Floor Statements

Thank you. I thank the gentleman from California, Mr. McKeon, for facilitating this discussion on the 25th anniversary of President Reagan's A Nation at Risk report and the importance of education to our economic future. I appreciate your leadership on the Education and Labor Committee. I can't think of a more appropriate event than the 25th anniversary of the report, A Nation at Risk, to review our education system and our global competitiveness. I think this report outlined the dire consequences if we as a Nation fail to improve our schools. In the 25 years since that warning, a number of things have changed. But we still face many of the same concerns raised by the report.

I remember well when this report came out. In fact, I was president of my local high school board at the time, and I know how devastated we were to find out how badly we were doing. People asked me why I wanted to be on the school board. I wanted to be on the school board because I wanted to make sure that my children got the best education available, and I wanted to work to make sure that that happened. So I was concerned about this.

I thought back on my family, and the thing that was always so important to our family was education. In fact, my father told all of us, there were four of us, that education was the most important thing, and if you got a good education, you could do most anything that you wanted. I don't think I would be here if it hadn't been for that. But he also was a very great man, and he said, And I will pay for it.

Now when you look back at that time, it wasn't as expensive, and we think of all of our kids and grandchildren in schools now.

But my older sister went to medical school, I went to law school and became an attorney, my brother went to law school and became a judge, and my little sister got her master's in Latin and Greek. Now, she doesn't use that too much anymore, but I think the point is that is how important education is and how it remains.

I really do worry, because it is at a time now when we have to compete on a global scale. Americans have shown their entrepreneurial skills and leadership, making the U.S. the largest and most robust economy in the world. However, we are seeing that Asia and Europe, our economic competitors, are making significant new investments in their infrastructure and human capital.

In a recent report, ``The Gathering Storm,'' in looking at what is happening, this report shows that our competitors' investments are beginning to pay off and they are challenging the U.S. leadership in sciences, no matter how it is measured: By the number of patents, they are having more and more patents they are gaining; articles written in the scientific journals; Nobel Prizes won; percentage of the gross domestic product dedicated to research and development; and even the number of degrees.

We all know that our graduate schools have been filled with graduate students who have come from foreign countries. In the past they have been staying in our country. Now we are seeing the brain drain with them leaving.

So despite the evidence that science and education is responsible for America's preeminence in so many areas today, the 2000 Hart-Rudman Report on National Security found that ``the U.S. Government has seriously underfunded basic scientific research in recent years. The quality of the U.S. education system too has fallen well below the scores of other nations.'' In fact, in one of the reports, we find that with other countries, we rank number 28, that is 28 under all of these other countries for our educational system.

I believe that now, more than any time in our history, we are at a crossroads. The economic prosperity of this country is the product of our well-trained workforce, and if the United States is going to be able to continue as the economic leader and have the creativity and the innovation that we need in technology, we have to ensure that our current and future workers have the tools necessary to compete.

There is not a quick fix to this problem, but there is no question that by providing the quality education to the

next generation of workers, that we are going to ensure the success of our country, and without a well-trained workforce, we could see employers moving the best jobs to other countries where workers have the skills necessary to perform that work. So we can't allow this to happen.

We have the building blocks necessary for the best education system in the world, but when we compare American students to other students, there is no question that there is room for improvement. Just ask the employers in our districts or area colleges and universities where employers are finding it more difficult to find skilled workers and where college students are having to take remedial classes when they go in as freshmen because they are not at the point where they can really do the first level of college education.

I think that certainly Congress has recognized the importance of addressing this issue. In 2001, along came No Child Left Behind. Our intention was to address the achievement gap that exists in our country between the disadvantaged children and their more affluent peers by holding the States and schools accountable for the education of all students. This law also gives parents and taxpayers information on the education that their children receive compared to other schools. So I believe that this goal continues to be supported in Congress and in the schools and communities across the country.

Now, 7 years after the passage of No Child Left Behind, I think we are now reflecting on where things are working and how we can improve the law.

