Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 320) to amend the National Manufactured Housing Construction and Safety Standards Act of 1974 to require that weather radios be installed in all manufactured homes manufactured or sold in the United States.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.

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

Madam Speaker, before I begin my remarks, I would like to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Ellsworth) for his continued leadership on this issue, and for authoring the legislation that is before us today.

H.R. 320, the CJ's Home Protection Act of 2009, is named after CJ Martin, a 2-year old boy who was killed when an F3 tornado struck his manufactured home in 2005. Over 8 million families rely on manufactured housing to fulfill their housing needs. However, many manufactured homes, particularly those built before 1994, are incapable of withstanding the winds of a tornado, which can reach up to 200 miles. In 2008, 45 percent of tornado-related deaths occurred in manufactured homes.

H.R. 320 would provide a much-needed safety component to manufactured homes by requiring that they be equipped with weather radios that can inform families ahead of time that potentially dangerous weather is on the way. With this information, families can take appropriate action to protect themselves in the event of dangerous weather. These radios can be provided at a minimal cost--less than $50 in most cases--and are a small price to pay for saving even one life.

In addition, given the government's reliance on manufactured housing to meet the temporary housing needs of families displaced by natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, this kind of housing is becoming more and more critical to the lives of many Americans. It is crucial that this housing be safe and secure over the long term because, as we have seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Federal Government can be lax in funding and finding permanent housing solutions for families temporarily living in these housing units.

The House already passed this legislation during the 110th Congress, and I hope that the Senate joins us in sending a bill to the President for his signature. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Indiana, the author of this bill, Representative Ellsworth.

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

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 197) encouraging banks and mortgage servicers to work with families affected by contaminated drywall to allow temporary forbearance without penalty on payments on their home mortgages, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material thereon.

Madam Speaker, I yield to myself as much time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, America's homeowners are currently facing the worst economic crisis in recent memory. Foreclosures are up. Home prices have declined and many homeowners now owe more on their homes than they are worth. These economic challenges have been made worse by health and safety issues many homeowners are now facing due to the installation of Chinese drywall in their homes. Since 2007, the Consumer Product Safety Commission has received over 2,100 reports from 32 States detailing health and safety problems associated with Chinese drywall. Health problems include asthma attacks, headaches, irritated eyes and skin and bloody noses.

Regarding home safety, homeowners are seeing their appliances shut down and have witnessed the piping and wiring in their homes turn black from corrosion. This is because of the highly toxic chemicals that are in Chinese drywall. A recent CPSC study found high levels of hydrogen sulfide and formaldehyde in the air of homes built with Chinese drywall. As these are highly corrosive and dangerous chemicals, the CPSC is now advising homeowners with homes built with Chinese drywall to spend as much time outdoors and in the fresh air as possible. In the meantime, homeowners are desperate to remove these toxic building materials from their homes. Some have even moved out of their homes in order to complete the repairs. Unfortunately, due to the current economic crisis, many families cannot afford to pay their mortgage and pay the rent on a second home.

The resolution before us today calls on the Nation's mortgage servicers to work with homeowners living in homes affected by Chinese drywall by providing a temporary forbearance of their mortgage in order to assist them in affording the cost of renting a second home while their primary residence is treated.

Madam Speaker, this is a commonsense resolution. It's long overdue. As I mentioned earlier, America's homeowners are dealing with the brunt of the economic crisis head on. Those dealing with Chinese drywall are especially vulnerable and need for their mortgage servicers to step up to the plate to assist them in dealing with this health and safety issue.

I would like to thank the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Nye) for offering this solution. I would like to note that the Senate has already passed a concurrent resolution, and I hope that my colleagues in the House can show their support for America's homeowners by doing the same.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Nye).

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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Sgt. Eduviges Preciado Wolf of Hawthorne, CA. Sgt. Wolf was an army sergeant assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, out of Fort Carson, Colorado. Sgt. Wolf was a hero who gave her life in service to her country.

Sgt. Wolf, also known as ``Duvi,'' dreamed of serving in the U.S. military as a child who emigrated to the United States from Mexico with her family. As soon as Duvi was able, she joined the United States military so that she could fulfill her lifelong dream to serve and protect her country. She met her husband Josh at Fort Bragg. Together they had 2 daughters: 3-year-old Isabel and 1-year-old Valerie. Both Duvi and Josh were deployed to Afghanistan, where they served in separate units. Tragically, Duvi recently died in an insurgent attack while in Afghanistan. She was 24 years old.

