Floor Statements

I thank the chairman for yielding time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of H.R. 2669, the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007, which would provide the most significant investment in higher education since the GI bill. I strongly urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I thank Chairman Miller for his leadership.

What we do here in Congress does matter. It does matter to ordinary people and to the average American. I was struck by an article in USA Today earlier this year about a family whose daughter was pursuing an undergraduate degree in art. Despite the fact that their daughter received scholarships to cover about a fifth of her cost, this family had to clean out their emergency savings account and their college savings fund and then borrow from the family's 401(K) plan. Still their daughter will graduate with $45,000 in loans. That's just not right. It doesn't have to be that hard. And it won't be that hard if we pass the College Cost Reduction Act, which cuts interest rates for student loans, provides fiscally responsible and targeted loan forgiveness, and increases and expands the Pell Grant program.

I was thrilled to be able to work with Chairman Miller and others on the committee to ensure provisions that would advance loan forgiveness.

This is a terrific bill, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2669.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 359) to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of sites associated with the life of Cesar Estrada Chavez and the farm labor movement, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 359 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the sites associated with the life of Cesar Estrada Chavez and the farm labor movement.

Representative Hilda Solis, my colleague on the Natural Resources Committee, has worked tirelessly for the last 6 years to move this important legislation forward. I am proud to join Representative Solis and 68 other Representatives as a cosponsor of this bill, and I want to thank Ms. Solis for her efforts and leadership in getting this important study authorized.

In 1962, Cesar Chavez founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers of America, working to protect farm workers' rights. Chavez led the United Farm Workers for 31 years and gained increases in wages and better working conditions for farm laborers. Through his work, Chavez became a national leader on civil rights and social justice and an inspiration to millions of Americans and people around the world.

H.R. 359 directs the Secretary of the Interior to consider sites in Arizona, California, and other States that are significant to the life of Cesar Chavez and the farm labor movement in the western United States. The bill requires the Secretary to determine the appropriate methods for preserving and

interpreting the sites and to determine whether any of them meet the criteria for being listed on the National Register of Historic Places or possible designation as national historic landmarks. The Secretary has 3 years from the date on which funds are made available to submit a report describing the findings of the study as well as the Secretary's recommendations.

The Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands held a hearing on this bill in March of this year where we heard testimony from the administration in support of this bill. Later, at both a subcommittee markup and a full committee markup, this legislation advanced with bipartisan support.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 359 is a bill whose time has come. Similar legislation has passed the Senate once before in 2003, and I am pleased this bill is finally making it to the House floor. We need to move forward with this congressionally authorized study so that we can learn about and evaluate options to protect the resources associated with Cesar Chavez and the farm labor movement. The longer we wait, the more likely it is that these resources may be lost to development or the ravages of time. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield such time as she may consume to the sponsor of this legislation, my colleague from the National Resources Committee, Representative Hilda Solis.

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Ms. Solis again on her persistence, and congratulate her on having this brought to the floor today.

I do want to say that while Cesar Chavez certainly cast a long shadow in the western United States, I worked with an organization in Maryland that did work on the Eastern Shore of Maryland on behalf of farm workers, and he was a national hero to them. So congratulations again.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and yield back.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2121) to modify a land grant patent issued by the Secretary of the Interior.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum on Michigan's Upper Peninsula sits on land jutting out into Lake Superior near the Canadian border. The museum collection presents the history of and preserves artifacts from the many shipwrecks that occurred in the area, including perhaps the most famous, the Edmund Fitzgerald, which went down in 1975, along with her crew of 29 men.

The museum sits on land originally obtained from the Department of the Interior under a land grant patent. A new management plan developed by the museum would improve visitor services. This legislation amends the original patent to reference the new management plan.

Representative Stupak is to be commended for his diligence on behalf of this legislation. An earlier version of this measure was approved by the House in the last Congress, and we urge our colleagues to support H.R. 2121 today.