I know, Mr. Chairman, you have spent so much time on this issue, and we have had numerous, numerous hearings in the last few years and this session of Congress, but also in the 109th and the 108th, and always working, and even before that since 2001, to make sure how we can improve the law. But I had thought that we would be reauthorizing this system last year, and, unfortunately, it has been held up. But it has given us time.

I remember we had one hearing with 46 people that came in to testify. It was kind of the last hearing before we thought we were going to get this bill out. I think I sat through the whole thing. But also I have and a lot of the other Members have held roundtables in our districts to talk to superintendents, to talk to teachers, to talk to parents, to talk to businesses, to talk to Chambers of Commerce, to talk to students as well, and the community, because that is what it takes to make our schools the best that we can have.

So I think that this discussion tonight will demonstrate the need to reauthorize No Child Left Behind sooner rather than later. I guarantee that our international competitors are not waiting for the U.S. to catch up. I think that we need to really proceed, really with the hope that everyone will realize that education is the basis of everything that evolves for our children and our grandchildren to be a success and have a very successful life and really contribute to our country in moving ahead.

I would like to thank you for hosting this discussion tonight. With that, I will yield back so some of our other Members have an opportunity.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of this legislation and applaud Chairman Waters for her hard work on this legislation.

Mr. Chairman, I must admit that I wanted to cosponsor this bill for a very long time, but the bill as introduced had a number of problems for me. But I am pleased to say that they have been resolved, and I want to thank Chairman Frank for offering in the Financial Services Committee a manager's amendment that addressed many of my concerns and allowed me to become a cosponsor and also for the manager's amendment that will be brought up today. So I am pleased to join him and Ranking Member Bachus in offering a manager's amendment today that makes it an even better bill, addressing the most important concerns, including economic conditionality that the administration expressed in its statement of administration policy issued on Monday.

Mr. Chairman, over a decade of hard work and determination has produced results for the poorest countries in the world. Poverty has been reduced and living conditions are improving. Today's bill recognizes and builds upon the previous work of this body on debt and development issues, and I hope that this trend will continue.

When I served in 2004 and 2005 on the Domestic and International Monetary Policy Subcommittee as the Vice Chair, I was pleased to work with many members of the Financial Services Committee, the administration, and interested organizations to craft legislative language that eventually authorized funding for the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative, or MDRI.

MDRI expanded the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries, HIPC, Initiative of 1999. In short, this historic, U.S.-led initiative called on the international community to provide up to 100 percent of debt relief and performance-based grants to the world's poorest countries. So Congress has since then appropriated about two-thirds of its financial obligation towards MDRI and HIPC. Unfortunately, I think we fall a little bit short on our commitment, but despite this shortfall, the program is working for 41 of the poorest countries in the world: 22 have graduated from the HIPC program, 10 are on their way, and 9 are beginning the process. So I'm pleased that the bill under consideration today, with both the committee and floor managers' amendments, recognizes these facts and seeks to preserve and build upon the impressive progress made under MDRI and HIPC.

So why do we need the Jubilee Act? Well, the fundamental purpose of today's legislation is to establish a plan for ``phase two'' of the U.S. debt relief initiative. And that's what we need. The bill sets out to forgive the debt and issue grants to the next group of the world's poorest countries, 24 in total, which do not currently qualify under HIPC self-sufficiency and sustainable debt initiatives. Importantly, it also seeks to prevent these countries from entering new lending post- relief debt so that they don't squander the economic and social progress achieved through the debt relief.

I would like to note that the statement of administration policy on this bill recognizes that debt relief should be tied to economic conditionality to ensure that it will promote economic growth and provide real benefits to the poor. In addition, the bill including the manager's amendment, would ensure that countries eligible for debt relief don't have excessive levels of military expenditures, don't support acts of international terrorism, are cooperating with the U.S. on international narcotics control matters, and are complying with the U.S. standards to eliminate human trafficking and are working with the U.S. to stop illegal immigration to the U.S.

I worked really closely with constituents from my district, and I really want to thank Sister Sheila Kinsey, Dan Driscoll-Shaw, Ron Durbin, and my other constituents too numerous to mention here for their guidance, their compassion, and encouragement of this bill. It's an honor to work with them.