Earlier this month on Veterans Day, I had the honor and privilege of participating in events with veterans and their families in my congressional district--in Hawthorne and Inglewood, California. I was deeply moved by the families of our servicemembers. Not only do servicemembers make major sacrifices, but so do their families. They live with the harsh realities of war and its implications on them. Spouses must sacrifice long-term career planning, and children are oftentimes forced to transfer to different schools throughout the country. Tragically, as is the reality of combat theater, some of our troops do not make it home.

Today, I salute and thank Sgt. Wolf, along with all of our Nation's past and present heroes who sacrificed a great deal in service to their country.

I expressed my condolences to Duvi's sister Cecilia in Hawthorne on Veterans Day, and I know that her friends and family are still mourning. It is my hope that they will find comfort and peace in the loving memories and the distinguished legacy of service that Duvi leaves behind.

Madam Speaker, I rise in memory of Tommy Jacquette, my dear friend of over 40 years, who passed away this week. I know that the community of Watts and the greater Los Angeles area are grieving with me, because we've all lost a truly unique, larger-than-life friend and activist who had his finger on the pulse of the community.

Born in South Central Los Angeles in 1943, Tommy as a young man became part of the Black Power Movement of the 1960's and sharpened his leadership skills during his studies at Cal-Poly Pomona. He was acutely aware of the problems and issues facing the African-American community, and he wanted to make a difference.

Tommy especially loved Watts, and he dedicated his life's work to enriching the community. He was the founder of the Watts Summer Festival at Ted Watkins Memorial Park (formerly Will Rogers Park), which became an annual tradition in the community following the 1965 insurrection, which were riots that shook the Watts community and surrounding areas.

Tommy created the Festival to honor and celebrate our roots, our talents and our culture, and it subsequently helped to spark African- American festivals across the country: today it's known as the `Grandfather' of all African-American cultural events.

Even in years when he struggled to get funding for the Festival, when traditional donors such as the business community and others wouldn't contribute, he always came through and was able to put on a Festival, using the resources he had and his amazing life skills, largely stemming from being a self-made man. Just this year, I joked with him that if he had two dimes to rub together, there would be a Watts Summer Festival.

I have no doubt, however, that in making the Festival possible each and every year for almost a half-century, Tommy knocked a few heads together. This tall, handsome and fatigue-wearing man made his presence known, often using his penchant for colorful language to drive home the point! His confrontations with City Hall, L.A. County, and other elected officials and community leaders are legendary. He spoke his mind, and was bold and uncompromising in his support of the Black community.

So when he was mad, you knew it. However when he was pleased and happy, you knew it too, because he had a smile that would light up a room and a hearty laugh that would resonate throughout an entire building.

The Watts Summer Festival is uniquely Tommy, bringing people together and focusing both on local and national talent, always with an Afro- centric theme.

Tommy was an inspiration to me and to so many other people. He was daring, fearless and bold, helping us to gain the courage to openly discuss and deal with race, discrimination and inequality in a way that few had been able to before.

I will truly miss his presence and the long conversations we would often have, which would usually start when he'd say ``Hey Mac, what do you think about that?'' He was an incredibly deep thinker. He was especially an inspiration to young people in the community, often speaking at high schools, colleges and universities to encourage them to succeed, to give back, and to hold their heads up high.

There will never be another Tommy Jacquette, and I know that the legacy he has left behind is enshrined not only in the Watts Summer Festival, but in the larger community. I look forward to working with his family and the Board of Directors to make sure that the Festival continues, though there will be a big hole that can never be filled.

I thank him for all that he was and all that he was not, for all the lives he reached, and for his friendship. I will miss him dearly, but am comforted because I know Tommy Jacquette's life was one of impact, purpose, and fulfillment.

Mr. Speaker and Members, I have come to the floor to speak about two extraordinary individuals today. I rise first to honor the memory of Sergeant Eduviges Preciado Wolf of Hawthorne, California. Sergeant Eduviges was an Army sergeant assigned to the 704th Brigade Support Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, out of Fort Carson, Colorado. Sergeant Wolf was a hero who gave her life in service to her country.

