Floor Statements

Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. Chair, I rise in strong opposition to the underlying bill where the House GOP guts critical food assistance programs that help America's low-income and less fortunate families at a time when they need it the most. This is yet another chapter in the Republican attack on working families to give handouts to special interests. First they came after seniors who rely on Medicare, and now they're coming after our young children and their mothers.

Millions of Americans are now struggling to get through the worst economy since the Great Depression, and America's food assistance programs are proving to be an essential safety net for the jobless and low-income families of America. At a time when the need is greater than it's been in generations, Congress should be reaffirming our commitment to helping these needy families, not pulling the rug out from under them. But alarmingly, that's just what the Republican Agriculture appropriations bill does.

This bill slashes funding for the nutrition program for Women, Infants, and Children by $686 million. WIC is a program that provides low-income pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children with nutritious foods and improved access to health care. This funding is critical to ensuring America's new mothers, babies, and young children are fed right and grow up to be healthy, happy kids. But these slash- and-burn cuts completely end food assistance for up to 350,000 low- income women and children nationwide. Republicans, take the target off these kids.

Now let's distinguish between wasteful spending and investments that help the less fortunate get back on their feet. How can anyone say that WIC is wasteful when it serves nearly 10 million people each year for less than $100 per person? To some, these dollars may not sound like much, but they mean all the difference for mothers like Amanda.

Amanda was blessed with three children after she was told she couldn't even have one. But working in the food industry simply wasn't enough to support a family and certainly not one with as many needs as Amanda's. She has one son with disabilities, another that was born prematurely, and a third that requires special formula. All these demands quickly stretched her finances and her time. She couldn't afford the basics for her baby, like cereal, peanut butter, milk, and juice, much less the special formula that kept her son healthy. She was struggling to get by. But with WIC's help, she was able to make ends meet and even found time to get her bachelor's and master's through online classes while raising her kids. Now she is a registered nurse working on her Ph.D. And it was taking that first step to join WIC that helped keep her children healthy and helped her make a better life for her family. We should be investing in Amanda and her children, the future of our country, not leaving them to fend for themselves.

But instead of helping build a stronger American workforce for our future, the Republicans are providing more breaks so Big Oil can line their pockets. This same bill blocks efforts to rein in oil speculators that are manipulating the energy markets at the expense of American families at the pump. And, in fact, in April, Goldman Sachs found that this type of unregulated speculation adds over 20 percent to the price of oil, and that's why our gasoline prices are going sky high.

So what was the Republican reaction to this? They slashed $30 million in funding from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission which would stop this illegal speculation in the oil markets. So, as they gut funding from struggling mothers and tiny babies like this, Republicans are keeping gas prices high and pouring more profit into Big Oil's coffers.

We cannot balance the Nation's budget on the backs of everyday Americans just so that Big Oil can make big profits. Stop these cruel cuts to women, children, and infants.

Mr. Speaker, House Republicans are trying to sell America's seniors a false bill of goods. Republicans claim that seniors won't be impacted by their plan to end Medicare. That simply isn't true.

What's true is that insurance bureaucrats will be placed in between seniors and their doctors. What's true is that a senior in my State of California will be forced to pay $6,000 extra in out-of-pocket expenses; then, once the Republican plan to end Medicare takes full effect, those out-of-pocket expenses will double. Imagine our seniors being turned away at the pharmacy. Imagine seniors having to reach deeper into their wallet after a doctor's visit.

The GOP plan to end Medicare is unacceptable. We must keep our promises to our seniors.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to announce an action to address an injustice carried out on this very floor that Congress has never atoned for, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.

A century ago, the Chinese came here in search of a better life; but they faced harsh conditions, particularly in the Halls of Congress. Congress passed numerous laws to restrict Chinese Americans, starting from the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, to stop the Chinese from immigrating, from becoming naturalized citizens, and from ever having the right to vote.

These were the only such laws to target a specific ethnic group. The Chinese were the only residents that had to carry papers on them at all times. They were often harassed and detained. If they couldn't produce the proper documents, authorities threw them into prison or out of the country, regardless of their citizenship status. Political cartoons and hateful banners like these were hung in towns and cities and printed in papers. At that time of this hateful law, the Chinese were called racial slurs, were spat upon in the streets, and even brutally murdered.

