means Committees.

His service to our country did not end after his time in the House. He was instrumental in the passage of NAFTA as a special adviser to President Clinton and worked with President George W. Bush on the Social Security Commission and Advisory Committee.

As we honor his career and service, it is easy to see that Bill truly worked to represent all he served by crossing the aisle, time and again, to produce solutions for Minnesotans and all Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues today in sending prayers to Bill's wife, Ruthy; his daughters Debby, Pam, and Mitty; and the entire Frenzel family.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 1086) to reauthorize and improve the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may

have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 1086.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of S. 1086, the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014.

Mr. Speaker, across the country countless men and women are trying to build a better life for their families. Some are working more for less in order to make ends meet; others are pursuing a degree at a local university or improving their skills at a nearby community college.

Whether going to work or school, most parents face a difficult question: Who will care for my child? Is there a trusted child care provider who will keep my son or daughter safe? And if there is, can I afford it?

For nearly two decades, the Child Care and Development Block Grant program has helped low-income families answer these tough questions. The program funds State efforts to provide vulnerable families access to child care. Parents receive assistance in the form of a voucher or certificate to pay the child care provider of their choice.

Approximately 1.5 million children under the age of 13 are in a child care arrangement funded through the program, including over 25,000 children in my home State of Minnesota. It is a vital safety net for moms and dads trying to lift their families out of poverty.

At a hearing held earlier this year, one witness told the story of a woman named Rita. Speaking of the Child Care and Development Block Grant program, Rita said: ``These Federal investments were quite a serious lifeline for me. I know where I came from, and I do not want to go back.''

Rita's experience is shared by many Americans. Yet despite the importance of the program, it has been almost 20 years since Congress reformed the law. As with any Federal program left on autopilot, problems will emerge, and this program is no different.

Poor coordination across related services and a lack of information make it difficult for parents looking for the best provider to know the full range of options. Perhaps most troubling, a patchwork of State licensing, monitoring, and related safety requirements means some children aren't protected like they should be.

These families deserve better, which is why I am proud to support this important legislation. The bill before us includes a number of commonsense reforms that will strengthen the program and our support of these at-risk families.

For example, the legislation requires all participating child care providers to undergo, at a minimum, an annual inspection to ensure compliance with health, safety, and fire standards. The bill enhances existing training for providers and their workers; so every child is under the care of a well-trained professional.

The legislation also reins in the authority of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to prevent this and future administrations from writing onerous rules that would limit access to this important service.

Mr. Speaker, we have a long way to go before every American enjoys the opportunity and prosperity they and their family deserve. By supporting this bipartisan legislation, we have a chance to help these families succeed and set their children on the path to a bright future.

Before closing, I would like to recognize a number of my colleagues who helped make this legislative achievement possible, including Senators Tom Harkin and Lamar Alexander, the chairman and senior Republican on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.

I would also like to thank the senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, George Miller, and Representatives Todd Rokita and David Loebsack.

Last, but certainly not least, Senators Richard Burr and Barbara Mikulski laid the foundation for the bipartisan, bicameral agreement we are discussing today, and we are all grateful for their years of dedication to this really important issue.

Finally, Mr. Speaker, we would not be here today were it not for the hard work and dedication of our staff. I wish time permitted an opportunity to recognize each and every one of them. We are forever grateful for their service.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Washington (Mrs.

McMorris Rodgers), the chairwoman of the Republican Conference and a member of our leadership team.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Rokita), the chairman of the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee.

I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

I want to thank my colleagues here on both sides of the aisle. It is not every day on this floor that we get to do that, but I thank them for their remarks and for the debate today.

I want to reiterate my appreciation for the work done on the other side of the Capitol. Again, it is not something we get to talk about every day, but this is an example of a time when we saw a need. Some could argue that we are a little overdue, since it has been 20 years since this has been reauthorized, but as the ranking member, Mr. Miller, said, this is on the suspension calendar because we recognize that it needs to be done and because we have come together in a bipartisan-bicameral way to address this need.

So I urge my colleagues to support S. 1086, as amended, the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4984.

Madam Chair, I rise today in strong support of the Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Chair, every family knows the cost of pursuing a higher education is out of control. It is felt intensely each and every day by countless Americans, by parents who worry how they will put their kids through college, by students who fear they will be left with a pile of debt and no job prospects, and by working men and women who hope a degree will let them reach the next rung on the economic ladder.

We know that solutions to the college cost problem must ultimately come from States and institutions, but there are things Congress can do right now to keep the dream of a postsecondary education within reach.

Helping students find the right institution is one way we can make a difference. Yesterday, the House passed, with strong bipartisan support, the Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act. The legislation will arm students with the best information available in a format that is easy to understand, information that includes key facts such as an institution's costs, completion rates, and student loan debt.

Students and families currently face a tsunami of information that is the

mostly confusing, conflicting, and unnecessary. The bill streamlines the information and how it is delivered, enabling students to be smart shoppers in the college marketplace.

However, picking an institution is only half the challenge. Families then have to figure out how to pay for it, and far too many are unprepared to make those tough decisions. Some students choose loans and debt when other assistance in the form of grants and scholarships are readily available. And those that do opt for student loans often have no real concept of what they are getting into or what it means for their future.

Clearly, current policies promoting financial literacy are coming up short. That is why I am pleased to support the Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act. This bipartisan legislation includes a series of reforms that will help students and families make wise financial decisions about their postsecondary education.

For example, the bill ensures borrowers--both students and parents-- receive annual counseling that reflects their personal situations and requires consent each year before receiving a Federal loan. The legislation also makes sure low-income individuals who rely on Pell grants are informed about the terms and conditions of their grant.

The bill also delivers more robust counseling upon graduation, requiring that information on a borrower's loan balance and anticipated monthly payments be provided. Finally, the legislation directs the Secretary of Education to maintain a consumer-tested, online counseling tool that will help institutions put this important information into the hands of those who need it.