Sergeant Wolf, also know as ``Duvi,'' dreamed of serving in the U.S. military as a child who emigrated to the United States from Mexico with her family. As soon as Duvi was able, she joined the United States military so that she could fulfill her lifelong dream to serve and protect her country. She met her husband Josh at Fort Bragg. Together, they had two daughters: 3-year-old Isabel and 1-year-old Valerie. Both Duvi and Josh were deployed to Afghanistan, where they served in separate units. Tragically, Duvi recently died in an insurgent attack while in Afghanistan. She was only 24 years old.

Earlier this month, on Veterans Day, I had the honor and privilege of participating in events with veterans and their families in my congressional district in Hawthorne and Inglewood, California. I was deeply moved by the families of our servicemembers. Not only do servicemembers make major sacrifices, but so do their families. They live with the harsh realities of war and its implications on them. Spouses must sacrifice long-term career planning, and children are oftentimes forced to transfer to different schools throughout the country. Tragically, as is the reality of combat theatre, some of our troops do not make it home.

Today, I salute and thank Sergeant Wolf, along with all of our Nation's past and present heroes who sacrifice a great deal in service to this country. I expressed my condolences to Duvi's sister Cecilia in Hawthorne on Veterans Day, and I know that her friends and family are still mourning. It is my hope that they will find comfort and peace in the loving memories and the distinguished legacy of service that Duvi leaves behind.

In Memory of Tommy Jacquette

I rise in memory of Tommy Jacquette, my dear friend of over 40 years, who passed away this week. I know that the community of Watts and the greater Los Angeles area are grieving with me, because we have all lost a truly unique, larger-than-life friend and activist who had his finger on the pulse of the community.

Born in South Central Los Angeles in 1943, Tommy Jacquette as a young man became part of the Black Power Movement of the 1960s and sharpened his leadership skills during his studies at Cal-Poly Pomona. He was acutely aware of the problems and issues facing the African American community, and he wanted to make a difference.

Tommy especially loved Watts, and he dedicated his life's work to enriching the community. He was the founder

of the Watts Summer Festival at Ted Watkins Memorial Park, formerly Will Rogers Park, which became an annual tradition in the community following the 1965 insurrection, which were riots that shook the Watts community and surrounding areas.

Tommy created the festival to honor and celebrate our roots, our talents, and our culture; and it subsequently helped to spark African American festivals across the country. Today, it's known as the ``grandfather'' of all African American cultural events.

Even in years when he struggled to get funding for the festival, when traditional donors such as the business community and others wouldn't contribute, he always came through and was able to put on a festival, using the resources he had and his amazing life skills, largely stemming from being a self-made man. Just this year I joked with him that if he had two dimes to rub together, there would be a Watts Summer Festival.

I have no doubt, however, that in making the festival possible each and every year for almost half a century, Tommy knocked a few heads together. This tall, handsome, and fatigue-wearing man made his presence known, often using his penchant for colorful language to drive home the point. His confrontations with City Hall, L.A. County, and other elected officials and community leaders are legendary. He spoke his mind and he was bold and uncompromising in his support of the African American community. So when he was mad, you knew it. However, when he was pleased and happy, you knew it too, because he had a smile that would light up a room and a hearty laugh that would resonate throughout an entire building.

The Watts Summer Festival is uniquely Tommy, bringing people together and focusing both on local and national talent, always with an Afro- centric theme.

Tommy was an inspiration to me and to so many other people. He was daring, fearless and bold, helping us to gain the courage to openly discuss and deal with race, discrimination and inequality in a way that few had been able to before.

I will truly miss his presence and the long conversations we would often have, which would usually start when he'd say ``Hey Mac, what do you think about that?'' He was an incredibly deep thinker. He was especially an inspiration to young people in the community, often speaking at high schools, colleges and universities to encourage them to succeed, to give back, and to hold their heads up high.

There will never be another Tommy Jacquette, and I know that the legacy he has left behind is enshrined not only in the Watts Summer Festival, but in the larger community. I look forward to working with his family and the Board of Directors to make sure that the festival continues, though there will be a big hole that can never be filled.

I thank him for all that he was and all that he was not, for all the lives he reached, and for his friendship. I will miss him dearly, but am comforted because I know Tommy Jacquette's life was one of impact, purpose, and fulfillment.

