Floor Statements

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. 10.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and rise today in strong support of the Success and Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act, legislation that will support the growth and expansion of successful charter schools.

Mr. Chairman, for many children and their parents, charter schools are a beacon of hope for a better education and a better life. The schools are extraordinarily in demand.

Wait lists for charter schools have grown steadily in recent years, with more than 1 million students' names on wait lists for the 2013- 2014 school year.

Charter schools have a proven track record of success, encouraging higher academic achievement in even the most troubled school districts.

I recently had the opportunity to visit two impressive charter schools in my home State of Minnesota. At both of the schools, without exception, students were engaged, excited, and eager to learn. I know firsthand this is not a trend unique to charter schools in Minnesota. In fact, each time I visit quality charter schools, whether here in Washington, D.C., or in Prairie Lake, Minnesota, or even Harlem, New York, I have been amazed by the creative curriculum, the outstanding educators,

and the students' incredible progress. Clearly, these institutions are a valuable part of a successful education system.

However, the Federal Charter Schools Program is in need of key reforms to enhance access and ensure continued educational quality. That is why I partnered with my colleague, the senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, Mr. Miller, to advance the success and opportunity through the Quality Charter Schools Act. This bipartisan legislation will encourage more States and families to embrace charter schools, while also including several provisions to urge these schools to reach out to special populations, including at- risk students, children with disabilities, and English learners.

The bill will streamline the Federal Charter Schools Program, while ensuring these institutions remain accountable to families and taxpayers. The bill also expands the allowable use of Federal resources to support not just new charter schools, as under current law, but also replication and expansion of successful charter schools.

Additionally, H.R. 10 will direct charter schools to share best practices with traditional public schools, helping to ensure school leaders are working together to implement successful education practices throughout the community.

Mr. Chairman, as we work to help more students access a quality education, we must support charter schools as a valuable alternative to failing public schools and work together to encourage their growth. This act is a commonsense proposal that will improve educational opportunities for students across the board and provide families with additional school choice options.

I am very pleased that members of the Education and the Workforce Committee have put their differences aside and worked through a very bipartisan process to develop an exceptional piece of legislation. I would like to thank members and staff for these efforts.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join with us in supporting legislation that can have a hugely positive effect on children nationwide.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Rokita), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, who has been doing yeoman's work not

only today in the furtherance of a better education for our Nation's children, but every day.

Mr. Chairman, I must say I so appreciate the depth of knowledge and the enthusiasm and the passion of the gentleman from Colorado. Always a pleasure.

Another great pleasure for me is to yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Messer), another gentleman from Indiana who was traveling with me in my home State visiting charter schools only a few weeks ago.

Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall).

Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Scalise), a man who comes from a State that has learned a great deal about the value of charter schools in these few years.

Mr. Chairman, I am now very pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Minnesota (Mr. Paulsen), my colleague from the State of Minnesota, which is where charter schools originated.

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

Mr. Chairman, I would now like to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Sanford).

Mr. Chairman, I just want to say that it has been a pleasure to work on this legislation. We have heard compelling stories here today from around the country--compelling stories of transformation of entire cities and school systems, and lives being changed through the charter school system. And we have legislation here today and tomorrow which will make that Federal charter school law better and make the opportunities more available and give more kids a chance for success and opportunity.

This should be an easy vote for Republicans and Democrats. I urge my colleagues to lend their support to H.R. 10, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Education and Human Services Policy Director James Bergeron for his years of service to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce--and the American people.

James Bergeron, who joined the Committee nearly a decade ago under then-Chairman Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon, will soon depart the Committee for a new endeavor. He leaves an indelible mark not only on this institution, but also on the landscape of education policy.

During his tenure with the Committee, James worked tirelessly on legislation to improve workforce development, revamp K-12 education, support students with disabilities, enhance early childhood care and development, and strengthen the nation's higher education system. Many of the policies James championed have become key provisions in federal law, helping improve the lives of countless workers, students, teachers, and children.

James is a consummate professional, a skilled negotiator, and a trusted advisor who will be sorely missed. On behalf of the Committee and the whole House, I thank James for his dedication, and wish him the very best in the years ahead.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate this year's National Association of Workforce Boards W.O. Lawton Business Leadership Award winner and honorees.