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

Mr. Speaker, I'd like to yield such time as he may consume to my colleague, Mr. Stupak to speak to the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I yield back.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 986) to amend the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to designate certain segments of the Eightmile River in the State of Connecticut as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 986 would designate 25.3 miles of the Eightmile River and its tributaries in Connecticut as a national scenic river. The bill was introduced by my friend and freshman class colleague, Representative Joe Courtney, who has been a strong and effective advocate of this designation.

This legislation would protect portions of the Eightmile River that have been found to have ``outstandingly remarkable'' values, including an intact watershed with a natural flow, very high water quality, unusual geological features, and large numbers of rare plants and animals.

The bill would designate five segments of the river and its tributaries as scenic under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The designated segments would be managed according to a plan produced pursuant to the 2001 Eightmile River Wild and Scenic River Study Act.

The administration supports the bill, as we were told by a National Park Service witness at a hearing before the National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee on April 17. In a draft study, the agency found these portions of the river and its tributaries to be eligible and suitable for designation.

The bill is cosponsored by the entire Connecticut House delegation. Both Connecticut Senators support the designation, as does the Republican Governor of Connecticut. The bill also enjoys ample support from the local community, including the local governments of the towns of Salem, East Haddam and Lyme.

The river would be managed under a partnership agreement as envisioned in section 10(e) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

The Congressional Budget Office has found that the bill contains no unfunded mandates, and will impose no

cost on State, local or tribal governments. CBO also says the bill will not affect direct spending, and will not significantly affect the National Park Service's costs.

During committee consideration of the bill, there had been expressed some concern about the private property protections in the bill. To ensure that the bill is absolutely clear on this point, my subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) offered, and the committee adopted, language that expressly deems the zoning ordinances adopted by the towns of Salem, East Haddam, and Lyme to satisfy section 6(c) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and limits the Secretary's acquisition authority to lands that are donated or bought from willing sellers. That provision tracks the language used in several wild and scenic river designations in the east, including the designation of Connecticut's other wild and scenic river, the Farmington River. The language has been in effect for over a decade without questions or ambiguity on those rivers or in court. According to the National Park Service, the administering agency, that language is absolutely unambiguous.

Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill. And I want to commend my colleague from Connecticut, Representative Courtney, for his commitment and leadership on this matter. We support passage of H.R. 986, as amended, and urge its adoption by the House today.

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

Mr. Speaker, I just want to assure my colleague again that the bill as drafted and as proposed today is one that is very clear in terms of the protections that he seeks, and we were very careful over the course of this bill's evolution to make sure of that.

I would at this time, Mr. Speaker, wish to yield such time as he may consume to the sponsor of this legislation, the gentleman from Connecticut and a colleague of my class (Mr. Courtney).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1337) to provide for a feasibility study of alternatives to augment the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District and cities served by the District, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, the purpose of H.R. 1337, introduced by our colleague, Congressman Tom Cole of Oklahoma, is to direct the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation to conduct a feasibility study on alternatives to augment the water supplies of the Central Oklahoma Master Conservancy District and cities served by the district.

The Norman Project was constructed by the Bureau of Reclamation for municipal and industrial water supply, flood control, recreation, and fish and wildlife purposes in central Oklahoma. Population growth in the area is increasing pressure on already constrained water supplies, and the demand for water is expected to surpass the supply that the Norman Project in its present form can provide.

A preliminary report on alternative measures to augment water supplies at Lake Thunderbird has already been completed. The report concluded that a need exists to improve municipal and industrial water supplies from the Norman Project and that a number of alternatives are available to meet that need. A feasibility study is required to fully evaluate all the alternatives. H.R. 1337 directs the Bureau of Reclamation to conduct such a study.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1725) to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the Rancho California Water District Southern Riverside County Recycled/Non-Potable Distribution Facilities and Demineralization/Desalination Recycled Water Treatment and Reclamation Facility Project.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

The purpose of H.R. 1725, as introduced by our colleague from California (Mrs. Bono), is to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in an important water supply project for Southern Riverside County in California.