Mr. Speaker and Members, 1984 and 1988 were the proudest and most productive periods of my life. Jesse Jackson ran for President both in 1984 and 1988, and I served as the national co-Chair and the Chair of the California campaign. I was so pleased to be a part of the Rainbow Coalition he formed that included African Americans, Hispanics, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, Native Americans, family farmers, the poor and working class, homosexuals, as well as white progressives. It truly was a Rainbow Coalition.

Listen to Jesse Jackson's campaign platform. Jobs. Creating a Works Progress Administration-style program to rebuild America's infrastructure; reversing Reaganomics-inspired tax cuts; cutting the budget of the Department of Defense by as much as 15 percent over the course of his administration; supporting family farmers by reviving many of Roosevelt's New Deal-era platforms; creating a single-payer system of universal health care; and applying stricter enforcement of the Voting Rights Act.

Jesse Jackson, thank you for the leadership that you provided. It is because of you and the hope that you created that has caused Barack Obama to be the President today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to support the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009, which reauthorizes the Ryan White HIV/ AIDS Program for four years. The Ryan White program provides critical funds to cities, states and non-profit organizations for medical treatment and support services for people living with HIV and AIDS. The program currently serves more than 500,000 HIV-positive low-income people throughout the United States, many of whom would not be alive today without it.

The continuing need for the Ryan White Program cannot be overstated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are more than 1.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States today, and every 9\1/2\ minutes, another person is infected.

Racial and ethnic minorities continue to be severely impacted by HIV/ AIDS. African Americans account for 49% of new AIDS diagnoses, and Hispanics account for 19%. All minority groups combined represent 65% of new HIV infections, 67% of people living with HIV/AIDS, 71% of new AIDS cases, and 70% of deaths caused by AIDS.

Eleven years ago, in order to address the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS among minorities, I worked with my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus and the Clinton Administration to develop the Minority AIDS Initiative. This initiative provides funds to community-based organizations in order to build their capacity to serve minority communities and deliver culturally and linguistically appropriate care and services.

This bill recognizes the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS among minorities and reauthorizes key provisions of the Minority AIDS Initiative. The bill requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report on activities under the Minority AIDS Initiative across governmental agencies and identify best practices in capacity-building. It also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to prepare a plan for the use of Minority AIDS Initiative funding, taking into consideration the GAO report.

I thank my good friend Delegate Donna Christensen, along with the other Members

and staff of the Energy and Commerce Committee, for consulting with my office on the reauthorization of the Minority AIDS Initiative, and I appreciate all of their work on this bill.

I urge my colleagues to support the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. R. 1016--To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide new discretionary budget authority for certain medical care accounts of the Department of Veterans Affairs. This bill would ensure sufficient, timely, and predictable veterans funding so that the Department of Veterans Affairs would have the Federal funding to better serve veterans' medical needs and improve health care services. This is a very timely and important measure as many of our troops today are returning

home in need of accessible and adequate health care services. Therefore, I strongly commend my colleague Bob Filner for bringing this measure before the floor.

This bill provides for a new two-fiscal-year discretionary budget authority for three critical accounts of the Department of Veterans Affairs: medical services, medical support and compliance, and medical facilities. Accordingly, this measure will give the Department of Veterans Affairs sufficient time to effectively plan how it will deliver the best care to a growing number of veterans with increasingly complex medical conditions. And to ensure that the funds are being used appropriately, H.R. 1016 requires the United States Comptroller General to conduct a study to determine the adequacy and accuracy of the department's budget model projections.

My military constituents often turn to me for support in confronting the many challenges they face when working with the Department of Veterans Affairs. We have come to understand, that many of the challenges in efficient health care services are attributable to the Department of Veterans Affairs' inadequate funding. Over the last two decades, the appropriated funds for medical care have not been provided to the Department of Veterans Affairs in a timely manner. This has resulted in the department's problems in planning and managing care for enrolled veterans. Accordingly, this bill addresses this budgetary problem and allows for advance appropriations to ensure the department has the Federal backing to effectively address the medical needs of our Nation's veterans.

As a vocal advocate for veterans' rights, I am pleased to add my voice of support for H.R. 1016. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure that we continue to provide the necessary resources towards improving our Department of Veterans Affairs' health care programs and administrative services.