The 2014 winner, Michigan Works! The Job Force Board, and honorees ExxonMobil Chemical Company and Qualcomm deserve recognition for their commitment of time, resources, and leadership to better their communities' workforce and economy.

NAWB established the W.O. Lawton Business Leadership Award to annually honor forward-looking businesses and public partners, such as economic development organizations, education providers, and community and faith-based organizations.

Mr. Speaker, at a time when businesses and organizations across the country are still coping with an extraordinarily slow economic recovery, these groups should be commended for taking the initiative to train today's workers for the jobs of the future. Their efforts to establish partnerships between workforce boards, community colleges, businesses, and other area economic and workforce development leaders has garnered real results for their communities.

Michigan Works! The Job Force Board, ExxonMobil Chemical Company, and Qualcomm have implemented policies similar to those promoted by policymakers in the House and Senate to support a highly-trained workforce and stronger economy. As Chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, I recognize the critical need to improve our nation's workforce development system, and appreciate the important role these organizations play in helping achieve this shared goal.

Once again, I congratulate these organizations and salute their diligent work to improve their communities and local economies.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

It was pointed out by the chairman in the House Education and the Workforce Committee, as the name suggests, the committee has broad jurisdiction over policies affecting our Nation's classrooms and workplaces. It goes without saying that both face difficult challenges today.

Budget constraints continue to plague States, school districts, and institutions of higher education, straining their ability to effectively serve students. Workers and job creators are still struggling in a persistently anemic economy, making it difficult for many Americans to pay the bills and provide for their families.

Unfortunately, the health care law is making things worse. Thanks to the President's government-run scheme, full-time jobs are being destroyed, not created. Health care costs are going up, not down; and millions of individuals are losing the health care plan they like--an example of which we just heard earlier--instead of keeping it as promised.

This reality isn't limited to private businesses. It is a reality unfolding in schools, colleges, and universities across the country. Recent headlines confirm in stark detail how the President's health care law is hurting our education system.

From The Washington Free Beacon: ``Alabama schools face shortage of substitute teachers due to ObamaCare.''

From The Weekly Standard: ``Hours cut for 200 North Carolina teachers due to ObamaCare.''

And just in case my friends from the other side of the aisle would accuse me of selecting only conservative publications, from The New York Times: ``Public sector capping part-time hours to skirt health care law.''

Aside from press reports, we have also heard firsthand accounts of how ObamaCare is making it harder for school leaders to meet the needs of students. In December, the committee asked the public to share personal stories about the effects of the health care law on local classrooms and campuses.

Helieanna, from Saint Anthony, Minnesota, described her dream to teach at the school she once attended as a student. While that dream may have come

true, she wrote that her financial situation is less stable than it was before the health care law.

Kate, from Hemet, California, informed the committee that her community college would have to restrict workers' hours, noting this impacts our ability to properly serve students.

Secretary Sebelius once dismissed concerns about jobs lost and hours cut under ObamaCare as ``speculation.'' Yet for Helieanna, Kate, and countless others, the health care law is wreaking havoc on their families, their livelihood, and their schools. It is time to do something about it.

By restoring the traditional standard of full-time work, the Save American Workers Act will help restore workers' hours and allow them to earn the wages they deserve. Just as important, the legislation will provide relief for schools grappling with a flawed health care law.

Congress should not stand by while teachers have their hours cut and students receive diminished access to educational opportunities, all because of bad policies out of Washington.

Certainly I urge my colleagues to provide relief for our Nation's workplaces and classrooms by supporting the Save American Workers Act. I would point out, as my colleague did, that taking the administration's Statement of Administrative Policy as definitive here defies, frankly, all logic.

There is no one in America who would be surprised that the President doesn't want changes to his law, unless he unilaterally makes those changes, because after all, Mr. Speaker, if you like your health care plan, you can keep your health care plan--unless you can't. If you like your doctor, Mr. Speaker, you can keep your doctor--except when you can't.