Madam Chairman, this legislation is part of a broader effort to strengthen our Nation's higher education. Neither this bill nor the bills passed earlier this week are a silver bullet to challenges we face. However, by working together, we can begin to make a difference in the lives of students and families, and that is precisely what the House is doing.

Madam Chairman, I want to thank the bipartisan authors of the legislation, Representatives Brett Guthrie, Richard Hudson, and Suzanne Bonamici.

I urge my colleagues to support the bill and reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I am now pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), a key member of the committee.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, we have no further speakers on this side, and I am prepared to close, so I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Again, I want to thank my colleagues from the committee, the principal authors of this bill--Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Hudson, and Mr. Guthrie--for their fine work here and for the spirit of enthusiasm and bipartisanship which they have brought to this effort.

I would remind all of my colleagues, as we move forward towards reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, this is absolutely not the whole thing, but it is another important step down that road.

I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chair, I rise in support of the manager's amendment. This amendment is brought forth in close cooperation with the ranking member of the committee, my friend George Miller.

This amendment will improve the information provided to first-time student loan borrowers and clarify that borrowers must accept their loans annually after they have completed their counseling.

The amendment will also require the Director of the Institute of Education Sciences to collect a study of the impact and effectiveness of the student loan counseling required under this act.

This amendment ensures borrowers are getting the information they need prior to making their final decisions on how to pay for their college education. It also ensures policymakers have information on how well financial aid counseling is working to prevent overborrowing and what can be improved to make it even more effective.

The underlying bill, which received unanimous support coming out of the committee, will deliver students and parents the tools and information they need to borrow and repay their student loans in a responsible way. This amendment improves the bill.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I thank the gentlewoman from Oregon for her support of this amendment. She is a principal author of the underlying legislation and her support of this amendment is very, very helpful.

I urge all my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, although I do not oppose the amendment.

Madam Chair, I want to make the point that I am supporting all of the amendments offered today, but I wanted to take this opportunity with this particular amendment to thank the gentlewoman from California, because this amendment makes sure that these students in this confusing world that we are trying to help sort out get a clear explanation that their Pell grant eligibility is limited to 12 semesters and it will not reset if they transfer.

That is just an example of the kind of confusion that is out there, and it is one of the reasons that we insisted on putting counseling for Pell grant recipients, not just loan recipients, in the base bill. But her language brings absolute clarity to this issue. I thank her for that.

I support this amendment and the other amendments, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment, although I do not oppose the amendment.

Madam Chair, I think, again, this amendment is underscoring the many issues that students and their parents and families are facing as they go into this postsecondary education adventure. Some of them, really, are coming off of jobs. The last thing they are thinking about is bankruptcy or the size of their loans. Most of them don't even know what bankruptcy is--or many of them don't know. Maybe they are a lot smarter than I was at that time.

This amendment makes it clear that they understand the difference between the rules under a student loan--if they don't pay it or can't pay it--and under other loans. Without this sort of explanation, they wouldn't have any idea that their loans were not dischargeable in bankruptcy except, as the gentleman says, in some unusual circumstances.

Again, that is why this sort of financial counseling early and often is going to be very careful, because this isn't a simple matter of taking out--we will use a car loan as an example with a set amount, a set interest--a set amount that you pay back for a set number of years. Folks understand how that works. But in having student loans merged with all sorts of other programs--workstudy programs and Pell grants and so forth--it is no wonder that students are graduating, stepping out and--oh, by the way--they can't find jobs because the economy is in so much trouble. They had such high expectations when they stepped into their college experiences or their postsecondary experiences, and then they came out and found out that the jobs weren't available, and they have this confusing mess that they have to deal with, and the last thing that they ever gave any thought to was this whole notion of bankruptcy.

I thank the gentleman for his amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Now I can't pass it up.

Madam Chair, there is quite a bit of difference in the Mississippi River between the gentleman's district and Minnesota. In fact, you can step across the Mississippi River in Minnesota, and I don't think that is true--in fact, I am absolutely positive that it is not true-- anywhere else. It is always interesting when we have guests come to our great

State. When we ask them if they would like to step across the river, they are disbelieving until we take them up there to Itasca. Literally, it is no wider than this desk.

I wish that trying to figure out one's student loans and grants and workstudies were as easy as getting across the Mississippi River.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the gentleman's motion.

Mr. Speaker, this proposal for a hypothetical refinancing interest rate would make financial understanding even more confusing. We have been working on a process here to make it easier for students and parents to understand their loans and grants and workstudy programs. This would not be helpful.

This motion, like all motions to recommit, affords the minority an opportunity to speak for 5 minutes to try to make political points before a procedural vote. That is done. Let's take the vote. Vote ``no'' on this and ``yes'' on the underlying bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3136.

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

I rise today in strong support of the Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act of 2013.

Mr. Chairman, this week, Congress is moving forward with a bipartisan effort to strengthen our Nation's higher education system.

Across the country, millions of college students are getting ready to start the school year. They will soon say good-bye to family and friends and pursue their dream of a postsecondary education. Unfortunately, Mr. Chairman, many Americans are struggling to turn that dream into reality.

The higher education system we know today is too costly, too bureaucratic, and outdated. Some are having a hard time fitting the traditional college experience into a busy lifestyle that already includes work, family, or both. Others are graduating with a pile of debt and no job prospects.

A college degree can open the door to a bright and prosperous future, yet too often, obstacles stand in the way. Ultimately, States and institutions must provide the answers students and families need, but Congress has a role to play as well.

First and foremost, we need to continue promoting policies that will get this economy moving again, so every college graduate who wants a job can find a job. We can also adopt commonsense reforms that will improve our higher education system.

Today, the House will begin to do just that. We have an opportunity right now--right now, Mr. Chairman--to advance reforms that will support innovation and empower students to make informed decisions about their college careers. H.R. 3136 is the first step in that effort.