Only after China became an ally of the U.S. in World War II was this law repealed in 1943, 60 years after its passage. It has never been formally acknowledged by Congress as incompatible with America's founding principles.

That is why, as the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress, and whose grandfather was a victim of this law, I stand on the very floor where the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed and announce that I have introduced a resolution calling for a formal acknowledgment and expression of regret for the Chinese exclusion laws.

When the exclusion laws were first introduced, there was a great deal of debate in Congress over their merits. The U.S. had just abolished slavery. The 14th and 15th Amendments had recently been ratified. Slavery had been defeated, and freedom seemed more certain. The national atmosphere led many in Congress to stand up against the discriminatory anti-Chinese laws. But over the years, those standing for justice almost all disappeared. By the time 1882 came around, Members of Congress were fighting over who deserved the most credit for getting the most discriminatory laws passed and standing against the ``Mongolian horde.''

Representative Albert Shelby Willis from Kentucky pushed relentlessly for the exclusion laws, lambasting the Chinese. Standing in the same spot where I am now, he said the Chinese were ``an invading race'' and called them ``alien with sordid and un-republican habits.'' He declared the ``U.S. was cursed with the evils of Chinese immigration'' and that they disturbed the ``peace and order of society.''

But there were a brave few, a small minority who fought hard against prejudice and principles of freedom. One such man was Senator George Frisbie Hoar, whose statue now stands proudly in the Capitol. He stood up to all of the Chinese exclusion laws and voted against each. He said in 1904 when the laws were made permanent, ``I cannot agree with the principle that this legislation or any legislation on the subject

rests. All races, all colors, all nationalities contain persons entitled to be recognized everywhere as equals of other men. I am bound to record my protest, if I stand alone.''

And stand alone he did. The final vote against the Chinese in the Senate was 76-1. What Senator Hoar stood up for is what I am asking Congress to stand up for today: that all people, no matter the color of their skin, or the nation of origin, are the equals of every other man or woman.

America came to be what it is today through immigrants who came from all corners of the world. Chinese immigrants were amongst them. They sought a place to live that was founded upon liberty and equality. They came in search of the American Dream--that if you worked hard, you could build a good life. It is why my grandfather came to the United States.

But when the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed, the truths that this Nation holds as self-evident--that all are endowed with the inalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness--were discounted by the very ones elected to uphold them.

And so for a generation of our ancestors, like my grandfather, who were told for six decades by the U.S. Government that the land of the free wasn't open to them, it is long past time that Congress officially and formally acknowledges these ugly laws that targeted Chinese immigrants, and express sincere regret for these actions.

With my resolution, Congress will acknowledge the injustice of the Chinese Exclusion Act, express regret for the lives it destroyed, and make sure that the prejudice that stained our Nation is never repeated again. And it will demonstrate that today is a different day and that today we stand side by side for a stronger America.

Mr. Chair, I move to strike the last word.

I stand in strong support of this amendment, which strikes language prohibiting direct appropriations funding for immigration integration grants.

Integrating immigrants into our society makes us a stronger Nation and a more united Nation. Having Federal policies in place to quickly integrate new citizens into our national fabric is and should remain an important priority for our government.

This should not be a solely Republican or Democratic priority. This is not a partisan issue. In fact, it has had strong support from leaders on both sides of the aisle. President George Bush created the Office of Citizenship during his Presidency because he recognized the importance of helping new citizens embrace their new home. The Office of Citizenship plays a key role in immigration integration by leading initiatives to promote citizenship awareness; providing grants to national and community-based organizations that prepare immigrants for citizenship; preparing educational materials for citizens and trying to expand integration and citizenship resources in communities.

And President Obama has picked up the torch from his predecessor, committing direct appropriations to an integration grant program that helps green card holders, who are all legal immigrants, get ready to become active participants in our democracy. These grants help legal residents navigate through the naturalization process, teach them about our Nation's history and government, and teach them English.

These programs benefit real people, immigrants who came to America for a better life. Immigrants like Phyllis, a 74-year-old grandmother who took a citizenship class in Maryland. Once a week for 8 weeks, she and her classmates, 20 of them, in fact, spent 2 hours learning the basics of American history and government and interview skills for a naturalization test. Phyllis moved to the U.S. from Sri Lanka to take care of her three grandsons. Being a citizen, knowing our laws, and speaking English will help her ensure those young boys grow up to be strong Americans themselves.