Before I yield back my time, I would like to thank the Ways and Means Committee for their excellent work on this legislation, and I would like to take a moment to recognize my friend and colleague, Dave Camp, who announced earlier this week his plan to retire. During more than 20 years of service, Chairman Camp has been a distinguished Member, a dedicated reformer, and tireless champion of working families. We are going to miss him. I wish him all the best.

I thank the gentlelady.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4275. I want to thank my colleague, Representative Susan Brooks, for sponsoring the legislation and for her work on this important issue, and my friend and colleague, Mr. Miller, for his strong support.

In recent years, Congress provided a limited number of charities and eligible cooperatives temporary exemption from Federal pension requirements. Our intent was to offer relief to those who faced unsustainable pension obligations. It is now time to provide the certainty and flexibility necessary to plan for the future.

Without that certainty, important organizations, such as the Girl Scouts of Minnesota and Wisconsin River Valleys, would have to cut back services and support fewer young women. Without that certainty, farmers would face the prospect of raising food and dairy prices to help make ends meet. Without that certainty, religious charities would be hampered in their ability to serve local communities. And without that certainty, Madam Speaker, utility companies providing electricity to homes and businesses would have to consider raising rates just to meet their pension obligations.

That is precisely the reality we now confront. We have a duty to enact responsible rules that provide certainty and protect the pension benefits of workers and retirees. The bill before us today is an attempt to do just that.

This bill would provide certain multiple-employer pension plans greater flexibility to manage their obligations in a way that supports the goods and services their participants need to deliver.

Again, I want to thank my friend and colleague, Mrs. Brooks, for her leadership on this issue, and I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, today I recognize and pay tribute to Major Alex Cross, United States Marine Corps, on the occasion of his retirement. My colleagues and I have had the pleasure of working with Major Cross over the past three years, to include his service as part of my congressional staff and later as the Deputy Director of the USMC Liaison Office in the United States House of Representatives.

From his arrival in January of 2011, Major Cross was a valuable member of my legislative team. Major Cross represented the Marine Corps with honor while providing expertise on Marine Corps programs and policies, and advising me on issues ranging from defense authorization to foreign affairs. Major Cross's work on my personal staff culminated in his recommended changes to Department of Defense recruitment policies signed into law in the FY13 National Defense Authorization Act that resulted in expanded opportunities for students of all educational backgrounds to join the Armed Forces.

From 2012 to 2014, Major Cross served as Deputy Director of the USMC House Liaison Office. During his time in the House Liaison Office, Major Cross planned, led, and executed many of the Marine Corps' most difficult

and challenging legislative initiatives. Major Cross distinguished himself as a leader and as a visible example of Marine Corps professionalism and values. Through his direct and skillful engagement with numerous Members of Congress, Major Cross ensured the Marine Corps' concepts, programs, and requirements were widely understood which resulted in direct and lasting improvements to Marine Corps war fighting capabilities, and the quality of life for Marines throughout the Marine Corps.

Major Cross also successfully planned, coordinated, and escorted more than 20 international and domestic trips for Congressional and Staff Delegations. These delegations traveled world-wide and visited heads of state, military commands, and deployed US military personnel. His meticulous planning, attention to detail, and anticipation of requirements allowed members of the House and staff to focus on fact- finding and learning new information to guide critical decisions made by the Members of Congress.

Throughout his tour, Major Cross personally responded to hundreds of Congressional inquiries, many of which gained national level attention. Through his exceptional interpersonal skills and broad knowledge in a wide range of military affairs, he assisted the Director, Marine Corps House of Representatives Liaison Office, in gaining the Members' support for issues critical to the Marine Corps. Major Cross also supported USMC House Liaison operations, to include planning and coordinating receptions and meetings on Capitol Hill for USMC personnel. These events included New Member Orientation for the Freshman Congressional Class of the 113th Congress and three Marine Corps Birthday Cake Cutting Ceremonies. He also scheduled and facilitated several hundred office calls for the leadership of the USMC to include the Commandant of the Marine Corps, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, and numerous other General Officers conducting business on Capitol Hill.