The bipartisan Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act will allow institutions to expand an innovative approach to higher education, known as competency-based education.

This model of education defines a set of skills for a field of work and then measures student progress in acquiring those skills. Once a student demonstrates a level of skill or competency, he or she can move to the next step in the academic program.

Instead of awarding a student credit hours for time spent in class, competency-based education allows a student to learn at a pace tailored to his or her specific needs.

If you are a single mom, you may need more time to complete your degree while juggling the demands of work and kids, or if you are a dad out of a job with a family to support, 4 years sitting in a classroom is time you do not have.

Competency-based education holds tremendous promise. It allows students to earn a degree in less time and even at a lower cost than in a traditional education setting, yet it is difficult for institutions to expand this innovative model under a system that values time over learning.

H.R. 3136 will help us move in a different direction. The legislation directs the Secretary of Education to authorize a number of demonstration projects to test and strengthen competency-based education.

Among other provisions, the legislation requires the Secretary to focus on programs that are designed to reduce costs in the time it takes to earn a degree. The bill requires a thorough evaluation of each demonstration project, so policymakers learn which programs demonstrate success and what specific roadblocks are standing in the way.

Mr. Chairman, this is a good bill that will help make a difference in the lives of students and families. I want to thank the bipartisan authors of the legislation: Mr. Matt Salmon, Mr. Jared Polis, and Mrs. Susan Brooks.

I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Salmon), a key member of the committee and one of the principal authors of this important legislation.

Mr. Chairman, I will be the last speaker on our side, and will close. I think the other side has completed their speakers as well, so I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Again, I want to thank the authors of this bill, with particular emphasis on Mr. Salmon, Mr. Polis, and Mrs. Brooks. A lot of people worked on this, though. My colleague, the ranking member of the full committee, Mr. Miller, and I have talked about the advantages of moving forward with innovation and new ideas, because that is what is happening, Mr. Chairman.

Colleges and universities are changing--or trying to change--the model, the model which, as Mr. Polis pointed out, is based on how much time you sit in a seat, not what you have learned and not what competency you have.

It has been pointed out by a couple of speakers today that we are now dealing with a different student body than we have in the past. These are contemporary students. I guess that is our way of saying they are not the traditional students of the high school seniors who graduate and go off to 4 or 5 or 6 years of college. These are people, many times, who have come back, looking for a second career, a second chance, a new opportunity, and--yes, Mr. Chairman--looking for lower costs. This bill addresses all of that in order to give more students, more people, more families a chance--an opportunity--and a way to do it at a lower cost.

I know my friend and colleague Mr. Polis has a couple of times mentioned his concerns about sleep for students. That may have something to do with a new baby in the family, but he makes a good point that these are families and that they have children and that they have jobs, and they need to be able to demonstrate that they have the skills and the knowledge to go forward and get that degree or certificate.

I am very, very pleased with this bill. I will emphasize that it is not the complete reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. We need to continue to move to get that done, but it is an important first step, and I am pleased that this bill was the first step. It has strong bipartisan support and strong recognition in the administration, in Congress, and in colleges and universities that this is the direction we need to go.

As the ranking member pointed out, the demonstration projects part of this is important because, while we are thrilled with enthusiasm about the potential here, we need these projects to demonstrate what works well and what, perhaps, doesn't work as well as we had hoped.

So I am excited about this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support it. I would like to see a very big bipartisan vote for this because I know that is where the thought is, and I am enthusiastic about it.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

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

I offer this amendment in close cooperation with my colleague, the ranking member, Mr. Miller.

This manager's amendment clarifies that eligible entities that have been selected to carry out demonstration projects may submit amendments to their approved applications. It requires the Secretary of Education to collect and disseminate demonstration project best practices to eligible entities carrying out such projects, and it makes technical corrections.

Mr. Chairman, this is a very straightforward amendment, and we offer it together to improve this bill.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I thank my colleague for his comments.

Mr. Chairman, I urge support of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition, although I don't intend to oppose it.

I see that the author has arrived.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

The gentlewoman's amendment will help advance this goal by ensuring that a number of diverse institutions are aware of the opportunity to carry out an innovative, competency-based demonstration project.

I thank the gentlewoman for offering the amendment, and I urge my colleagues to support it and the underlying bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition to the amendment, though I do not intend to oppose the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I am excited about this amendment. There has been much discussion about things that we can do to help our American heroes, to help those veterans who have served and/or are serving. Many of these veterans and servicemembers are seeking higher educational opportunities, and many of them, while they have limited time due to work and family, they have skills. They have education. They have competency. So this competency-based education is almost tailor-made for them.

I want to urge my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying bill to help not only these American heroes, but students across the country.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Chairman, I am a little confused about who has the right to close.

Mr. Chairman, I urge support of this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition to the amendment, although I do not oppose the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment which requires the Secretary of Education to study the advantages and disadvantages of using IRS income data to complete a student's application for Federal aid is an idea that is growing in popularity.

Simplifying the Federal student aid application has been proposed by a number of our colleagues. As part of an effort to reauthorize the Higher Education Act, Representatives Larry Bucshon, Mike Kelly, John Tierney, Tim Bishop, Jared Polis, and Ed Royce introduced H.R. 4982, Simplifying the Application For Student Aid Act, which addresses this issue as well. That bipartisan legislation would streamline and improve the student aid application process by allowing students to import into their application IRS income data from 2 years prior to the date of application. The gentleman's amendment today will help inform us how better to simplify this process. I thank him for offering the amendment. I urge my colleagues to support it.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the motion.

Mr. Speaker, I certainly appreciate the gentleman from Massachusetts' passion on this issue.

We have shown in this House, again and again, that we are willing and able and have taken steps to help students pay for their loans. More importantly, we did that in a bipartisan way.