As I close, I just want to say that the important part of our discussion today is to recognize that the ultimate goal of both ``phase one'' and now ``phase two'' of the U.S. international debt relief and poverty reduction initiatives is to improve the life of the people of impoverished countries around the world, and this is going to happen because of this bill.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to bid a fond farewell to a long-time member of my district staff, Pat Salberg. Pat recently retired after 23 years of dedicated service to the people of Illinois' 13th Congressional District.

Having served as a caseworker on the staff of my predecessor, Representative Harris Fawell, Pat was kind enough to agree to stay with my office--only temporarily, she said--to aid the transition. That was 10 years ago.

It seems her retirement plans just kept getting pushed back by an untiring love of helping others. From seniors with Social Security questions to a homeless mom looking for shelter for her child, Pat never hesitated to go above and beyond to find a solution for those in need.

Were you to ask her colleagues about it, they would tell you that her love for others is rivaled only by her love of animals, both cuddly and otherwise. In fact, members of my staff in the district are to this day forbidden from stepping on spiders or other insects that might be roaming around the office. Pat insisted that they be scooped up to safety and set free outside.

One time she even tried to save a live lobster that someone had unwittingly given her as a gift. Pat didn't rest until it had been set free in a co-worker's pond.

Needless to say, it is little surprise to any of us who know Pat that Pat plans to spend some of her newly acquired free time volunteering at the Brookfield Zoo. I expect she will also spend more time gardening and playing bridge with friends.

Madam Speaker, Pat is a wonderful colleague and will always remain a part of our team in the 13th Congressional District. As she turns to new, more leisurely pursuits in life, I would like to wish her good health and great happiness. I know her two daughters, Wendy and Debbie, as well as her grandchildren, Megan, Scott, and Collin, will be glad to have Pat around even more. And I thank them for letting us borrow her for as long as they did.

Finally, Madam Speaker, I would like to thank Pat Salberg for all she has done for the community and for me. We will miss her dearly.

Madam Speaker, I rise today as the lead Republican Sponsor of H.R. 5524, the Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act of 2008. I am pleased to join with my good friend Congressman John Yarmuth to introduce this important hill reauthorizing and strengthening programs for runaway and homeless youth programs set to expire this year.

Madam Speaker, each year, between one and three million children in the United States find themselves on their own and on the street. Throughout our Nation, local shelters, like Naperville Community Outreach and Aunt Martha's in my district, rely on Federal support to keep these kids safe and off the streets.

Congress first enacted the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, RHYA, in 1974 and has regularly reauthorized it to ensure a basic level of support for unaccompanied youth. The Reconnecting Homeless Youth Act does more than reauthorize the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act. It gives children whose lives have been disrupted an opportunity to overcome homelessness and get on track for a successful future.

This bill gives needed flexibility to shelters receiving Basic Center Program, BCP, funds, which provide children with emergency short-term shelter while attempts are made at family reunification. It strengthens Transitional Living Programs, TLP, that provide older youth with lite skills, education and employment services to help them become self- sufficient and independent. The bill also strengthens outreach efforts aimed at educating runaways on the services available and preventing youth from running away in the first place.

While the bill improves key components of runaway and homeless youth programs, I do have some concerns that I look forward to addressing as the bill moves through the Education and Labor Committee. First, I am concerned that raising minimum small state and territory allotments could adversely affect other States and territories if RHYA funding levels remain flat. Secondly, while I support the intent of more accurate research on runaway and homeless youth, I believe we can find a more cost-effective alternative to the research mandated in this bill. Lastly, I am concerned that the grant appeals process created in the bill attempts to fix a problem that simply does not exist and, in doing so, raises costs associated with administering the program.

I very much appreciate the assurances I've been given by the majority and minority on the Education and Labor Committee that we will discuss these and other issues in a bipartisan manner to make a good bill great, and, most importantly, to keep children off the streets.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1007 to pay final respects and express the condolences of the House of Representatives for those affected by the devastating shooting incident on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois on February 14, 2008.