Immigrants who integrate into U.S. society go on to become informed voters, active community members, innovators, entrepreneurs, and future job creators. Whether they come on family or employment visas, through the asylum or refugee program, or through other smaller legal immigration programs, legal permanent residents come to this country with the dream of becoming U.S. citizens and giving back to their adopted home.

In the last 2 fiscal years, Congress has directly appropriated $11 million for integration grants. But this bill doesn't provide direct appropriations. Instead, it pulls the funds out of the examination fees account. And it goes a step further, expressly prohibiting direct funding for immigration integration grants.

But I think we should provide direct appropriations for these grants because immigration assimilation should be a national priority. Both sides agree that legal immigrants that want to become part of society and learn our laws and our language should be able to become citizens, and that's exactly what these funds do.

I urge all my colleagues to support this amendment to help our Nation and all its citizens, no matter where they were born, so that we can boost human potential and make this a stronger Nation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the board and staff of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum on the 25th anniversary of their founding. They are guided by a mission to influence policy, mobilize communities, and strengthen programs

and organizations to improve the health of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders. As the largest national Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander advocacy organization in the country, they maintain strategic relationships to move sound policy forward that benefit our communities.

Founded in 1986, the organization came together in response to the federal government's first groundbreaking report on minority health. ``The Secretary's Report on Black and Minority Health'' erroneously concluded that Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders were healthier than other minorities despite the ``paucity of data.'' Community leaders, advocates and medical providers who served Asian American populations came together to challenge this ``model minority'' myth and formed the Asian American Health Forum, solidifying the visionary idea of a national organization that would grow into the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum. Working out of a basement of the old Chinese Hospital in San Francisco Chinatown with few staff, the organization has now grown to be a national organization with over 30 staff headquartered in San Francisco, an office in Washington, DC, and a national network comprised of more than 15 groups.

Over the years the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum has reached several milestones. In the early '90s, the organization received funding from the Department of Health and Human Services to implement innovative outreach programs targeting chronic disease issues in the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, like HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B. As the number of API individuals in the U.S. increased, the organization continued to grow to do work to improve the health of the community by developing tobacco cessation programs, cancer education and outreach programs and reducing domestic violence. In 2006, the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum received the largest ever philanthropic investment in Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities through a $16.5 million grant by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation which has helped build capacity across the country through the Health Through Action Program. Today the organization continues to advocate on behalf of our communities as the Affordable Care Act is implemented.

As the Chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I have had the privilege of working with the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum to eliminate health disparities in this country. Their analysis and research have informed the work of policymakers for many years at the local, state and national level. The work produced by its programs and divisions are valuable resources for community groups, legislators, agencies and researchers in understanding the unique health issues that affect Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations.

On behalf of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, I would like to once again congratulate the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum on their 25th anniversary and wish them the best in their work to achieve health justice over the next 25 years and beyond.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the 1951 Convention related to the Status of Refugees. The Convention was historic in spelling out a set of basic human rights that should be afforded a refugee. It was initially directed toward European refugees in the aftermath of World War II, but was expanded in 1967 to include refugees from all around the world. The U.N. Convention defines who a refugee is, and outlines assistance that refugees should receive. It stipulates that refugees should not be returned to a country where they fear persecution.

My district in the San Gabriel Valley of California is home to a large and diverse refugee population who fled persecution from countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. In Los Angeles County they come from places as far as Iran to El Salvador.

Since arriving on our shores, many of the refugees have established themselves as civic leaders, small business owners and hardworking Americans. Some are working with resettlement agencies to help new refugee populations integrate, settle their families, and restart their lives.

The open arms with which our Nation welcomes refugees from around the world reaffirms America's commitment to human rights. And on this 60th anniversary, I look forward to continuing the U.S. commitment to human rights through strengthening of our refugee resettlement program.

In my home county of Los Angeles, hardworking, middle class families are struggling every day to put gas in their cars so that they can get to work and take their children to school. But I did a double take recently when I saw that a gas station in my district had the highest price per gallon in the country--almost $5 a gallon.

What is the Republican response? They just released their budget. It gives more tax breaks to Big Oil. They don't want to reward you for working hard. They want to reward ExxonMobil which made $34 billion last year in pure profits, more money than any other company in the world.