My colleagues may remember that last year, we all agreed it wasn't fair--it wasn't right--to double the rates students were already struggling to afford. We had a bipartisan solution to turn that interest rate determination over to the market, which much more accurately reflects the cost of that money, rather than politicians sitting around and making a decision.

We are taking action right now in the underlying bill to make it less costly for students to go to school to get their educations, to get their degrees, to get their certificates by advancing the competency- based education bill. We are open to discussing ways to help student borrowers manage the amount of debt they are taking on to finance their college degrees, but today, Mr. Speaker, is not the time, and this is not the place to have that discussion. This motion is, as is, frankly, always the case, a partisan move to score political points with a procedural vote.

I urge my colleagues to support the underlying bill and vote ``no'' on the motion to recommit.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Can we get a recorded vote?

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for a recorded vote.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and for his dedicated and hard work in combating sex trafficking.

Mr. Speaker, each year an estimated 300,000 innocent children fall victim to sex trafficking right here in the United States. The victims can be homeless or runaway youth. Others are simply taken from their parents in the blink of an eye. The victims' families are our neighbors, our friends, and our loved ones.

As a father of two and a grandfather of four, for me it is impossible to fathom the pain and suffering they must feel knowing their son or daughter is trapped in a modern-day slave trade filled with darkness and hopelessness. While we will never fully comprehend the grief these families are forced to bear, we can, as a Nation, fight this heinous crime with every tool available.

There are heroic efforts underway right now to locate victims of youth sex trafficking and return them to their families. Last week, the Education and Workforce Committee had an opportunity to hear from John Ryan, who is the head of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The center plays a vital role in a national effort to protect vulnerable youth, leading a partnership among law enforcement, government agencies, and private ventures like Honeywell, Google, and Lifetouch.

In my home State of Minnesota, the center has helped resolve cases involving 1,699 endangered runaways and 373 family abductions. The center's 24-hour CyberTipline has provided law enforcement more than 2 million leads of child sexual exploitation.

The center and its staff provide an invaluable service to families. They stand on the front lines of this critical battle each and every day. Despite these and other achievements, we know more can be done to protect our most vulnerable youth.

Right now, many kids are falling through the cracks of child welfare systems. Often, they are not properly identified as sex trafficking victims when they enter the system and are then lost in the shuffle once they are in State custody, and too often, runaway and homeless youth who are victims of sex trafficking do not receive the special help they need.

That is why I strongly support this legislation, which will enhance existing services for runaway and homeless youth. I am also proud to support legislation we will consider in just a few moments that will improve how State child welfare systems identify and respond to victims of youth sex trafficking.

Finally, we will also consider legislation that ensures victims are properly identified when reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline.

Mr. Speaker, we have to do more to address this national crisis. The bills the House is considering today move our country in the right direction. I am humbled to help lead this bipartisan effort and urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 803) to reform and strengthen the workforce investment system of the Nation to put Americans back to work and make the United States more competitive in the 21st century.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 803.

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

Men and women across the country are struggling to make ends meet. Many have lost a job, and others are working more for less. Learning a new skill or trade can open the door to that next opportunity a worker desperately needs, yet, too often, flawed policies stand in the way.

Quite frankly, our Nation's job training system is broken. We have too

many ineffective programs, too much bureaucracy, and very little accountability. The voices of job creators are stifled, State and local leaders are tied up in red tape, and hard-earned taxpayer dollars are wasted.

We have known about these problems for years but have failed to act, until now. We have an opportunity to advance reforms that will help all Americans compete and succeed in today's workforce.

The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is based on four principles necessary for a modern, efficient, and effective job training system:

First, the bill streamlines a confusing maze of Federal programs and mandates. Let's make it easier for workers to access the support they need to get back to work.

Second, the bill promotes skills training for in-demand jobs. It is time to prepare workers for the jobs of the future, not the jobs of the past.

Third, the bill will reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and administrative costs. We need to stop squandering money on a bloated bureaucracy and start ensuring these limited resources go to workers in need.

Fourth and finally, this act provides strong accountability over the use of taxpayer dollars. We will know whether the taxpayer investment is paying off and impose real consequences when a program isn't getting the job done.

Last year, the House passed job training reform legislation known as the SKILLS Act. The bill incorporated these principles, and I am pleased they are reflected in the bipartisan, bicameral agreement before us today.

Is this a perfect solution? No, it is not. In some areas, I wish we could have done more. But will this agreement protect taxpayers and deliver the kind of employment support workers need to get back on their feet? I believe it will, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Before closing, Madam Speaker, I would like to thank some of my colleagues who helped make this possible. Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, chair of the Workforce Training Subcommittee, is, without a doubt, the leading champion for a stronger, more accountable workforce development system.

Mr. George Miller, senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, is no stranger to this issue and remains a tireless advocate for America's workers.

I am grateful for the leadership of Senators Tom Harkin and Lamar Alexander, the chairman and ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and hope this is one of many bicameral compromises we reach this year.

I would also like to thank Mr. Buck McKeon, former chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee, as well as Representatives Ruben Hinojosa and Joe Heck.

And last but not least, Senator Patty Murray and my good friend Senator Johnny Isakson were both instrumental in our work.

Finally, Madam Speaker, we wouldn't be here today without the hard work of our staffs. The majority and minority staffs of the relevant House and Senate committees put in more hours than they care to remember.

Unfortunately, there isn't time to recognize them all; however, a few stand out on our side of the aisle that merit mention.

Juliane Sullivan, the committee's staff director, is a trusted adviser who helped us navigate the choppy waters that arose along the way. Brad Thomas helped ensure the bill addresses the unique needs of Americans with disabilities. James Bergeron, our former director of education policy, left the committee before this compromise was announced, but his knowledge and expertise are present on every page of this agreement. And finally, Rosemary Lahasky, whose passion and dedication kept this effort moving forward when it seemed like it couldn't get done. There simply aren't enough words to describe Rosemary's incredible contribution. We are all grateful for her service.