On that dark Valentine's Day, five students lost their lives, and 17 others were injured. Those five who were taken from their families are: 20-year-old Gayle Dubowski of Carol Stream, 20-year-old Catalina Garcia of Cicero, 32-year-old Julianna Gehant of Mendota, 19-year-old Ryanne Mace of Carpentersville, and 20-year-old Daniel Parmenter of Westchester.

The wounds suffered that day have been deeply felt by those families that lost loved ones, but the entire Nation shares in their pain. Messages of support continue to flow in from across the country and around the world.

I would like to take special note of the extraordinary outpouring of kindness and sympathy from the students

and faculty of Virginia Tech. Having endured a similar tragedy just last spring, their words of wisdom and perseverance have given strength to many in the NIU community.

Our Nation's universities and colleges are places where students begin to embrace adulthood, where they begin to relish a newfound freedom, and where they begin to realize their dreams. For many they are places that offer new beginnings and pathways to brighter futures. To have that cut short for these five young men and women by such a senseless act is almost beyond comprehension. So today we come together to comfort one another and pray that the Northern Illinois University community and our Nation can begin to heal in the aftermath of this unspeakable tragedy.

We also come together to support the efforts of America's higher education leaders and administrators to ensure tight security and safe conditions for all students. The recent violence on college campuses has American families concerned. As a Nation we must work to create safe yet accessible facilities and ensure that parents don't have to fear for their children's lives when they send them off to school. If ever there were a place where America's youth should feel safe, it is in institutions of learning.

Mr. Speaker, I also believe that we owe sincere and heartfelt gratitude to NIU's administration, the law enforcement officers, faculty and students for the way they have handled the crisis. The strong, coordinated response by campus security reflects long hours of training and undoubtedly saved the lives of potential victims. And the entire DeKalb community, both on and off campus, has shown unity and courage in the face of extraordinary adversity.

Simply put, no one can ever be truly prepared to handle a tragedy like this, but the response of the Northern Illinois University family has been a credit to them and to the State of Illinois.

So in the spirit of the NIU Husky fight song, let us now move ``forward, together forward,'' and may we all learn from the example of NIU as we tackle future challenges that face our Nation.

I ask my colleagues to keep the students and families of NIU in their thoughts and prayers, and I ask for their support of this resolution.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Manzullo).

We have no further speakers, so with that, Mr. Speaker, let me just close by saying, let us keep all of these young people who we mourn in our thoughts and prayers; and let us move forward to find ways to keep our children safe in school and everywhere, that they may fulfill their dreams and continue on with their lives.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1013, expressing the sense of the Congress that providing breakfast in schools through the National School Breakfast Program has a positive impact on classroom performance.

The National School Breakfast Program was created in 1966 to help schools serving breakfast to ``nutritionally needy'' children. Made permanent in 1975, the program focuses on those schools where assistance is needed to provide adequate nutrition for students.

The School Breakfast Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service through State education agencies, in agreement with local school food authorities, in nearly 84,000 schools and institutions.

In fiscal year 2006, over 9.7 million children participated in the School Breakfast Program daily. Of those, 7.9 million received their meals for free or at a reduced price. In my home State of Illinois, more than 223,000 students received free and reduced-price breakfasts daily.

Public or nonprofit private schools serving K-12 and public or nonprofit private residential child care institutions may participate in the School Breakfast Program. School districts and independent schools that choose to take part in the breakfast program receive cash subsidies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for each meal they serve. In return, they must serve breakfasts that meet Federal requirements, and they must offer free or reduced breakfasts to eligible children.

Many States that have implemented school breakfast programs have seen encouraging outcomes. Maryland has seen an increase in standardized test scores 17 percent above the State average, an 8 percent reduction in tardiness, and a reduction in referrals to the office for discipline by 20 percent.

Unfortunately, the problem persists that millions of children go to school hungry each day, even though breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The Federal child nutrition programs can offer a great deal in the promotion of nutrition and wellness, especially in terms of assisting those children most in need. That is why I stand in support of this resolution, encouraging every child to start the school day with a nutritious breakfast in order to learn, grow, and develop to their fullest potential.