Madam Speaker, yesterday was World Alzheimer's Day--a day to call attention to and raise awareness of this fatal, neurodegenerative disease afflicting over 5 million Americans.

In this country, someone develops Alzheimer's every 70 seconds, and total healthcare costs are more than three times higher for people with Alzheimer's and other dementias than for people the same age without the disease. Experts estimate that it could affect as many as 10 million baby boomers as they age. The bottom line is this: Alzheimer's disease poses a significant public health threat to our Nation.

In my State of California, there will be as many as 480,000 people age 65 and older who will have Alzheimer's disease by 2010. And Alzheimer's doesn't just strike the individual--it is a family disease. According to the Alzheimer's Association's 2009 Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures, there are nearly 10 million Alzheimer's caregivers providing unpaid care valued at $94 billion. In California alone, there are over 1 million caregivers grappling with the tremendous challenges of Alzheimer's disease every day.

In order to assist caregivers with these daunting challenges, I plan to reintroduce the Alzheimer's Treatment and Caregiver Support Act this month (H.R. 1032 in the 110th Congress). This bill provides grants to public and nonprofit organizations to improve treatment services for Alzheimer's patients and expand training and support services for families and caregivers. Expanding access to training and support services would improve the ability of caregivers to provide effective, compassionate care and allow more people with Alzheimer's disease to remain in their homes with people who love them. This bill had over 100 cosponsors in the 110th Congress, and I hope the 111th Congress will pass this important bill and send it to the President's desk.

We can also fight this disease with the Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act, H.R. 3286, of which I am proud to be a cosponsor. This legislation seeks to find breakthroughs in Alzheimer's disease by increasing research funding to $2 billion per year. It also calls for a national summit on Alzheimer's disease to look at promising research possibilities and programs that are important in fighting this disease.

As we recognize World Alzheimer's Day 2009, I urge my colleagues to join with me and cosponsor the Alzheimer's Treatment and Caregiver Support Act and the Alzheimer's Breakthrough Act. Let us commit to take every possible action to improve treatments for Alzheimer's patients, support caregivers, and invest in research to find a cure for this disease.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3548--the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009. In light of the devastating impact the recession has had on families and communities across the country, this legislation is critical to ensure that jobless workers continue to collect unemployment benefits while they rebuild their lives and try to find gainful employment. This is a very important bill, and I commend Representative Jim McDermott for bringing this measure before the floor.

Although Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced last week that the recession is very likely over, he and other members of the Obama administration caution that unemployment may continue to rise before we start to see significant job creation next year. And today, many people across the country remain jobless and are relying on their unemployment benefits to support their families.

Unless Congress acts, over 300,000 jobless workers living in high unemployment states are projected to exhaust their unemployment benefits by the end of September. California is ranked among the states leading in double digit unemployment rates. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, as of August 2009, California's unemployment rate reached 12.2 percent. Moreover, the Department of Labor reports the state has lost well over 700,000 jobs over the past year.

I have received countless distressing calls and letters from my constituents. I have heard horror stories about foreclosed homes, displaced families, and even death due to unforeseen illness because of an inability to pay for medical care. These stories give a face to the statistics.

This recession has been particularly devastating on communities of color. The unemployment rate for African Americans is 15.1 percent, and for our Hispanics and Latinos, the rate is 13.1 percent. When you consider the nationwide unemployment rate is 9.7 percent, our minority communities are clearly fairing far worse. These communities are in desperate need for further assistance as provided under this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to add my voice of support for H.R. 3548. And I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress to ensure that our Federal government's economic recovery programs are effective and actually achieve their intended goals.

Madam Chair, I rise to support H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009. I'd also like to commend my colleague from California, Chairman George Miller for his hard work to bring this bill to the floor today.

Now more than ever, Americans need affordable and quality educational opportunities that will help make our economy stronger and more competitive. This bill embraces President Obama's challenge to produce more college graduates by the year 2020 by making higher education more accessible. This legislation achieves that goal by transforming the way student loan programs operate.