Major Cross, through his dedication to professional engagement with Congress, has contributed immeasurably to the Marine Corps' reputation throughout Capitol Hill. The rapport he developed with Members of the House has made a lasting impression and set the tone for a lasting partnership between the Marine Corps and Congress for years to come. The time he has spent supporting my constituents and other Members of the House has been truly noteworthy. He has made lasting contributions to the United States House of Representatives and we wish him well in retirement.

Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. Speaker, I also rise to associate myself with the comments of the managers and am pleased to know it is their intent that the use of not-for-profit servicers continues and that not-for-profit servicers will be permitted to compete in the future for additional accounts.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Farmington's commitment to our veterans and the community's 5-year anniversary of being named Minnesota's first Yellow Ribbon City.

When I first championed legislation to make the Minnesota National Guard's invaluable Yellow Ribbon reintegration program available nationwide, one of the pillars of this initiative was to increase awareness among communities and local organizations to improve relationships between veterans and their communities.

Mr. Speaker, the people of Farmington understand the important role a community plays in the successful reintegration of our troops returning home. Farmington built a model Yellow Ribbon organization centered around relationships with neighbors, veterans organizations, and local, State, and Federal leaders. Farmington rallied around the needs of area veterans and their families by hosting monthly dinners for veterans and holiday cookie walks. You can't beat that.

As their Yellow Ribbon organization grew and their efforts expanded, they recognized success and shared those best practices with other inspired communities, leaving their Yellow Ribbon fingerprint across the great State of Minnesota.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today not simply to recognize Farmington on this 5-year anniversary, but to thank the entire community for being a Yellow Ribbon trailblazer and for demonstrating their continued commitment to our servicemembers, veterans, and their families. As the Farmington Yellow Ribbon honors our sons and daughters in uniform,

I would like to honor them. And I salute the entire community of Farmington, Minnesota, for helping with that noble cause.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the thousands of Canadians who selflessly served in the Armed Forces of the United States during the Vietnam War.

These Veterans swore to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and served honorably as members of our Armed Forces at a time when America faced many challenges at home and abroad.

Of the thousands of Canadian citizens who were drafted or volunteered to serve, over three thousand became naturalized U.S. citizens between 1967 and 1975. Others became citizens later, but many, with their obligation completed, returned in obscurity to their homes in Canada. Additionally, more than one hundred Canadians lost their lives in service to our country.

Canadians who served honorably in the Armed Forces of the United States are deserving of the recognition they have earned--their service to this country is worthy of our highest regard.

To my fellow Vietnam Veterans, thank you for your dedicated service and sacrifice. Your devotion to the cause of freedom has not gone unnoticed.

I thank the gentleman for yielding time and for his incredible leadership on this issue. Dr. Burgess has been championing real solutions for over 10 years.

Mr. Speaker, 140,000; that is the number of people from my home State of Minnesota who have been notified their health coverage will be canceled as a result of the President's health care law.

John, a constituent from Burnsville, recently learned his own health plan is no longer available. John liked the plan he had and now has to pay 20 percent more to secure coverage.

For many people, a cancelation notice means more than the loss of an insurance policy. It means losing access to the trusted doctors, pediatricians, and nurses who care for their families. We all know how critical these relationships are, especially in difficult moments when a loved one is injured or ill; but for countless families, those relationships will soon be lost, all because Washington bureaucrats think they know best.

The President promised time and again if people liked their health care plan, they could keep it; but the American people are discovering the President failed to keep his word, leaving them with only political gimmicks and a broken Web site. The President may have apologized--and we appreciate that--but the country deserves a President who not only admits when he is wrong, but does what is necessary to make it right.

That is why I support this legislation. The Keep Your Health Plan Act is about fairness. It is only fair to let people keep the health plan they like. No one should be forced to purchase a more expensive policy because the President says so.

It is only fair to help families who are hurting across the country. The President's plan for more administrative tricks is a disservice to each and every one of our constituents, and it is only fair to hold the President accountable for the promises he makes to the American people.