I ask for my colleagues' support.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers. So, if there are none on the other side, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this important legislation. The Andean Trade Preferences program continues to be a vital component of our efforts to promote peace, prosperity and stability in South America, and it should be extended.

But, Madam Speaker, listening to the debate today, I was reminded of an old adage that says ``political friendships follow the trade lanes.'' Consider Colombia. The success of this program there demonstrates just how critical trade is to creating friendly and democrat allies in troubled regions.

But there is more that we can do and should be doing. We must act quickly to approve the Colombian Free Trade Agreement, not only to meet our international obligations, but to strengthen our economy by boosting U.S. exports to Latin America. Last year alone, my home State of Illinois exported $214 million in merchandise to Colombia, ranking it fourth among the States. More importantly, Illinois exports to Colombia grew 136 percent between 2002 and 2006.

These trends are not unique. For all of our economic troubles, U.S. exports continue to drive profits and job growth. According to the Treasury Department's latest economic update, real exports have risen 7.7 percent in just the last four quarters.

A free trade agreement will promote even faster growth by giving U.S. exporters duty free access to Colombian

markets, the same access that our Colombian exporters already enjoy to the U.S. At the same time, it will strengthen our friendship with a vital ally and provide for stronger protection of the rights of laborers in that region.

Madam Speaker, the bill before us today is a good first step. I commend the chairman and ranking member of the Ways and Means Committee for their bipartisan efforts, and urge my colleagues to support this bill. But I also ask my colleagues to keep in mind that action today must be followed by action tomorrow. We must work as quickly as possible to pass the Colombian Free Trade Agreement in the coming months.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlelady for yielding to me.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to say good-bye to a good man and a cherished colleague. Chairman Lantos was one of those most respected and distinguished Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, and he will be missed.

During his 14 terms in this body, he championed the causes of people everywhere who face oppression and cruelty. Through his leadership of both the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Human Rights Caucus, he guided U.S. policy with morality and integrity.

As I listened to Ms. Eshoo, she used the same words as I would say of him. He was truly a gentleman, one of those rare breeds of old world statesmen who brings clarity and respect to our national debate. And while he was indeed an accomplished speaker, Chairman Lantos inspired not only by his words but by his own personal story. I think we will all remember him standing here in this Chamber, straight rail posture, and saying ``after you, my dear,'' always the gentleman.

From his tragic experiences in the Nazi camps to his rise in Congress, he showed how one truly remarkable individual can overcome the worst sort of tyranny and achieve great things.

So to Chairman Lantos's wife and daughters and grandchildren and great grandchildren, I send my thoughts and prayers. We can all take comfort in the fact that he had a full life with a legacy that will never be forgotten.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this bill, which will boost economic activity and help strengthen the American housing market. I am pleased that the House and Senate leaders from both sides of the aisle have been able to reach agreement on a well-balanced compromise. I also applaud our colleagues in the Senate for resisting pressure from those who would delay this package with inappropriate changes and unnecessary spending.

Hardworking Americans are finding it more and more difficult to provide for their families, and this bill will help to relieve some of the financial strain. And because it is a clean and targeted package, this bill will provide the greater economy with a much-needed jolt of consumer activity.

As a member of the Financial Services Committee, I especially appreciate that the Senate preserved the House-passed provisions to increase conforming loan limits for the FHA- and

GSE-backed home mortgages. This is a critical change that will help invigorate the housing market and enable prospective homeowners in higher priced markets like Chicago to take advantage of these prime mortgage products.

I think this bill is a testimony of what can be accomplished in Washington when Congress and the administration set aside the partisan rhetoric and work together.

And I want to urge my colleagues to turn next to comprehensive FHA reform. I think it's great that Chairman Frank has committed to Ranking Member Bachus that we will be working on the FHA reform. So we took the first steps today by increasing the conforming loan limits, but to truly restore the housing sector, we need to give more consumers an alternative to subprime and predatory products. The FHA can provide that alternative but not until the House and Senate conference their respective FHA reform bills. So by sending this legislation to the President, we can help hundreds of thousands of families facing foreclosure qualify for prime rate refinancing so they can keep their homes.

