Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I offer a privileged resolution and ask for its immediate consideration.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a living icon, Missy Elliott, for her groundbreaking music career and her contributions to the Hampton Roads community. To pay tribute to her remarkable accomplishments, her hometown of Portsmouth, Virginia will dedicate ``Missy Elliott Boulevard'' in her honor on Monday, October 17, 2022.

As a student at Manor High School, previously known as Woodrow Wilson High School, in Portsmouth, Virginia, Missy excelled in academics and developed an affinity for music. While a student at Manor, she formed

an all-female rhythm and blues group, ``Sista,'' with three fellow Portsmouth natives and her childhood friend, Timbaland.

Even in the early stages of her career, Missy was a trailblazer. Instead of signing with a major record label, as was common with recording artists in that era, she retained her creative independence by founding her own record label, The Goldmind, Inc. Her music career quickly skyrocketed because of her exceptional songwriting and signature production style alongside her frequent collaborator, Timbaland. Missy became a cultural phenomenon because of the artistry of her music videos. The creativity she displayed in the iconic videos ``SUPA DUPA Fly'' and ``Work It'' revolutionized how artists expressed themselves. Missy has also been an advocate for female empowerment in the music industry, and she is credited for being a pioneer in championing body positivity.

Over the course of her career, Missy Elliott has earned a plethora of accolades, including four GRAMMY Awards, six studio albums that are Recording Industry Association of America platinum-certified, and countless numbers of BET, NAACP and Soul Train awards. In 2019, Missy became the first female hip hop artist to receive the MTV Video Music Award's Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award; she was the first female hip hop artist to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and she was the first hip hop artist to earn an honorary Doctor of Music from the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Missy's impact continues to be felt in today's popular music. She has been credited as an influence on other superstar artists, such as Beyonce, Ciara, Pharrell, and the late Aaliyah.

Despite becoming a global superstar, Missy Elliott has never forgotten her Virginia roots. She has contributed to the education of students in Hampton Roads by donating to her high school alma mater, and through a Hampton University scholarship fund from her foundation. The latter donation supports the Atlanta Chapter of the National Hampton Alumni Association and funds scholarships, as well as tuition and fees for students at Hampton University.

Madam Speaker, as Missy's family, friends, fans, and supporters gather for the dedication of ``Missy Elliott Boulevard,'' I join them in congratulating Missy Elliott and thank her for all she has done for the City of Portsmouth, Hampton Roads, and music fans across the globe.

Mr. Chair, I include in the Record the cost estimate prepared by the Congressional Budget Office for H.R. 7780, the Mental Health Matters Act. The cost estimate was not available at the time of the filing of the Committee report.

U.S. Congress,

Congressional Budget Office,

Washington, DC, September 26, 2022.

Hon. Robert C. (Bobby) Scott,

Chairman, Committee on Education and Labor,

House of Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has

prepared the enclosed cost

estimate for H.R. 7780, the Mental Health Matters Act.

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be

pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Jessica

Hale.

Sincerely,

Phillip L. Swagel,

Director.

Enclosure.

H.R. 7780 would expand resources to address the mental

health of K-12 students and staff members. The bill would

authorize several grant programs to support school-based

mental health services and providers. It would require

postsecondary institutions that receive federal financial

assistance to develop policies to identify and provide

special accommodations to individuals with disabilities.

Finally, it would prohibit mandatory arbitration clauses,

class action waivers, and representation waivers in employer-

sponsored benefit plans under the Employment Retirement

Income Security Act of 1974.

CBO estimates that the bill would have no effect on direct

spending and would increase revenues over the 2022-2032

period. The bill contains provisions that would increase

spending subject to appropriation, but CBO has not completed

an estimate of those costs.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of the Mental Health Matters Act, led by the gentleman from California, Mr. DeSaulnier.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the mental health crisis among students, workers, and families.

In 2021, over 44 percent of students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness; almost 20 percent seriously considered suicide; and 9 percent actually attempted suicide. Regrettably, 80 percent of youth in need of mental health services do not have access in their communities.