You are stuck paying over $4 a gallon for gas and the Republicans also want you to pay $4 billion in tax breaks for Big Oil?

Stop the $4 billion Republican giveaway. Let's make smart investments that will lower gas prices and put Americans back to work. It is time to say ``no'' to the GOP, the Grand Oil Party.

Imagine what life would be like for women under H.R. 3. Imagine you are pregnant and then diagnosed with breast cancer. Your doctor says that chemotherapy could save your life, but will permanently harm the baby. The diagnosis is devastating. But to add to your grief, because of H.R. 3, an abortion will not be covered by your private health insurance. You must pay out of pocket, even though it is necessary to save your life.

Imagine IRS agents as abortion cops. You see, under H.R. 3 you couldn't deduct an abortion as a medical expense unless it were the result of rape or incest, even though you are using your own money and even though you can deduct every other medical procedure. Imagine the IRS knocking at your door demanding receipts and grilling you about your rape.

This bill forces women to live their lives as if America was Orwell's 1984, where big brother Washington bureaucrats dictate the personal and private health decisions of American families.

Stop these attacks on women. Oppose H.R. 3.

I rise to support the people's budget. It will create millions of jobs and turn the deficit into a surplus in 10 years. Republicans have unveiled their 2012 Road to Ruin budget, but instead of focusing on creating jobs, Republicans are ripping the bandage off our economy before the scar has even healed.

The people's budget focuses on real solutions. Instead of billion- dollar handouts to Big Oil, we're investing in job creation and loans for higher education. Instead of ending Medicare as we know it, we keep our promise of secure health care for seniors. Instead of giving more tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires, we're committed to tax relief for the middle class.

We must eliminate the deficit, but we must do it responsibly, and that means taking the Republican target off the backs of working families.

Today I want to honor a man, Ramon Cortines, for his many years serving students in our public school system.

Ramon recently announced he was retiring as superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. During his distinguished 55-year career in education, he has served as superintendent of schools in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Pasadena, and New York City.

I had the great privilege to work with Ramon last year when the Los Angeles Unified School District passed a resolution calling for immediate passage of the DREAM Act.

But Ramon was not only a superintendent and advocate, he was a teacher in Aptos and Covina, which is in my district, and senior adviser to the U.S. Secretary of Education under President Clinton.

A lifelong educator, Ramon has taught at every level in the public school system--elementary, middle, and senior high school--and has shaped education policy as a consultant to every entity from Stanford University to the University of California.

Ramon came to the Los Angeles Unified School District at a time of great challenge; yet he was able to improve school safety, increase attendance, and reduce the dropout rate. Ramon Cortines has had an extraordinary record of service, and he changed the lives of thousands of children.

Although he will be greatly missed, we must all continue the mission he strived for during his 55-year career, and that is to ensure that every child receives a quality education.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Harry Lew.

Harry Lew was a marine serving the mission of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Freedom, however, does not come without a price. Harry Lew died in Afghanistan on Sunday, April 3, 2011. He was 21 years old. He was the son of Sandy and Allen Lew, the brother of Carmen Lew, and he was my nephew.

Lance Corporal Harry Lew died while serving on watch duty in Helmand province. He had joined the Marines in August 2009 and reported to his unit in February 2010.

He was based in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force. His unit was deployed to the Middle East in November, where they joined a Marine combat team for counterinsurgency work with the Afghan National Security Forces. Their goal was to provide security to locals and to promote development in the regime.

He was set to return home in July 2011, 3 months before his death.

Harry was a popular and outgoing student, both at Santa Clara High School, where he graduated in June 2008, and at Mission College, where he took classes for a year. He was known for joking, smiling, and for wanting to keep the mood light. One of his teachers said he brought ``life and laughter to his classroom.''

He loved physical sports, especially ``tricking,'' a form of breakdancing involving kicks, flips and twists. It combines wushu, Chinese martial arts and gymnastics. He was so accomplished in this sport that as a member of the club called the Sidestep Breakdance Club, he performed several times in front of the high school. His friends said his best trick was the butterfly twist, where one spins 360 degrees in a horizontal flip. Upon his death, his friends honored him with a tricking session at his high school.

Harry's best friend, Travis Trotter said, ``Everyone here has been influenced by him in some way or another, whether it be through his dancing, his artistic talents, his tricking or just being the person he was, friendly with everyone.''