Again, I applaud the bill before us as a truly good step toward restoring vigorous economic growth, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on legislation to address our long-term economic challenges.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of this important bill and urge its swift passage.

I'm pleased that House leaders, both Republican and Democrat, and the administration have been able to come together quickly on a clean, targeted economic stimulus package. The bill promises to relieve the financial strain on hardworking Americans while providing a much-needed boost to the economy and the housing market.

Today, I want to highlight a few provisions in the bill produced by the Financial Services Committee. These provisions increase the conforming loan limits for both the Federal Housing Administration and the GSEs, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. And what will this do? It will keep property values from falling further by temporarily permitting Fannie, Freddie and the FHA to help homeowners and buyers finance and refinance mortgages in high-cost areas like the City of Chicago.

In short, it will help save the neighborhood.

These are important first steps; but as the President indicated last night, there are additional steps that require our full attention in the days to come if we are to reinvigorate the economy. We need to prevent a return of the marriage penalty, the death tax and the alternative minimum tax, along with higher taxes on income dividends and capital gains. We also need to send comprehensive FHA and GSE reform to the President.

During the last two Congresses, our committee in the full House has passed bills to modernize the FHA and reform Fannie and Freddie, but these efforts have yet to become law. The latest FHA proposal was even rumored to be part of the stimulus package, but it is not.

And that is why I urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to conference these two bills and get a final product to the President immediately.

A modernized FHA program will provide insurance so that more struggling American homeowners can refinance their existing mortgages and keep their homes. It will give first-time homebuyers a viable alternative to bad subprime loans. By providing Fannie and Freddie with a world-class regulator, we can infuse the housing market with liquidity so that more financing is available for perspective homeowners.

In addition, we need to supply more funding for housing counseling. Counselors can help guide homeowners into a loan that best meets their budgets and needs, steering them away from a situation that could lead to foreclosure down the road.

Madam Speaker, it is critical to the housing market and our economy that we finalize GSE and FHA reform and increase housing counseling. Adding liquidity and consumer confidence to the flagging housing market can restore vigorous growth to our economy, and we must do it without delay.

And in the near term, I urge my colleagues to support this economic stimulus package as a critical first step.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Madam Speaker, this is starting to feel like Ground Hog Day, the same debate over and over. By my count, this is the eighth time that we have debated SCHIP legislation on the House floor in the 110th Congress. Considering that the most recent debate was on the legislation to extend the program through March of 2009, it is hard for me to understand why the majority finds it necessary to hold this vote. This is time and, more importantly, goodwill that could be better spent discussing legislation that both Republicans and Democrats could support.

House Republicans have stated repeatedly the principles that we believe necessary to secure our votes on the legislation to reauthorize SCHIP. Those basic principles include covering low-income children first, SCHIP for kids only, SCHIP should not force children out of private health insurance, SCHIP for U.S. citizens only, and the funding should be stable and equitable.

As many of my colleagues know, I have been part of a group of Members from both sides of the aisle and from both Chambers who met for months late last year to find common ground on SCHIP legislation. For my colleagues who took part in these meetings, you know very well that the discussions were productive at times and less productive at other times. But despite our disagreements and the bumps in the road, we persisted and continued to meet because we believe that this is one of the most important issues that this Congress will address. While I believe we were making progress, we ran out of time. However, the extension provided by Congress in December gives us another opportunity to do the right thing.

It's the majority prerogative to determine when bills come to the floor, but if Democrats are serious about reauthorizing SCHIP, let's sit down and finish what we started last fall and write a bill that both sides can agree to. Partisan posturing is not going to provide relief to the working families and health coverage for kids.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss a matter of great urgency. In just a few short days, the legislation that permits our intelligence community to monitor terrorist communications will expire. This law, known as the Protect America Act, is a vital tool used by American agents to quickly intercept and act upon electronic communications between foreign terrorists.

Just last summer, we passed this law because Congress recognized that the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 was not designed to govern the surveillance of modern telecommunications, the same electronic communications that groups like al Qaeda are using to plan attacks against U.S. citizens. I, for one, still believe that intelligence analysts shouldn't need to consult with lawyers every time a suspected terrorist buys a new disposable cell phone. But unless we act before February 1, that is exactly the kind of legal delay that our intelligence agents will face.