If the President is sincere about undoing some of the damage this law has created, if he wants to provide real solutions for those losing their coverage, and if he wants to keep this promise to our Nation's families, then I urge the President to support the Keep Your Health Plan Act.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, it has been 4 years since the recession ended, yet economic growth is still anemic, job creation remains sluggish, and wages are flat. With each passing day, countless Americans feel they are falling further behind. In these difficult times, working families shouldn't need to fear yet another regulatory scheme that will make it more difficult to rebuild their retirement savings. That is why I support the Retail Investor Protection Act, legislation that will force the Department of Labor to hit the brakes on sweeping changes to the way workers save for retirement.

For many Americans, investing in a retirement plan can be confusing and, frankly, intimidating. Workers want to know their hard-earned dollars are managed wisely and in a way that could lead to financial security in their retirement years.

Investment professionals provide a crucial service to those who want to plan for their retirement yet lack the time and expertise to manage an investment portfolio. All investment advisers should be well trained, adhere to the highest ethical standards, and promote the best interests of their clients. Rules governing the actions of particular investment advisers, also known as fiduciaries, have helped provide workers with certainty for decades. However, since 2010, the Labor Department has tried to expand the definition and duties of a fiduciary and, in the process, diminished that certainty.

While we support looking for ways to modernize current fiduciary regulations, the Department's recent proposal threatens to drive up costs, restrict investment opportunities, and harm efforts to educate workers about responsible retirement planning.

Despite bipartisan concerns, Department officials are still pursuing this flawed approach behind closed doors. H.R. 2374 will force the Department of Labor to abandon this misguided effort and help ensure any future attempt to redefine ``fiduciary'' promotes the retirement security of America's workers.

I want to thank Representative Wagner, Chairman Hensarling, and members of the House Financial Services Committee for their strong bipartisan leadership on this important issue.

I urge my colleagues to support the Retail Investor Protection Act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues for being down here to remember somebody who was, in many ways, bigger than life: big, tall Rod Grams.

He wanted to do something for his State and his country, and he did. He came to the House of Representatives to serve one term. While he was here in his freshman term, he ran for the United States Senate and won.

Rod had a lot of things he worked on, but one of them was the child tax credit. It was a long, tough slog that he brought all the way across the finish line, and that is just who Rod was. He didn't quit. He knew what he was about. He was an independent thinker. He was unafraid to take a stand and speak up for his State and his country.

We will miss him.

Mr. Speaker, we find ourselves 1 week into a government shutdown. That's something I hoped I would never have to say on the floor of this House. I did not want this; House Republicans did not want this; and the American people surely did not want this.

So why are we here? We're here because Democrats in the United States Senate and the President of the United States refuse to negotiate with the people's elected Representatives here in the House.

How long can their refusal to negotiate go on? All we are asking for is a conversation, Mr. Speaker. That's it. House Republicans want to sit down in good faith and work to get this government open again and to make sure that all Americans are treated fairly under the President's health care law.

My colleague from Indiana, just moments ago, pointed out that we pass bills in this House with overwhelming majorities--margins of over 100 votes, bipartisan votes--to keep important, essential services up and running. There are grounds for agreement. We just have to negotiate.

Leader Reid, Mr. President, let's talk.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Kentucky for yielding the time and for introducing this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in very strong support today of H.R. 3092, the E. Clay Shaw, Jr. Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2013.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3092 will help prevent the abduction and sexual exploitation of children. Since 1984, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has worked with the Department of Justice to build a coordinated national system to aid the recovery of missing children, protect children from sexual exploitation, and promote child safety and crime prevention. Over the last three decades, the center has assisted law enforcement in finding thousands of missing children, and its success rate has grown from 62 percent in 1990 to 97 percent today; and through its CyberTipline, the center has received and referred for investigation more than 2 million reports of crimes against children.

This bill will ensure the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children can continue its work on behalf of our most vulnerable citizens while also taking steps to protect taxpayers through enhanced accountability and oversight. Additionally, the legislation supports greater coordination between law enforcement and States, districts, and schools in the race to recover missing children. Furthermore, the E. Clay Shaw, Jr. Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act includes language from a bill authored by my colleague from Michigan, Mr. Tim Walberg, that will strengthen the center's work with law enforcement to rescue victims of sex trafficking.

Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill. It helps to protect and defend America's children and their families. I applaud and thank Mr. Guthrie for his work on this legislation, and I strongly urge my colleagues to lend their support.

Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.