H.R. 1725 authorizes the Secretary of the Interior, in cooperation with the Rancho California Water District, to participate in the design, planning and construction of permanent facilities for water recycling, demineralization, desalination and distribution of non- potable water supplies in Southern Riverside County. When completed, the project will significantly enhance scarce water resources in Rancho California by quadrupling recycled water supplies.

H.R. 1725 seeks to help communities in Southern Riverside County as they try to drought-proof their water supplies.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1725.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1904) to provide assistance to the State of New Mexico for the development of comprehensive State water plans, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

The purpose of H.R. 1904, as introduced by our colleague from New Mexico (Mrs. Wilson), is to provide assistance to the State of New Mexico for the development of comprehensive State water plans.

The bill directs the Secretary of the Interior to provide New Mexico with technical assistance and grants for the development of a comprehensive State water plan. This includes a survey and mapping of water resources in New Mexico, a study of groundwater quality and quantity, and a study on the relationships between groundwater and surface water in the State.

A key understanding of our most precious resource is required if we are to meet the water supply needs of our growing communities and our environment. H.R. 1904 seeks just such an understanding from New Mexico.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1904.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 483) recognizing the 63rd Anniversary of Big Bend National Park, established on June 12, 1944.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 483 was introduced by our colleague from Texas, Representative Ciro Rodriguez. And I know that Representative Rodriguez wanted to be here today in the Chamber as we speak to this legislation but has been caught in the storms outside.

H. Res. 483 recognizes the 63rd anniversary of Big Bend National Park in west Texas and honors the National Park Service for their service to the Big Bend region and Big Bend National Park.

I want to commend Representative Rodriguez for his efforts to bring congressional recognition to this special place and to the agency and hardworking employees who care for it.

Big Bend National Park is a spectacular 800,000-acre scenic treasure on the Rio Grande in west Texas. The park protects the largest representative example of the Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem within the United States. The park's river, desert and mountain environments support an extraordinary richness of biologic diversity, including unique plants and animals that exist nowhere else in the world. The park provides outstanding recreation opportunities to over 300,000 visitors a year.

Big Bend is not only nationally significant but also internationally significant. Big Bend National Park manages nearly one-quarter of the approximately 1,000-mile stretch of the Rio Grande River that also serves as the boundary between the United States and Mexico.

Together with two Mexican protected areas, Big Bend is now part of the largest transboundary protected areas in North America, serving as a model for international cooperation.

Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 483 recognizes the importance of Big Bend National Park to the ecology, history and economy of west Texas. It also recognizes the hard work of the National Park Service and its employees and honors their service to the region and the country as a whole.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2381) to promote Department of the Interior efforts to provide a scientific basis for the management of sediment and nutrient loss in the Upper Mississippi River Basin, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2381 directs the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the United States Geological Survey, to establish a nutrient and sediment monitoring network for the Upper Mississippi River Basin. We strongly support H.R. 2381, championed by our colleague on the Natural Resources Committee, Congressman Ron Kind. This bill would put into place a coordinated public-private approach to sediment and nutrient monitoring in the Upper Mississippi River Basin as part of an effort to improve water quality.

The Upper Mississippi River is extremely important not only to the communities and States along the route it flows, but also to the Nation as a whole. Twenty-one years ago, Congress designated this river segment as both a nationally significant ecosystem and a nationally significant navigation system. It is the only inland river in the United States to have such a designation. Our colleague, Ron Kind, has worked hard to secure enactment of this legislation. I commend him for his diligent effort on this important bill.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2381.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I do understand that Representative Kind has been delayed, as well, by the storm; and he wanted to be here.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back my time.

Madam Speaker, on vote No. 563, an amendment offered by Mr. Andrews, I was recorded as ``nay.'' I intended to be recorded as ``aye.'' I thank the Speaker for providing me with the opportunity to correct the record.