With that, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, now I am very, very pleased to yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), the principal author of the SKILLS Act, which got this ball rolling.

Madam Speaker, it is now my great pleasure and honor to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor), the majority leader.

Mr. Speaker, I now yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg), the chair of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.

Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining on each side?

Madam Speaker, now, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee, Dr. Roe, the chair of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.

Madam Speaker, I now yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Nevada, Dr. Heck, another key member of the committee.

Madam Speaker, now, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), another member of the committee.

Madam Speaker, now, I would like to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly), a member of the committee.

Madam Speaker, I now yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks), another member of the committee.

Madam Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Rokita), the chair of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time remains on each side?

Madam Speaker, I have two speakers who will apparently not make it to the floor, so I reserve the balance of my time to close.

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

We have heard a lot of conversation today about the bipartisan and bicameral nature of this, and it certainly is. I want to take a couple of minutes to clear up a couple of misinformation items that are out there.

One, it was suggested that this paid no attention to sequestration; it was sort of a runaway spending. The funds authorized in this bill are entirely consistent with the Budget Control Act, I would like to reassure my colleagues on both sides.

And then someone said this was a conference report, and I understand where they might have that understanding because we are treating it much as a conference report. The technical facts are that the House passed a bill, the SKILLS Act. The Senate committee moved a bill, but it didn't move to the Senate floor. Even despite that, we were able to step forward and treat this in a very bipartisan, bicameral way, working towards a compromise so that we could pass it in the Senate.

Again, I want to thank all of my Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working very, very hard to get this through the Senate and its quite interesting processes and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle here for taking it up right away when it has come back from the Senate so that we can pass this bill and get it to the President for signature and help those 4.5 million Americans get back to work, help the employers get the employees they need, and we can help the American taxpayer, as my friend Mr. Kelly said, by making the system more accountable and more responsible.

With that, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I submit the following explanation of Manager's Views for H.R. 803. The entire Statement of Managers to Accompany the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act can be found in the Congressional Record on June 25, 2014 (beginning on S3982) and on the Committee on Education and the Workforce website at www.edworkforce.house.gov.

IV. Explanation of the Bill and Managers' Views

Sections 1, 2, and 3. Sections 1, 2, and 3 describe the

short title for the bill, the Workforce Innovation and

Opportunity Act; include the purposes of the Act; and state

the definitions for the Act, which are intended to have the

same meaning under each program authorized under the Act

unless otherwise stated. The definitions identify the ``core

programs'' under the Act, which consist of title I State

grant programs; title II adult education programs; the

employment service under title III amendments to the Wagner-

Peyser Act; and State vocational rehabilitation programs

under title IV.

Title I--Workforce Development Activities; Providers; Job Corps;

National Programs; and Administration

Title I of the underlying bill includes the primary

components of State and local area workforce development

systems as well as several national programs for youth and

special populations. In order to strengthen and streamline

the workforce system, the title focuses on changes to

governance, including reducing the number of required board

members at the State and local level; requiring one, unified

State plan; and promoting local workforce areas more closely

aligned to labor markets and economic development regions

while preserving a locally driven workforce system. The bill

also promotes the themes of providing employment services and

workforce development along a career pathway for

participants, and education training in line with in-demand

industry sectors and occupations for a region.

Workforce Boards

In order for boards to be more strategic, the bill reduces

the number of required board members at both the State and

local level. The boards remain a business majority with a

business chairperson, while the representation for the

workforce is increased. At the local level, with the

exception of the core programs under the Act, the one-stop

partners are no longer required members.

Workforce Plans

To support a strategic, comprehensive, and streamlined

system, the bill requires one, unified State plan, covering

four years, to meet the requirements for each of the core

programs The plan also requires a description of the State's

overall strategy for workforce development and how the

strategy will help meet identified skill needs for workers,

job seekers and employers in the State. This unified plan

will improve service delivery to individuals as well as

reduce administrative costs and reporting requirements at the

State level. In order to promote a one-stop system that

accommodates the needs of individuals with disabilities, the

State and local plans must include a description of how the

one-stop system in the State will comply with the applicable

requirements of section 188 and the Americans with

Disabilities Act

regarding the accessibility of programs and facilities for

people with disabilities.

Workforce Development Areas

In order to maintain the balance between governors and

local elected officials, the bill requires States to consult

with local boards and chief elected officials in order to

identify local areas and planning regions that are in

alignment with labor markets and regional economic

development areas. The bill allows for initial and subsequent

designations based on performance, fiscal integrity, and

participation in regional coordination activities, including

regional planning, information sharing, pooling of

administrative costs, and coordination of service delivery.

Performance Accountability

In order to promote increased transparency about the

outcomes of Federal workforce programs, the bill includes six

primary indicators of performance for adults served under

programs authorized under the Act, and six primary indicators

for youth served under the Act. Commonality among the

indicators will allow policymakers, program users, and

consumers to better understand the value and effectiveness of

the services. The managers recognize that for those

participants who have low levels of literacy skills, or who

are English language learners, the acquisition of basic

English literacy and numeracy skills are critical steps to

obtaining employment and success in postsecondary education

and training. Therefore, the term ``measurable skill gains''

referred to under indicator V in this section for adults and

youth, is intended to encourage eligible providers under

title II to serve all undereducated, low-level, and under

prepared adults. The managers agree that reporting and

evaluation requirements are important tools in measuring

effectiveness, especially for the core programs. Therefore,

the legislation includes performance reports to be provided

at the State, local and eligible training provider levels, as

well as evaluations of the core programs by States.