So let's abandon the partisan rhetoric and enact a long-term reauthorization of this important law, and let's do so without adding new bureaucratic hurdles or exposing private communication companies to unjustified lawsuits. Our men and women on the front lines deserve every tool we can give them to intercept and interrupt terrorist plots. The American people count on them to keep us safe. Let's pass this law.

Madam Speaker, as many of my colleagues know and as the gentleman from Texas has said, I have been part of a group of Members from both sides of the aisle and from both Chambers who have been meeting actually over the past few months to try to find common ground on SCHIP legislation.

I am afraid that some of the facts that the gentleman from Wisconsin stated, he made some statements that I would hope he would join our group and we could go over those facts, such as the $83,000.

For my colleagues who have taken part, they know very well that these discussions that we have been having were productive at times and less productive at other times. But despite our disagreements and the bumps in the road, I think we persisted and continued to meet because we believe this is one of the most important issues that Congress will address.

The genesis of these meetings originated from a letter that 38 House Republicans sent to the President on October 18, and in that letter we laid out principles that we believed would be necessary to secure our votes on the legislation and make this truly a bipartisan reauthorization of SCHIP. These basic principles included covering low- income children first, SCHIP for kids only, SCHIP should not force children out of private health insurance, SCHIP is for American children, and the funding should be stable and equitable.

It is important to note that the letter did not mention the tax increase or the $35 billion in additional spending, two significant concerns for many Members on this side of the aisle.

Democrats also had their principles for the reauthorization. With these principles, we agreed to discuss how we could change the bill in a way that would gather the support of a significant number of House Republicans and

still have the support of the Members on the other side of the aisle. After weeks of negotiations, we came to a point where I think both sides realized that if a deal was going to be possible, we both had to give some ground for the benefit of a bill.

I think that we are and were very close to agreement in principle and a framework that both sides can support. To be frank, the agreement isn't a bill that I would write if I had the choice. I am sure that my friends on the other side of the aisle feel the same way. But this is how a negotiation works. I think if we both came away with a little bit of feeling like we hadn't won, then that's a true negotiation and both sides have compromised.

Unfortunately, I think we've run out of time for this year, and given that the current reauthorization ends on the 14th and there are a number of States projected to run out of SCHIP funding next year, I hope we can agree to an 18-month extension with additional funding to ensure that States will not have to drop children from the program.

But I would also ask that we continue working on a final bill when we return in January. I have spoken with the leadership on both sides and expressed my desire to do so. We need to put partisanship aside, and I would hope that we can continue to discuss this issue.

I thank the gentleman for yielding. And, Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 2517, the Protecting Our Children Comes First Act of 2007. I was very pleased to be a cosponsor of this important bill which reauthorizes the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children through fiscal year 2013.

I would like to take a moment to thank my fellow cochair of the Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus and sponsor of the bill, Representative Lampson, for his hard work on child protection issues, and Chairwoman McCarthy for her work in leading this bill through the committee.

It seems like every time I open the newspaper, I read another story of a child that has been abducted or has been sexually abused by a sexual predator. Naperville, Illinois, in my district, a city that has twice been voted by Money Magazine as the top city in the nation to raise children, has alone experienced over 30 cases in the last 4 years involving online sexual solicitation of a child. Clearly, more can and must be done on this issue. This problem is not regional. It is not isolated to big cities. It is not isolated to rural communities. This is a real national problem that will not go away until we give organizations like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children the tools and the resources they need to fulfill their mission and protect our children from current and emerging threats.

Since authorized by Congress in 1984, NCMEC has been extremely successful in this mission. In fact, NCMEC has received nearly 2.3 million telephone calls, printed and distributed nearly 43 million publications, trained 231,000 law enforcement, criminal justice, and health professionals, worked more than 136,000 missing children cases, and, perhaps most importantly, played a role in reuniting more than 118,700 children with their families. In fact, the National Center's child recovery rate is an impressive 96.3 percent.