As a result, educators have been forced to play an outsized role in supporting and responding to students' mental health needs, leading to increased depression and trauma among educators. However, our schools do not have the specialized staff necessary to respond to the increased prevalence and complexity of students' mental health needs.

According to a 2019 ACLU study, no state met the student-to-social worker ratio of one social worker to every 250 students, as recommended by the National Association of Social Workers. Furthermore, the national ratio of school psychologists per students during the 2020- 2022 school years was one psychologist per every 1,100 students--more than double the ratio recommended by the National Association of School Psychologists.

The rise in mental health challenges is not isolated to students and educators. Nearly half of the U.S. workforce now suffers from mental health issues since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Yet, many workers are denied the mental health and substance abuse disorder benefits they are legally entitled to receive under their employer-sponsored health plan.

In a recent report to Congress, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury found widespread violations of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act by group health plans and insurers who are failing to maintain parity between mental health and substance abuse disorder benefits and physical health benefits. Further, the report recommended that Congress enhance the Secretary of Labor's capacity to enforce the parity law, including providing the authority to impose civil monetary penalties for violations. Notably, this same recommendation was made by former President Trump's Commission on Combatting the Opioid Crisis, which was led by then- Governor Chris Christie.

In response to these violations and the national mental health crisis, the Chair of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, Mr. DeSaulnier, introduced the Mental Health Matters Act, which includes proposals championed by several Committee Members.

This legislation:

Helps Head Start agencies implement evidence-based interventions to improve the behavioral health of children and staff wellness;

Improves trauma-informed services in schools by developing innovative initiatives to link schools and local educational agencies with local trauma-informed support and mental health systems;

Requires colleges and universities to accept existing documentation of disability and provide reasonable accommodations so that disabled students can achieve success in higher education;

Provides the Department of Labor with enhanced authority to ensure that private, employer-sponsored group health plans and insurers fulfill their responsibility to provide mental health and substance abuse disorder benefits;

Strengthens protections to ensure workers receive behavioral health care and other benefits they have earned under their job-based plans; and, finally,

Directs the Department of Education to award grants to build a pipeline of school-based mental health services providers and increase the number of mental health professionals serving in elementary and secondary schools in high-need areas.

Simply put, the Mental Health Matters Act delivers the resources that students, workers, and families need to improve their well-being.

I want to thank the gentleman from California, Mr. DeSaulnier, for championing the bill. I also want to thank those that had sponsored bills that were included in this legislation: the gentle lady from California, Ms. Chu, the gentlelady from Massachusetts, Assistant Speaker Clark, the gentle lady from Connecticut, Ms. Hayes, the gentle lady from Oregon, Ms. Bonamici, the gentleman from Connecticut, Mr. Courtney, and the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Norcross, for their leadership in helping to put together this legislation.

Mr. Chair, I include in the Record the following letters in support.

National Education Association,

Washington, DC, May 17, 2022.

Education and Labor Committee,

House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.

Dear Representative: On behalf of our 3 million members and

the 50 million students they serve, we urge you to address

the pressing need to modernize America's public school

facilities and address the mental health crisis among

students. Specifically, during the May 18 markup session, we

urge you to support the:

Reopen and Rebuild America's Schools Act (H.R. 604)--This

bill would create a $100 billion grant program and $30

billion tax-credit bond program targeting high-poverty

schools whose facilities pose health and safety risks to

students and educators. It would also provide the means for

such schools to operate safely in accordance with Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, including

heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

America spends more on public school facilities than any part

of our infrastructure except roads and highways, yet many of

our 100,000 public school buildings are poorly equipped or in

poor physical condition-so poor it undermines student

learning. The federal government, however, remains noticeably

absent from any meaningful investment in this area.

Enhancing Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Through

Campus Planning Act (H.R. 5407)--This bill would promote

positive mental health among college students and encourage

comprehensive planning on college campuses to prevent suicide

and other mental health crises.

Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act

(H.R. 6493)--This bill would promote evidence-based

prevention and intervention strategies on college campuses.

It would also encourage integration and collaboration among

campus-based health services to address substance use and

mental health.

Mental Health Matters Act (H.R. 7780)--This bill would

promote the use of evidence-based mental health, social-

emotional, and behavioral health interventions for young

children enrolled in early education programs like Head

Start. It would also create a grant program to increase the

number of school-based mental health services providers.

Please support this vitally important legislation.

Sincerely,

Marc Egan,

Director of Government Relations,

National Education Association.

Madam Speaker, I rise on behalf of myself and Ranking Member Virginia Foxx to recognize the retirement of David Lewis and honor his public service to the American people as the Assistant Director in the Office of Congressional Relations at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).

As Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and Labor, we would like to recognize an outstanding public servant, Mr. Lewis, who has dedicated his career to strengthening accountability within the federal government. Mr. Lewis will retire on September 30, 2022, after a distinguished, 38-year career in public service at the GAO.

Mr. Lewis has been an invaluable asset to us, Members of the Committee, and Members across Congress. Mr. Lewis built a considerable body of work in multiple issue areas, but we are most appreciative of the work he helped shepherd for our Committee.

Mr. Lewis helped strengthen GAO's relationship with Congress and upheld GAO's values on some of the most sensitive matters facing our nation in a bipartisan manner. As a Legislative Advisor, Mr. Lewis served as a mentor for countless GAO staff at every level of the agency. He provided teams with measured guidance and valuable insight on Congress. He could be relied on to help provide practical, diplomatic solutions. Further, he excelled at helping GAO meet Congress' needs, and helped Congress better utilize GAO's expertise. As a result of Mr. Lewis' efforts, GAO has strengthened relationships with key congressional committees including the House Education and Labor Committee. We commend his long and effective career as a public servant and note that he will be missed by this Committee and many others.

Madam Speaker, we join our colleagues and the staff on the Committee on Education and Labor in thanking Mr. Lewis for his service to the American people and wish him well in his retirement.

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 1361, I call up the bill (S. 1098) to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize borrowers to separate joint consolidation loans and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material on S. 1098.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of the bipartisan, bicameral Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act, led in the Senate by my colleague from Virginia, Senator Mark Warner, and led in the House by the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price).

Student loans should provide a pathway to opportunity, not saddle borrowers with a lifetime of burdensome debt, especially if the loans don't even belong to them.

Regrettably, many borrowers' financial well-being has been made worse by student loans jointly held by their spouse or former spouse.

The Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act would provide much-needed relief for individuals who previously consolidated their student loans with their spouse. Although Congress eliminated the joint consolidation loan program in 2006, it did not provide a way for borrowers to sever existing loans, even in the event of domestic violence, domestic abuse, or unresponsiveness from a former spouse after a divorce.

As a result, according to the most recent data from the Department of Education, there are at least 13,500 borrowers with federally held joint consolidation loans.

The Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act would allow borrowers to submit an application to the Department of Education to split the joint consolidation loan into two separate Federal direct loans. The two new Federal direct loans would be split proportionally based on the original unpaid principal and have the same interest rates as the joint consolidation loan, ensuring borrowers are not saddled with a higher interest rate.

Importantly, the bill provides a pathway for an individual to apply to separate a loan from a spouse, a current spouse or former spouse, including in the event of an absentee or unresponsive spouse, for an act of violence or economic abuse.

Mr. Speaker, we can all agree that no borrower should be forced to pay a debt that isn't theirs, especially the debt of an abusive former spouse.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 7 minutes to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), the House sponsor of the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, prior to yielding time, I yield myself 1 minute just to remind those on the other side of the aisle, who have lectured this side of the aisle on fiscal responsibility, that every Democratic Presidential administration since Kennedy left office with a better deficit situation than they inherited--every one, without exception. And every Republican since Nixon, every administration left office with a worse deficit situation than they inherited, without exception. President Trump was well on his way to fulfilling that trend before the pandemic.