Of his service, his superior in the Marines said: ``Only a small portion of our society volunteers to serve their country. Lance Corporal Lew was one of those volunteers. Within the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, he was well liked by his fellow marines and was known for getting along with everyone because of his easy-going nature.

``He took his job seriously and performed his duties with enthusiasm. In Afghanistan, he volunteered for the difficult missions and demonstrated uncommon endurance on 4- to 8-hour foot patrols. Lance Corporal Lew also demonstrated his commitment and courage on two separate occasions when his unit came under enemy fire. One of those events is captured in the following:

``At approximately 7:30 p.m. on March 21, 2011, 3rd Squad of 3rd Platoon, Golf Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, was engaged by enemy small arms fire while defending a position in Gawraggi village, Nawa-e- Barazkai district, Helmand province, Afghanistan. The enemy engaged with several bursts of automatic weapons fire. At that time of contact, the majority of the squad was in a small hole in the ground, taking cover to eat evening chow. Lance Corporal Lew immediately identified the enemy position approximately 200 meters to the southeast and engaged the enemy position initially with an M203 grenade launcher located at his post. He then picked up his M240 squad automatic weapon and engaged the enemy with an estimated 200 rounds until they had had enough and broke contact. His squad then continued with their mission.

``This is an example of Lance Corporal Lew's service. It serves as a reminder of all those who today serve in harm's way. Like Lance Corporal Lew, they serve to protect our country, our freedom, and our way of life. I am grateful for the courage and sacrifice of Lance Corporal Lew.''

Harry Lew was a good son and brother, a friend to many, a great performer and a dedicated soldier. His ready smile and warm attitude will be remembered by all who knew him. His sacrifice for his country will never be forgotten.

For his service, Harry Lew will be honored with the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, and the Afghanistan Campaign Medal.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a great loss to our community, Mr. Joe Ying Chiu, who passed away on March 24, 2011 at the age of 76. My heart goes out to his wife, Marilyn; sons Steven and Edward; daughter Carolyn; his four grandchildren; and the rest of his family and friends.

Mr. Chiu was an extraordinary citizen, a role model for community activism and a powerful advocate for the Chinese American community. He was the living embodiment of the American Dream, having been born in China in 1934 and then emigrating to the United States as a ``paper son'' when he was just a teenager, first arriving in the San Francisco Bay area.

Like most immigrant children, he learned the values of hard work and perseverance at an early age. After meeting his wife Marilyn and marrying her in 1961, he went to work at his father-in-law's meat market in Pasadena, Southern California. It was there that his strong work ethic began paying off, and where he first honed his incredible business acumen.

With the help and support of his father-in-law, he eventually opened his own grocery store in Long Beach in 1967. That store, Hanson's Market, went on to become a fixture in the community and served the neighborhood for 25 years.

It was the beginning of a long career in the grocery business for Joe, who became a successful businessman and eventually owned and operated several different establishments.

After his retirement from the grocery business, Joe was able to focus his energy on a cause that had long been dear to his heart: advocating for the Chinese American community in Los Angeles' Chinatown. With his wife Marilyn, Joe became an active member of the Lung Kong Association, serving in several political offices in the organization.

He went on to become an avid and generous supporter of numerous civic, political and philanthropic events and charities that greatly benefited the Chinese community throughout the United States, China and Taiwan.

I urge all my House colleagues to join me in honoring our community hero, Mr. Joe Ying Chiu, for his remarkable service and contributions to our country.

Mr. Speaker, today the Republicans want to shut down government. Tomorrow they want to dismantle Medicare. If the shutdown weren't enough, the Republican Party just released next year's road-to- ruin budget. And, unbelievably, the people they have chosen to target are America's seniors.

This budget ends the Medicare guarantee as we know it. It turns Medicare into a voucher system where you would have to put your fate back into the hands of private insurance companies. It results in seniors paying more for Medicare. This plan shifts costs onto seniors and cuts Medicare at a time when seniors need health care the most.

We must take the target off the backs of our seniors and off of Medicare, a guarantee that seniors have earned through a lifetime of hard work.

Yesterday, Congressman Paul Ryan introduced the Republican Party's fiscal year 2012 road-to-ruin budget.

We have been back to work in the House for 14 weeks. And for 14 straight weeks, the Republican majority has done nothing to create jobs. They haven't even put a single jobs bill on the House floor. In fact, their proposed spending bill for 2011 actually costs America 700,000 jobs.