Madam Speaker, I rise to support National Library Day on the Hill and congratulate the Enoch Pratt Free Library on the grand opening of the new Southeast Anchor Library in the Highlandtown neighborhood of Baltimore, the first library to be built and open in the city in 35 years. I'm very proud to have attended the ribbon cutting ceremony recently and am thoroughly impressed by the depth of services that this new branch will offer our community. This 27,000- square-foot facility is state-of-the-art with an 80,000-volume collection. It will also have nearly 60 computers for public use, a self check-out counter, a drive-up window, a cafe, multi-purpose meeting rooms and a computer lab. To the community, the Southeast Anchor offers more than just a quiet place to read and learn. It offers a gathering place and an intellectual hub for the City of Baltimore.

In its annual State of American Libraries report last year, the American Library Association found that 92 percent of the population believed libraries were still needed despite technological advancements. It also found that 63 percent of all Americans have library cards and that public libraries are the primary point of online access for people without Internet connections at home, school or work. The Pratt system, now with a southeast presence, is indeed a reflection of Baltimore's thirst for learning. Through the Pratt, every Baltimorean has the opportunity to learn and gain knowledge otherwise not accessible.

The combined dedication of the staff and volunteer corps at the Enoch Pratt Free Library has made it possible for Baltimore's youth to truly believe that ``Your Journey Starts Here''. Madam Speaker, I know that the House of Representatives will join me in congratulating the library community on its tremendous accomplishment. It truly is the ``Year of the Pratt''.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to salute our men and women in uniform. Every year at this time we gather with our friends and family to celebrate Independence Day and the freedoms we hold dear.

But this year, and every year, when families are missing the presence of a spouse, parent or child or worse, morning the loss of a loved one, we must also pause to remember the sacrifice of our veterans. That's why I'm introducing the Benefit Rating Acceleration for Veteran Entitlements Act, or BRAVE Act, which would make it easier for our most disabled veterans to obtain their benefits.

That's why I'm working with others to initiate a national conversation on how veterans can participate in service corps programs and how those programs can serve our veterans.

Madam Speaker, on the Fourth of July, when we celebrate liberty, we must give special recognition and honor to those who are doing so much and have done so much to protect our freedoms.

Madam Speaker, I rise to speak about the Education for Public Service Act of 2007, which I introduced earlier this week. In short, the Education for Public Service Act would make it easier for college graduates and those with advanced degrees to choose careers in government or non-profit enterprise. It will give those young people who attend higher education aspiring to become teachers, first responders, law enforcement officers, nurses, and civil servants a real chance to realize their dreams.

The rising cost of higher education has led to greater and greater student debt that in turn has become an impediment for many young people who would otherwise choose a career in service. Physicians who might choose to work in community health centers or individuals who want to inspire our Nation's youth as teachers are unable to follow their passion as a result of staggering debt. Our best and brightest are increasingly driven by this debt to choose entry-level positions based on salaries that will enable them to repay loans. Career choices should not be made this way.

In my home State of Maryland, the average starting salary for teachers is $36,000; nationally, the average starting salary is $30,377.

According to CRS, the average cost of tuition, other fees, and room and board at a public 4-year university exceeds $48,000. At a private university that figure climbs to almost $120,000. Predictably, fewer graduates are entering the teaching profession. In fact, more than 50 percent of teacher education program graduates never even enter the teaching profession. More than 50 percent of new teachers leave the profession within their first 5 years in the field. We are also facing a crisis of human capital in the Federal workforce. Approximately half of the Federal workforce is eligible for retirement or early retirement. Federal agencies like the Social Security Administration and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are bracing for serious worker shortages resulting from attrition. Madam Speaker, these are such important jobs and yet we have done very little to replenish these ranks. Clearly more can be done to provide sufficient incentives to young workers--the next generation of public servants--to join the civil service. But we ought to start by removing the barriers that affirmatively preclude young people from joining.

In 1993, Congress created the income-contingent repayment option to help individuals earning lower salaries deal with the burden of student loans. Under this plan, borrowers' repayment obligations are capped at a percentage of their annual income and any remaining principal is forgiven at the end of 25 years. But because 25 years of repayment seems so daunting to an individual just finishing college, this initiative has not resolved the underlying problem. The Education for Public Service Act of 2007 would modify the current income-contingent repayment program to provide loan forgiveness after 10 years rather than 25 years, so long as the borrower has worked for a government agency or a charitable or tax-exempt organization during the repayment period.