The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act is the single largest investment in aid to help students and families pay for college in history--and it does so at no cost to taxpayers. The bill reforms the system of federal student loans to save taxpayers $87 billion--and then invests $77 billion of those savings back into education, particularly by making college more affordable, and directs $10 billion back to the Treasury to reduce entitlement spending. Among its many provisions, I am especially pleased that the maximum Pell Grant is increased from $5,350 in 2009 to $5,550 in 2010 and to $6,900 in 2019 and that interest rates are kept low on subsidized federal student loans. This will help more students graduate with less debt. Unfortunately, too many students are graduating with record debt, partly because grant aid doesn't cover nearly as large a share of college costs as it used to. This legislation will allow us to invest $40 billion in the Pell Grant scholarship, to keep interest rates affordable on need-based federal student loans, to simplify the federal student aid application process, and to invest in other forms of aid that will help low-income, middle class and minority students pay for and complete college.

H.R. 3221 will also stabilize and safeguard the federal student loan program that students and families depend on to pay for college. The intertwined economic and credit crises have exposed serious vulnerabilities in the structure of the federally-guaranteed student loan program--putting it on life support. Families shouldn't have to worry about whether the roller coaster fluctuations of the financial markets will hurt their access to low-cost student loans. By originating all new federal loans through the cheaper Direct Loan program, students and parents will be able to receive the same loans with the added assurance that these loans are entirely reliable, no matter what happens in the economy. This simple change will save taxpayers $87 billion over 10 years.

H.R. 3221 also builds on the best of what works in the private sector to provide borrowers with top-notch customer service. The legislation will allow state non-profit lenders and private industry to continue doing what they do best--servicing loans. It will allow private entities to compete for contracts to service these loans--ensuring that students get the best services available and maintaining jobs in communities across the country. This bill also eliminates waste and creates a streamlined, cost-effective program for families and taxpayers. Each year, billions of taxpayers' dollars are being sent into a program that no longer works--and that the Department of Education can administer for a much lower cost. This is exactly the kind of waste we need to eliminate in tough fiscal times. By cutting out the middleman, this legislation will save taxpayers $87 billion over 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. It's a smarter business decision for taxpayers and families.

One of the most exciting provisions of this bill is that is makes an unprecedented $10 billion investment to make community colleges part of our economy's recovery. For years, business leaders have told us there weren't enough workers with the knowledge and the expertise for their specific industries. H.R. 3221 will change that. It will help us build a 21st century workforce by strengthening partnerships among community colleges, businesses and job training programs that will align community college curricula with the needs of high-wage, high-demand industries. It will provide community colleges with the tools to replicate programs that are successfully educating and training students and workers for these fields.

As a former Head Start volunteer coordinator, I know first-hand that creating better educational opportunities demands that we invest in our students long before they reach college. To ensure that the next generation of students enters kindergarten with the skills they need to succeed in school, the legislation creates an Early Leaning Challenge Fund to increase high-quality early learning opportunities for low- income children. It also will help provide every child with access to a world-class learning environment by investing in school modernization, renovation, and repair projects that will create healthier, safer, and more energy-efficient environments--a measure the House is already on record supporting.

However there is one provision that was added to HR 3221 in the Education and Labor Committee that I am very concerned about. I'm sure it was included with the best of intentions, but for the record, I would like to share with my colleagues what I believe will be the real impact of this provision. Under current law, for-profit postsecondary schools are required to maintain a certain formula for how they receive federal funding, commonly known as 90-10. This means that a school must, at a minimum, acquire 10 percent of its funding from sources other than federal money. The original 90-10 provisions were added because too many for-profit schools were receiving large amounts of federal funding from students who indebted themselves without receiving the training they signed up for. I worked with a number of my colleagues here to help put those 90-10 provisions in place. This formula was enacted after years of students being ripped off and schools raking in record profits. If the schools violate 90-10, they are assessed a financial penalty.

The provision added in Committee would weaken the current standards and basically kick the can down the road by extending the violation period from two to three years. This is completely unnecessary. What is the point of having the formula if we'll allow for-profit schools to continue to violate it?

I am looking forward to work with Chairman Miller and other Members to make sure that the final bill does not include another victory for an industry that does not have students' best interests in mind. Moving forward, it is my recommendation that we revisit the rules that govern these for-profit schools and allow them to continue accessing federal funds but that also ensure that they fully report graduation and dropout rates, default rates, and job placement rates.