One-Stop Infrastructure

To improve the quality of the one-stop delivery system, the

bill requires the State board, in consultation with chief

local elected officials and local boards, to establish

criteria for use by the local board in assessing the

effectiveness, physical and programmatic accessibility, and

continuous improvement of one-stop centers and delivery

systems at least every three years. Regarding infrastructure

funding for one-stop centers, the bill maintains requirements

for the mandatory one-stop partners in a local area to reach

a voluntary agreement, in the form of a memorandum of

understanding, to fund the costs of infrastructure, other

shared costs, and how the partners will deliver services

under the system. If local areas fail to come to an agreement

regarding sufficient funding of one-stop infrastructure

costs, a State one-stop infrastructure funding mechanism can

be imposed for those local areas. Mandatory partner program

contributions, pursuant to the State one-stop infrastructure

funding mechanism, are based on the proportionate use of the

one-stop centers and subject to specified caps.

Employment and Training Activities

For youth, the bill utilizes the existing formula to allot

funds to States for youth services. It improves upon existing

youth services by placing a priority on out-of-school youth

(75 percent of funding at the State and local level), and

focusing on career pathways for youth, drop-out recovery

efforts, and education and training that lead to the

attainment of a high school diploma and a recognized

postsecondary credential. A priority is also included for

work-based learning activities.

For adults and dislocated workers, the bill utilizes the

existing formulas with the inclusion of a minimum and maximum

allotment percentage for the dislocated worker formula

beginning in fiscal year 2016. The managers believe the

addition of the minimum and maximum percentages will help

bring stability to the only formula that currently does not

include such mechanisms, and will reduce funding volatility

for States year to year. The bill preserves the governor's 15

percent set aside for statewide activities.

To eliminate the perceived ``sequence of services'' under

current law, requiring an individual to proceed through core

and intensive services before training eligibility can be

determined, the bill consolidates core and intensive services

into a new ``career services'' category. While the services

remain similar to those under current law, the structure is

intended to provide more flexibility to one-stop staff in

determining a participant's need for training. Local boards

are required to convene, use, or implement industry or sector

partnerships. The bill also improves upon the mechanisms for

local boards to provide education and training to eligible

participants by adding the following optional methods, under

certain guidelines, for training--contracting for classes of

training for multiple participants or on a pay-for

performance basis; incumbent worker training; and

transitional jobs strategies. Finally, the title includes

authorization levels for appropriations for the State grant

programs

Job Corps

The bill improves upon the current Job Corps program by

strengthening the contracting requirements for centers,

requiring the program use the performance accountability

indicators for youth described in section 116 and

strengthening reporting requirements, and allowing the

Department of Labor to provide technical assistance to

centers. The bill includes requirements for a financial

report and a third party review of the program every five

years. The bill also includes a provision allowing operators

of a high-performing center, defined by performance criteria,

to be eligible to compete in any procurement process for that

center. Where there is not sufficient performance information

for the time period required under section 147(b)(2)(B) or

section 147(b)(3) due to the effects of a natural disaster or

the participation of the center in a performance pilot

program, it is the intent of the managers the Secretary apply

the provisions of that section to any performance information

that is available to the Secretary from the relevant period

preceding the time the determination under that provision is

made. This would allow entities operating the center to have

an opportunity to meet performance requirements allowing them

to compete where the absence of complete information is not

the fault of the operating entity.

National Programs

The bill reauthorizes the Native American program; the

Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker program; and YouthBuild. It

also includes provisions for National Dislocated Worker

Grants; technical assistance under title I; and evaluations,

research, studies and multistate projects conducted by the

Secretary of Labor. The bill requires the Secretary of Labor

to conduct a multistate study on strategies for placing

individuals in jobs and education and training programs that

lead to equivalent pay for men and women, including the

participation of women in high-wage, high-demand occupations

in which women are underrepresented. We believe this is

important because a key element of raising women's wages is

to provide access to occupations that are predominantly held

by men, pay well, and are in demand in the economy. Many

occupations today are still dominated by one gender, with

more than 75 percent of the jobs in that occupation held by

men or by women. Jobs that are predominantly held by men--in

industries like transportation, manufacturing, or

construction trades--often pay considerably more than jobs

traditionally held by women, such as child care workers,

health care workers, clerical workers, or workers in retail

or other service sectors industries. The managers expect the

Secretary to review existing programs and research, State

laws and initiatives, and any other relevant project, to

determine successful strategies for placement and retention

of women in relevant training or jobs and to provide States

and localities with the information, tools, and assistance

they need to develop programs and activities that will

replicate such strategies. We request completion of this

project within eighteen months of enactment.

The bill requires an independent evaluation of the

activities under title I at least once every four years for

the purpose of improving the management and effectiveness of

programs and activities. In recognition of the changing

demands of the economy, the bill allows the YouthBuild

program to expand into additional in-demand industry sectors

or occupations in the region.

The bill includes authorization of appropriations for the

programs under subtitle D.

Administration

The bill adds restrictions against lobbying activities with

funds under this title. The managers do not intend for these

provisions to restrict awareness or outreach activities

regarding services and activities under title I.

Title II--The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act

In reauthorizing title II, the Adult Education and Family

Literacy Act, the bill places an emphasis on ensuring States

and local providers offer basic skills, adult education,

literacy activities, and English language acquisition

concurrently or integrated with occupational skills training

to accelerate attainment of secondary school diplomas and

postsecondary credentials. Making sure these skills are

solidly in place for all students is a priority. The bill

also emphasizes utilization of a career pathway approach for

adult learners to support transitions to postsecondary

education or training and employment opportunities.

The bill requires all adult basic education and literacy

programs to use the same set of primary indicators of

performance accountability outlined for all employment and

training activities authorized under this Act. Individuals

receiving these services should be able to use these skills

in obtaining a regular secondary school diploma or its

recognized equivalent, obtaining full time employment,

increasing their median earnings, and enrolling in

postsecondary education or training, or earning a recognized

postsecondary credential.