For generations, the message was simple. Parents told their children that they should never talk to strangers. My parents told me and I told my children. But times have changed. There are more threats to our children today, and our message must change with technology. Similarly the role of the National Center has changed.

This is why we need this bill passed on the floor today, to expand the National Center's congressionally mandated mission to include recent enhancements in technology and give them the resources to address these and other protective issues.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank Chairman Frank and Ranking Member Bachus for working with Members from both sides of the aisle to craft legislation to help consumers secure sound mortgages and shine a light on the mortgage practices from day one of the home-buying process. I would also like to associate myself with the remarks of our distinguished ranking member, Mr. Bachus, and add just a few points.

First, I would like to thank Chairman Frank for adding two of my bills to the underlying legislation, H.R. 3019, the Expand and Preserve Homeownership Through Counseling Act, which has become title IV of the bill; and H.R. 3017, the Stop Mortgage Fraud Act, which has become section 212 of the bill.

Why are these important? Well, first, for so many, the problems out there could have been avoided through one simple thing: housing counseling. If consumers understand what they are getting into before signing on the dotted line for a mortgage, they would be armed with the ability to make better decisions about a mortgage. Title IV elevates housing counseling within HUD, and the Office of Housing Counseling will expand HUD's capacity to offer grants to States and local agency.

The language also tasks HUD with conducting a study on defaults and foreclosures and launching a national housing outreach campaign so that consumers know where to find a legitimate HUD-certified counselor. They can get the help they need now to buy and keep their homes.

Second, section 212 of the bill authorizes additional funds for the FBI investigators and Justice Department prosecutors to crack down on mortgage fraud. It's no secret that organized crime gangs, many operating in Chicago, have discovered a more lucrative business than drugs. Mortgage fraud scam artists inflate appraisals, flip properties, and lie about information, such as income and identity on loan applications.

Finally, as a former real estate attorney, I know that any mortgage legislation reform should first aim to do no harm. By that, I mean five basic pieces. First, it should preserve access to credit and homeownership opportunities for qualified low- and middle-income borrows; second, facilitate transparency in the mortgage market; third, create a level playing field; fourth, promote strong underwriting standard; and, fifth, foster competition.

Achieving these objectives is critical for both primary and secondary mortgage market participants, from homeowners to investors. Has the bill under consideration fully realized these goals? I would say we have come a long way on mortgage reform, but our work is not finished. Today, several Members will offer amendments to improve the bill: the manager's amendment offered by Mr. Frank and Mr. Bachus, and additional amendments by Ms. Ginny Brown-Waite, Mr. Garrett, Mr. Hensarling, Mr. McHenry, Mr. Gary Miller, and Mr. Price. I urge my colleagues to support these amendments. I would like to particularly thank Mr. Kanjorski for working with me on H.R. 3537, which we will offer as an amendment today.

It's important for future American homeowners and our economy that we put political agendas aside and get this right. Too much action and we worsen the problem; too little action and we allow it to happen again.

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

Mr. Chairman, I would like to echo the remarks of Mr. Kanjorski and thank him and my colleagues, Mr. Hodes, Mrs. Capito and Ms. Moore, for working on this amendment, which is based on H.R. 3837, the Escrow, Appraisal and Mortgage Servicing Improvements Act.

Overall, this amendment addresses deceptive, abusive and fraudulent mortgage lending practices related to titles on escrow accounts, mortgage servicing and appraisals. We worked hard following our markup last week to clean up language in this amendment regarding the prompt crediting of payments and Truth in Lending Act and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, commonly known as RESPA, liability, in addition to making several more technical changes.

We have more to do, especially further developing the language in the payments and escrow sections in this bill; but I'm confident that, based on the bipartisan progress that we've made this far, we can work out our differences as the bill continues to move through the legislative process.

Again, I thank Mr. Kanjorski and my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for their hard work and cooperation on this amendment. It has broad bipartisan support, and I urge my colleagues to vote for it.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Chairman, I yield the remainder of my time to the gentleman from Alabama, the ranking member, Mr. Bachus.