In closing, this is not a perfect bill, but it is a tremendous investment in education for American families and I urge my colleagues to vote for passage on H.R. 3221, the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in full support of H. Con. Res. 59-- supporting the goals and ideals of senior caregiving and affordability. Our national population of seniors is growing at unprecedented rates. National statistics reveal that 8,000 people turn 60 each day. Moreover, an estimated 44 million adults in the United States currently provide care to their senior relatives and friends. In light of these trends, it is our responsibility to ensure that senior citizens, especially those suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, have access to the quality and professional care they need to live their lives to the fullest. I commend Rep. Lee Terry for bringing this measure before the floor.

This resolution demonstrates that Congress is concerned about our senior citizens and we are actively engaging and learning more about the senior caregiving industry. Today, 35.9 million people, roughly 12.4 percent of the U.S. population, are aged 65 years and older. Moreover, 25 percent of all seniors require some level of assistance with their daily life activities. At this rate, the population of seniors is expected to increase each year and is in danger of exceeding the availability of qualified professionals and trained caregivers. Therefore, it is important that we now begin to take the necessary steps to effectively manage the needs of our aging population.

We can accomplish this objective by providing some much needed support to family caregivers across the country. Family caregivers expend a lot of time, energy, and resources caring for their senior relatives. And many families that do not provide care within their homes rely on non-family private caregivers. In this regard, Congress must help to foster a private home care industry environment that supports enterprises that provide accessible and affordable caregiving services to seniors. This must also include standardized training to paid caregivers with the opportunity for their ongoing professional development. Additionally, Congress must examine and continue to fund current federal programs that address the affordability and accessibility challenges our seniors and their family caregivers face.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to add my voice of support for H. Con. Res. 59--supporting the goals and ideals of senior caregiving and affordability. And I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure we continue to provide the necessary resources toward senior caregiving and improve affordability so that all our senior citizens will have access to quality caregiving when they need it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 738, Recognizing the 15th Anniversary of the Enactment of the Violence Against Women Act, offered by my friend and colleague Representative Louise Slaughter of New York.

The 15th anniversary of President Clinton signing this landmark legislation into law offers us the opportunity both to see how far we have come and to recognize that there is still much ground to be covered as we continue to protect vulnerable women and work on behalf of abused women across this nation.

What is so important about VAWA, just as much today as it was 15 years ago, is that it specifically identifies women as an at-risk population because of violence perpetrated against them. Violence against women ranges from rape to physical and mental abuse to stalking to other forms of domestic violence. It was appropriate to pass legislation specifically geared toward identifying different forms of violence, who was affected by this violence, and what judicial and social services were available for victims and potential victims. Our current Vice President Joe Biden played a leading role in shaping and forwarding this legislation when he was in the Senate, and we should acknowledge him for championing the bill and being instrumental in its final passage.

Since the enactment of VAWA into law, there has been a proliferation of community and advocacy organizations, shelters, health clinics, and law enforcement divisions and programs dedicated to protecting women from abuse and to giving them time to heal and piece their lives back together.

VAWA funding has made it possible for women--and often times their children--to be able to leave their batterers and seek the help they need to begin life anew, more so than at any other time in our Nation's history. And given the unprecedented rate at which state and local budgets have been slashed during the recent economic downturn, VAWA funding is more crucial than ever: to date the Office of Violence Against Women, created under the Department of Justice to implement VAWA, has issued $3.5 billion in grants and cooperative agreements.

I have long strived to be a voice for those who have difficulty being heard. Despite the significant inroads that VAWA has made in the lives of countless women throughout this country, we continue to see alarming trends in the rates of abuse, rape, and murder of women. Under the auspices of VAWA and other initiatives meant to protect women, I will continue to champion women and to offer and sponsor legislation to protect and empower them.

I was proud to vote for the passage of VAWA 15 years ago. So let today mark an important milestone to commemorate the work that has been done over the last 15 years. But let it also force all of us to redouble our efforts to continue legislating and advocating on behalf of women who find themselves in abusive and dangerous relationships and situations.

I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H. Res. 738 and I commend Representative Slaughter for offering it.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H. Res. 556, which recognizes the 75th anniversary of the passage of the Federal Credit Union Act and the vibrant Federal credit union community that was created as a result of this important piece of legislation.

The Federal Credit Union Act was created to promote savings, fight against unfair lending practices and extend credit to people to whom banks and other financial institutions forgot.