It is essential for adult educators to work closely with

workforce development stakeholders in the State, including

State and local workforce boards. To help in achieving a

seamless statewide workforce development system, the bill

requires title II programs to submit a unified State plan

with the other core programs within this Act. The bill also

provides funds for States to use in offering eligible

providers of adult education technical assistance, providing

professional development training to improve the instruction

and outcomes for adult learners, and conducting evaluations.

It encourages State and local leaders to provide activities

contextually and concurrently with workforce preparation and

training activities for a specific occupation or

occupational cluster for

the purpose of educational and career advancement.

The bill authorizes national activities to assist States

and local providers in developing valid, measurable, and

reliable performance data, and in using such performance

information for the improvement of adult education and family

literacy education programs. The bill also includes

provisions to support research and evaluation of adult

education activities at the national level. Finally, the bill

places an emphasis on integrating English literacy with

civics education, as well as adult education and occupational

training activities.

Title III--Amendments to the Wagner-Peyser Act

Title III of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

makes amendments to the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933, which

authorizes the public employment services and the employment

statistics system. Amendments to the Wagner-Peyser Act

generally maintain current law but also reflect the need to

align the statute with the other changes in the bill such as

including the State employment services in the unified State

plan; aligning performance accountability indicators with

those indicators used for core programs--as described in

section 116 of title I; renaming ``employment statistics'' to

the ``workforce and labor market information system'' and

updating the Workforce Information Council; and providing for

staff professional development in order to strengthen the

quality of services. Authorization of appropriations for the

workforce and labor market information system and the

workforce information council is provided for each of the

fiscal years of 2015 through 2020.

Title IV--Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

Title IV of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act

amends and reauthorizes the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The

Rehabilitation Act was last reauthorized in 1998.

The Rehabilitation Act is an important law for individuals

with disabilities, particularly those with significant

disabilities. It authorizes programs that affect the daily

lives of many individuals with disabilities, including the

vocational rehabilitation program (training, services, and

supports for employment); the independent living program; and

research and information on new technology to assist

individuals with disabilities.

There remains a critical need for employment and training

services for individuals with disabilities. Almost 25 years

after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, it

is still difficult for many individuals with significant

disabilities to find full time employment that is

commensurate with their skills, interests, and goals. Yet

State vocational rehabilitation programs can play a

significant role in meeting this need by providing training,

services and supports for individuals with disabilities.

It is especially important to provide young people with

disabilities more opportunities to practice and improve their

workplace skills, to consider their career interests, and to

get real world work experience. Those activities are

prioritized in the amendments to the Act. For example, the

bill requires State vocational rehabilitation agencies to

make ``pre-employment transition services'' available to all

students with disabilities, and to coordinate those services

with transition services provided under the Individuals with

Disabilities Education Act. State vocational rehabilitation

programs will set aside at least 15 percent of their Federal

program funds to help young people with disabilities

transition from secondary school to postsecondary education

programs and employment.

In addition, these amendments establish a framework to

ensure every young person with a disability, regardless of

their level of disability, has the opportunity to experience

competitive, integrated employment. These requirements will

provide young people with disabilities with the opportunity

to develop their skills and to use supports, available

through State vocational rehabilitation programs, to

experience competitive, integrated employment as they leave

school and enter the workforce.

In order to better align the Independent Living program

that serves individuals with significant disabilities living

in the community with other similar efforts, the amendments

transition the administration of the Independent Living

program from the Department of Education to the Department of

Health and Human Services, Administration for Community

Living. The transition moves the program to an agency with a

lifespan and community focus and will better allow the

program to fulfill its goal to support ``independent living .

. . and the integration and full inclusion of individuals

with disabilities into the mainstream of American society.''

The amendments also incorporate ``independent living'' into

the name and mission of the National Institute on Disability

and Rehabilitation Research and similarly move that program's

administration from the Department of Education to the

Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for

Community Living in order to better align the program

priorities with agency goals and priorities.

Title V--General Provisions

The bill repeals the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 in

its entirety, replacing it with reforms to better serve

unemployed and underemployed workers as well as employers. In

doing so, authority is provided to the Secretaries of Labor,

Education, and Health and Human Services to establish a

smooth and orderly transition period to implement this Act.

Madam Speaker, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act maintains without change from the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 a nondiscrimination requirement. The requirement not only prohibits participating organizations from discriminating against those who need job training assistance, but it also requires faith-based organizations to stop considering religion when hiring staff as the price of partnering with the federal government to help these job seekers.

The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) prohibits the government from substantially burdening religious exercise. RFRA applies to every federal law, and it protects the right of religious hiring, notwithstanding the restrictive language we just affirmed. This specific use of RFRA is explained in an extensive Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) memorandum dated June 29, 2007.

This use of RFRA to protect religious hiring by religious organizations even when a federal grant program prohibits it was recently reaffirmed by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVAW) of the Department of Justice. In reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) last year, Congress inserted into the law a broad nondiscrimination requirement such as the one we maintain in today's workforce bill. On April 9, 2014, OVAW issued ``Frequently Asked Questions'' about [this new--should this read ``the VAWA''] nondiscrimination requirement. In Q and A 6, OVAW explained the OLC memorandum on RFRA's applicability and set out the way a religious organization that engaged in religious hiring may take part in VAWA- funded services despite the addition of the nondiscrimination requirement.

Q and A 6 further includes a link to a longstanding Department of Justice form, the Certificate of Exemption for Hiring Practices on the Basis of Religion, used by religious organizations to appeal under RFRA to participate in DOJ programs.

The religious hiring freedom is a vital freedom for religious organizations. Therefore I am pleased to stress this important protection found in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 35th Anniversary of Minnesota's own Fort Snelling Memorial Rifle Squad.

