Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 26) honoring the contributions of Catholic schools, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 26.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask my colleagues to support H. Res. 26, which recognizes the contribution of America's Catholic elementary and secondary schools and congratulates these schools, students, teachers and parents for their dedication to education in our country.

I would like to thank the sponsor of the legislation, the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Vitter), and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), the chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for bringing this resolution to the floor today.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to share some remarkable facts about Catholic

schools. They are widely acclaimed for their academic success. For example, the graduation rate of Catholic schools students is about 95 percent, while less than 5 percent of Catholic high school students drop out of school, and over 80 percent of Catholic high school graduates go on to college.

Catholic schools also teach a diverse group of students. Over 26 percent of students enrolled are minorities.

Catholic schools provide more than just an excellent scholastic education. They emphasize and promote the lifelong development of a student's moral, intellectual, physical, and social values. They produce students dedicated to their faith, values, families, and communities.

In Delaware, I am proud of the contributions of the 32 Catholic schools that operate there. There are too many to name, so I will insert a list of those schools in the Record.

Archmere Academy, Christ Our King School, Christ the

Teacher Catholic School, Corpus Christi School, Holy Angels

School, Holy Cross Elementary School, Holy Rosary School,

Holy Spirit School, Immaculate Heart of Mary School, Our Lady

of Fatima School, Our Lady of Grace Kindergarten, Padua

Academy, Salesianum School, St. Ann's School, St. Anthony of

Padua Grade School, St. Catherine of Siena School, St.

Edmond's Academy, St. Elizabeth's Elementary School, St.

Elizabeth's High School, St. Hedwig Elementary School, St.

Helena School, St. John The Beloved School, St. Joseph's

Academy, St. Mark's High School, St. Mary Magdalen School,

St. Matthew's School, St. Paul's School, St. Peter School,

St. Peter's Cathedral School, St. Thomas More Academy, St.

Thomas The Apostle School, and Ursuline Academy.

Each one of these schools is following a long tradition of educating students to be the future leaders in our society. I offer them my gratitude for their dedication to this tradition.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support this straightforward resolution.

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

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

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), the chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis) for offering this resolution today.

I do not know if there are many advocates for mentoring better than the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne) and all he has done in his lifetime for this, and I think we are fortunate to have him in support of this issue on the floor on a number of occasions.

I, too, rise in support of the resolution that recognizes the benefits of mentoring for America's young people, the many contributions of mentors, and the need for more mentors to get involved in the lives of our youth.

Many children throughout the United States face difficult circumstances in their lives. For instance, too many of our youth become teenaged parents or do not complete high school. These are just two examples of youth who might benefit from the support and guidance of a caring and responsible adult.

In fact, the positive effects of mentoring include increased school attendance, improved rates of secondary school graduation and college attendance, decreased involvement with drugs and alcohol, and decreased violent behavior.

In early January, the President declared January 2003 as National Mentoring Month and in doing so, recognized the vital contributions of dedicated mentors and encouraged more Americans to make a difference in the hearts and souls of our communities by volunteering their time to meet the needs of America's youth. As President Bush said, mentors ``provide friendship and support to young people who are facing challenging situations, serve as positive role models, and help to instill important values, goals and skills.''

Mentoring programs come in all shapes and sizes, and often schools, churches and community groups come together to form mentoring partnerships. There are thousands of mentoring programs across the country, yet there is still a shortage of mentors. It is estimated that mentors are not available to a large percentage of young people who need or want them. Too many children in our Nation are growing up without support and guidance in their lives.

We cannot afford inaction. A small commitment of time, energy or financial support can change the life of a child. I am pleased to promote the greater awareness of the need for youth mentors, and I urge an ``aye'' vote on this resolution.