I have long been a supporter of credit unions, especially federal credit unions. There was a period of time when the major banks and other financial institutions abandoned many Los Angeles communities, including those within my district. Federal credit unions did the opposite and decided to invest in the people of communities such as Inglewood, Hawthorne, Gardena and Manhattan Beach. Credit unions have made a strong commitment to serve the communities where their members reside and have created a model more financial institutions should follow.

I am proud to recognize the improvements credit unions have made in Los Angeles and across our country. I urge other members to join me in supporting H. Res. 556.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support for the veterans' bills considered on the floor this week. I am very pleased that we have reached a point where we can begin to address the many institutional problems our returning soldiers endure under the Department of Veteran Affairs. While some of these issues can be attributed to administrative deficiencies, many of the department's problems can be helped by increased federal support. These brave men and women deserve our support as they risk their lives in combat. This support should be reflected in appropriate legislative action to ease the burdens they confront upon returning home. While many of us in Congress may disagree on our military strategy and presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, we can all agree that our returning veterans deserve far more than what they have received upon returning home from combat.

Although the Bush Administration initiated the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, it failed to provide for critical veterans' health care benefits and programs that would have helped to reorient our returning troops into society. However, under a new administration and as evidenced by the bills considered this week, Congress is working diligently to introduce and pass critical legislation that will provide our veterans with long overdue support and efficient access to medical resources. Therefore, I am pleased to support all of the veterans' bills on the floor this week, and I commend my colleagues in Congress for their commitment to our nation's troops.

A New York Times report published last fall reported that the nation's newest veterans, particularly the wounded, are paying an exceptionally high price for their service to our country. According to various veterans' advocacy groups, the combination of injury and unemployment coupled with the long VA disability claims process has forced many veterans into foreclosure and other financial hardships. Thus, the legislation on the floor this week will provide for beneficial assistance through federal appropriations, employment and housing resources, and improved veterans' medical insurance programs.

H.R. 3219, the Veterans' Insurance and Health Care Improvements Act of 2009 will expand veterans' insurance and provide much needed healthcare improvements. Additionally, this measure establishes permanent VA authority to provide hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to Vietnam-era herbicide-exposed veterans and Persian Gulf War veterans who have insufficient medical

evidence to establish a service-connected disability. Undoubtedly, many of our current veterans from past and our present international conflicts stand to benefit a great deal from this bill.

In addition, H.R. 1293, the Disabled Veterans Home Improvement and Structural Alteration Grant Increase Act of 2009, will increase the amount of authorized grants the Department of Veterans Affairs can pay for improvements and structural alterations for homes of veterans with service-connected disabilities of 50 percent or more. Accordingly, this bill will provide much needed assistance for veterans to make any necessary improvements they are otherwise unable to fix on their own. As many may suffer from service-connected physical disabilities impeding their normal life activities, this bill would authorize the VA to increase their financial assistance to veterans. This measure will greatly supplement the bill we passed last Congress, the Homes for Heroes Act, H.R. 3329. Where that bill expanded the supply of permanent housing for veterans, H.R. 1293 will provide the grants to make improvements for veterans' current homes.

Moreover, H.R. 2270, the Veterans Nonprofit Research and Education Corporations (NREC) Enhancement Act of 2009 will amend federal provisions regarding the establishment at the Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities of nonprofit and research and education corporations (NRECs) to allow an NREC to facilitate the conduct of research or education, or both, at more than one VA medical center. This will greatly benefit the VA so that they can have readily available resources to help them confront challenges facing our veterans.

And H.R. 3155, the Caregiver Assistance and Resource Enhancement Act will provide federal assistance to individuals providing non- institutional extended care to disabled veterans. These valuable services include educational and teaching caring techniques; strategies and skills; nursing care, and mental and health services.

And finally, H.R. 1803, the Veterans Business Center Act of 2009 will amend the Small Business Act to direct the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish within the SBA a Veterans Business Center program to provide entrepreneurial training and counseling to veterans. This will create yet another resource to benefit our returning veterans who may have trouble finding employment.

Madam Speaker, these are incredibly important bills, providing our veterans with the federal resources so they may have efficient access to much needed medical assistance, job, and housing support. As a strong advocate for veterans' rights, I am pleased to add my voice of support for all of these measures. Moreover, I will be working with my colleagues to make sure we continue to provide the necessary resources towards protecting our veterans' rights and ensuring fair and just access to their rightful benefits.