Thirty-five years ago this June, six Minnesota veterans volunteered to provide the Memorial Rifle Squad's inaugural burial honors for a fellow Minnesotan at Fort Snelling Memorial Cemetery. Inspired by these six men, 20 more veterans answered the call to duty in 1979 and became the Rifle Squads' charter members.

Over the last 35 years, the Memorial Rifle Squad has seen its ranks swell to a roster of 123 active members, 114 retired members, and 156 eternal members. Among its active members are veterans of World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, and Peacetime Veterans.

Mr. Speaker, volunteer members of the Memorial Rifle Squad selflessly brave Minnesota's frigid winter blasts and scorching summer heat to provide burial honors for as many as sixteen veterans a day. Since its inception, members of the Memorial Rifle Squad have provided burial honors for more than 64,000 deceased veterans without missing a single scheduled funeral for 34 years.

As a former Marine Colonel, and fellow veteran, I have been proud to support the efforts of the Memorial Rifle Squad. In 2012, the Department of the Army announced it would reduce the availability of ceremonial rifles to Memorial Rifle Squads. This action would have

greatly reduced the ability of Memorial Rifle Squads to honor our veterans being laid to rest. I was proud to introduce bipartisan legislation--now law--that stopped the Army from moving forward with this misguided policy and allowed ceremonial units in Minnesota and across the country to continue to perform burial honors.

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I want to recognize the dedicated service of all those who have served and continue to serve on the Fort Snelling Memorial Rifle Squad. I congratulate them on 35 years of selfless dedication to their fellow veterans.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the manager's amendment which makes important changes to the bill to support the growth of high-performing charter schools.

Charter schools epitomize choice and flexibility in education. Reform-minded States and school districts all across the country have embraced this innovative educational model to transform underperforming traditional public schools.

The manager's amendment improves the existing charter school program and the underlying bill by clarifying the grant award language, ensuring charter school funding is used for the intended purposes.

Additionally, the manager's amendment adds quality authorizing provisions, to include looking at school attrition rates, and asks States to assist schools in developing fair discipline practices that will help promote student retention.

Mr. Chairman, the act is an important piece of legislation that will streamline and modernize the charter school program to support the startup, replication, and expansion of high-quality charter schools. The manager's amendment includes commonsense changes to improve the underlying legislation.

I urge my colleagues to support the manager's amendment and the Success and Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this amendment, which will require a GAO study on the money allocated for administrative costs.

As the gentleman from Louisiana said, we need to ensure that we are providing flexibility in the use of funds to run a quality, efficient, and effective program; and that means carefully balancing small administrative set-asides while supporting the underlying program purposes.

I support this amendment and urge my colleagues to do so as well.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to this amendment and claim the time.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment would require the Secretary of Education to not only develop, but also enforce, guidelines on conflict of interest for charter schools. The gentlewoman points out that there are charter schools and charter school managers who sometimes don't perform as they should.

We believe very strongly that the underlying law and that the underlying bill here addresses that issue, because this amendment is an overreach of Federal authority. Each State that allows charter schools has determined what requirements the schools must follow in creating, opening, and operating the schools. We address the authorizing responsibilities in the underlying bill.

Simply put, this amendment is unnecessary. The underlying bill includes several provisions to have States help schools run more effectively and includes a set-aside of each State grant for quality authorizing. Quality authorizing will help each charter school run more effectively, both in academics and in operations.

We do not need the Secretary of Education getting more involved in these schools by layering on more burdensome requirements. These are issues best addressed at the State and local level, and the underlying bill already provides support for these efforts.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment will force States to reserve

more funds for review of public and private charter school funding.

The underlying bill, Mr. Chairman, includes audits as an important aspect of quality authorizing measures.

In addition, States already require multiple audits of their charter schools. This amendment will take money away from the quality authorizing set-aside, where funds will otherwise be used to support measures to open and run schools with effective operations practices in addition to high-quality academics.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

I yield to the gentleman from California.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, how much time do I have?

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

I think the points were made. I thank the ranking member, Mr. Miller, for making those points.

What concerns me about the gentlewoman's amendment is this is going to take money away from the purposes for which we have designed it and put it in this bill. We are trying to make sure that good, high-quality charter schools can be expanded and replicated, and this will detract from that ability.

So I urge my colleagues to vote ``no,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor), the distinguished majority leader.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment ensures that foster kids do not face barriers to enrollment in charter schools. The amendment does improve the bill and does help foster kids.

I want to thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Bass) for offering this amendment.

I am pleased to yield the remainder of my time to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis).

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I want to say to my colleague that I really appreciate her effort to ensure that all schools, both traditional public schools and public charter schools, share the information needed by parents.

We agree on that point, and I believe that the underlying bill addresses it; so I must, regrettably, oppose the gentlelady's amendment, but I certainly thank her for the discussion.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Will the gentlewoman yield?

I thank the gentlelady.

Mr. Chairman, my concern with the amendment is that this puts additional reporting requirements on the charter schools that are not required of traditional public schools.

We are trying to make it easier, and we are trying to streamline the process. We are trying to expand the charter school movement of quality charter schools, and I don't think we should be adding additional burdens onto charter schools which make it harder for them to move forward.

Mr. Chairman, I do appreciate the gentlelady's efforts to get information out there.

As I said earlier, unfortunately, I want to be very, very careful in avoiding adding additional burdens or more red tape or more requirements to charter schools at the very time when we are trying to streamline the system and make it easier to expand and to replicate quality charter schools.

So, unfortunately, I encourage my colleagues to vote ``no'' on the amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, although I do not oppose it.

Mr. Chairman, I very much appreciate the work that Ms. Wilson and the other coauthors of this amendment have put into this. I think it helps the bill, and I would urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment improves the bill. I want to thank the gentlewoman for offering this amendment and bringing it forward and explaining it so eloquently.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I claim the time in opposition to the amendment, although I do not oppose the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment does improve the bill. I thank the gentlewoman for bringing it forward.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.