Madam Speaker, the Education for Public Service Act of 2007 will help ensure that service to one's Nation and community will no longer be out of reach for our next generation. In closing, I would like to acknowledge the leadership of Congressman George Miller whom I have worked with in developing this legislation. Chairman Miller has led the Education and Labor Committee with a focus on American families and American students and I am very pleased that he has included the Education for Public Service Act as part of his College Cost Reduction Act of 2007, which will increase support for students and families with no new costs to taxpayers. If we enact this legislation, idealistic students will be able to attend our institutions of higher learning knowing that they will be able to realize their dreams.

Mr. Speaker, title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 changed everything about our college admissions process. Led by the late Representatives Patsy T. Mink and Edith Green, Congress established a principle we often take for granted today--the prohibition of gender discrimination in any federally funded educational program. The effects of the law have been substantial.

In 1972, only 42 percent of Bachelors of Arts degrees were earned by women; by 2004 that number rose to 57 percent. Only 9 percent of medical degrees were awarded to women; now it's above 45 percent. Not surprisingly, law degrees were the most imbalanced. In 1972, only 7 percent of law degrees were held by women and by 2004 almost 50 percent went to women. Only 15 percent of PhD's went to women before title IX and that number is now close to 50 percent.

This progress is worth celebrating but we have plenty more to do. Title IX has as much utility now as it did in 1972. Women continue to face substantial barriers, especially in high wage fields such as science, technology, engineering and math. Sexual harassment remains pervasive in schools and on college campuses. Women and girls' sports teams still do not receive an equal share of resources.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation commemorating the work of United Nations Peacekeepers by recognizing May 29 as International United Nations Peacekeeping Day.

Since 1945, our U.N. Peacekeepers have aided in resolving a wide array of very complex regional conflicts across the globe. In many cases, these individuals have put themselves at great risk and indeed made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of a safer, more secure global community. Since its inception, the United Nations has undertaken 61 field missions and helped implement 172 peaceful settlements. These missions have ended regional conflicts and enabled people in more than 45 countries to take part in free and fair elections. More than 2,355 individuals from 113 nations, including the United States, have given their lives to this cause.

In the past 3 years alone, U.N. peacekeeping has helped to initiate missions in Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire, Haiti, Burundi, Sudan, and East Timor, and bolstered the missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Lebanon. These missions often come with difficult and complex mandates such as containing or preventing the outbreak of conflict and its spill-over across borders or helping implement peace agreements. In 2005 alone, U.N. peacekeepers supported elections in five post-conflict countries, including Afghanistan, Burundi, Iraq, Liberia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Through these efforts, over 56 million people were allowed to cast votes.

Currently, the U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations has more than 100,000 troops and personnel deployed in 18 peacekeeping missions and 13 political missions worldwide, all with an annual budget of $6 billion. This U.N. peacekeeping force has grown five-fold over the last 10 years, reflecting not only the broad international support for U.N. peacekeeping, but also the U.S. support for new and expanded peacekeeping missions.

In 2005, the Human Security Report, a major international study funded in part by the Rockefeller Foundation, judged that, perhaps contrary to popular belief, civil strife has plummeted 80 percent worldwide since the early 90s. It attributed that decline to the rise in international activism, in particular the increase in support for and deployment of U.N. peacekeeping missions and their growing complexity.

The U.S. Office of Management and Budget recently granted all U.S. contributions made to international peacekeeping activities three- stars, its highest rating. This distinction is reserved for expenditures that ``set ambitious goals, achieve results, are well- managed, and improve efficiency.''

Madam Speaker, I take this opportunity to commend the work and courage of our U.N. peacekeepers around the globe and the logistical guidance provided by the U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations. I hope you will join me in supporting this resolution drawing attention to these brave men and women and in honoring those who have sacrificed their lives in the name of international peace.