Now, Congressman Ryan and the Republican leadership want to extend their job-killing policies and permanently eliminate the middle class. The Republicans' road to ruin is nothing short of an attack on working families, seniors, students, and children.

It attacks America's seniors by ending the Medicare guarantee and putting your fate in the hands of private insurance companies. It attacks America's workers by not doing anything to create jobs and by gutting job training. It attacks America's students by cutting education and raising college costs for nearly 10 million students.

Now, no matter what side of the aisle we are on, we can all agree that deficit reduction is important. But the question is how do we do it. What we can't do is balance the budget on the backs of America's middle class, our seniors, our students, and our children.

But I do know some things we can't afford. At a time when middle class families can't pay their bills, we can't afford to keep spending billions in subsidies for Big Oil and giveaways for special interests. At a time when our senior population is growing, we can't afford to slash funding for nursing homes and put health insurance companies back in control of health care. At a time when our economy needs an infusion of the best and brightest workers, we can't afford to cut public education while protecting tax breaks for companies who ship jobs overseas and spending billions of dollars in tax breaks on people already making upward of half a million dollars.

A budget isn't just about dollars and cents; it's about priorities and values. And as representatives of the American people, our priorities and values should reflect their values: Jobs, a secure retirement, the promise of educational opportunity, and the certainty that if your child is sick then you will be able to afford to see the doctor.

If you vote for this bill, then who amongst us could go home and look senior citizens in the eye knowing we ended Medicare as we know it? Who could look an unemployed worker in the eye knowing we didn't do anything to create jobs? Who could look a student in the eye knowing we took away their opportunity to succeed with a quality education?

I want to reduce our deficit. I know it's vital for our fiscal future. But I also want to look my constituents in the eye and tell them I stood up for their priorities and not those of Big Oil, international corporations, and special interests.

The truth is we can do both. We can get our deficit under control. And we can do it without cuts that hurt hardworking families.

Yesterday, House leadership pushed through H.R. 471. I voted ``no'' because it does nothing to create jobs, hurts public education, and adds to the national deficit.

We have been back to work in the House for 13 weeks, and for 13 straight weeks the Republican majority has done nothing to create jobs. They haven't even put a single jobs bill on the House floor. In fact, their proposed spending bill actually costs America 700,000 jobs.

Now, Speaker Boehner has brought his own pet project bill to the House floor that imposes his desire to privatize public education in the District of Columbia, and he doesn't even represent the District. This bill would reauthorize the failed Washington, D.C., private school voucher program and open it to new students, funneling millions in new Federal spending to private schools at taxpayer expense. And yet, for the last 5 years, the voucher program has proven to be flawed and ineffective.

The voucher program has not been successful in raising student academic achievement. It has had no impact on student motivation and engagement. The program has had no effect on student satisfaction with their schools or on whether students view their schools as safe and orderly. And voucher students were less likely to have access to important services, such as programs for English language learners, programs for students with learning problems, counseling, and tutoring. Vouchers are an experiment that has been tried and has failed.

This anti-education bill comes at a time when the Republican leadership is proposing drastic reductions in Federal spending, including a House-passed bill slashing billions from core education programs. Vouchers are not real education reform. They don't solve problems. They ignore them.

Rather than offering an empty promise for a few, we should be ensuring that every child has access to a great public school. And instead of taking money out of public schools for private schools, Congress should be investing in strategies to improve school achievement. Our focus should be on strategies proven to increase student achievement, such as increasing parental involvement, strengthening teacher training, and reducing class size. And our goal should be to prepare all students for the jobs of the future, not to allow a few students and parents to choose a private school at taxpayer expense.

When public schools are struggling and teachers are being laid off, the last thing we need is to spend scarce taxpayer funds on private schools. And that's exactly what this legislation will do. Speaker Boehner's bill will increase the deficit by $300 million, $300 million that could go towards making sure America's public school students and public school teachers have the resources they need to succeed. Speaker Boehner's bill offers no offsets. It is an ideological effort to recreate a program that was ended years ago because it did not work.

It is time for Republicans to stop playing political games with our public education and America's economic future. And so I ask my colleagues across the aisle to join with Democrats to reduce the deficit, protect our public schools, create jobs, and strengthen the middle class.