But hypocrisy is not much of an issue. I just wanted to remind people who is fiscally responsible and who isn't.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Stevens), a distinguished member of the Committee on Education and Labor and an original cosponsor of this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, would the Speaker advise how much time is remaining on both sides.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee).

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green).

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

Mr. Speaker, while the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act does not solve the student loan debt crisis, it takes another sensible step to help borrowers separate with loans that do not belong to them. This legislation also comes at a critical time when many borrowers seek relief under President Biden's recently announced loan cancellation program.

Unfortunately, not all borrowers with joint consolidation loans are currently eligible for relief, even if they meet all other criteria.

Simply put, by advancing the Joint Consolidation Loan Separation Act, we are providing borrowers with additional avenues of loan relief, ensuring survivors of domestic or economic abuse are not responsible for their spouse's or former spouse's debt.

Again, I thank Senator Warner of Virginia and the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price) for their leadership on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1433) to reauthorize the Helen Keller National Center for Youths and Adults Who Are Deaf-Blind, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1433, the Helen Keller National Center Reauthorization Act of 2022.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1433, the Helen Keller National Center Reauthorization Act, which would reauthorize the Helen Keller National Center for 5 years.

The Helen Keller National Center for Youths and Adults Who Are Deaf- Blind was first authorized by Congress in 1967 to assist the deaf-blind community in America.

To this day, it is the only comprehensive national program that provides information, referrals, support, and training exclusively to Americans who have combined vision and hearing loss, while also supporting families and professionals who work with the deaf-blind community.

Moreover, the Helen Keller National Center is the only comprehensive national program that provides for information, referral, support, and training exclusively to youth and adults who have combined vision and hearing loss. The center also supports families and professionals who work with the deaf-blind community.

Thankfully, through our actions today, we will be one step closer to reauthorizing the center's important work through 2027.

The Helen Keller center performs life-changing work. This work and the population it serves deserve all of our support.

Lastly, I thank the sponsor of the legislation, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Pocan), and the cosponsors, the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Cole), the gentleman from New York (Mr. Suozzi), and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), for their leadership on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the American deaf-blind community and support this bipartisan legislation before us.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Suozzi), a cosponsor of the legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, this legislation will help members of the deaf-blind community across the country. I thank the gentleman from New York for his leadership, along with the sponsors and cosponsors of the legislation. I am proud that the House is considering this legislation today.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3157) to require the Secretary of Labor to conduct a study of the factors affecting employment opportunities for immigrants and refugees with professional credentials obtained in foreign countries.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 3157, the Bridging the Gap for New Americans Act.

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

Mr. Speaker, each year, millions of immigrants and refugees come to the United States to find a better life and achieve the American Dream. Many of these new Americans arrive with valuable experiences in specialized fields and international degrees that could help strengthen our communities and our economy.

Regrettably, we know that these Americans face barriers that prevent them from utilizing their skills and credentials to contribute to our country and pursue their careers. In fact, nearly 2 million highly skilled immigrants are underemployed or working in low-skilled jobs instead of their expert fields.

These barriers directly affect our economy, costing tens of billions of dollars in forgone wages and billions in lost Federal, State, and local tax payments each year.

In response, the Bridging the Gap for New Americans Act will help us better understand not only the employment barriers facing immigrants and refugees but also steps we can take to ensure that new Americans can join our economic growth and pursue careers in which they can succeed to their fullest potential.

Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Crow), the chair of the Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development of the Small Business Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues have pointed out, the Bridging the Gap for New Americans Act is particularly critical as we continue to recover from the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, more than ever, we must draw from the skills of our Nation's immigrants and refugees to accelerate our recovery and strengthen our communities.

In other words, this bill will ensure that the new Americans can re- establish their careers, succeed to their full potential, and join the effort to build back a brighter future for all Americans.

I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Sempolinski), the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko), the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Crow), the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fitzpatrick), and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer), as well as Senator Klobuchar of Minnesota, Senator Cornyn of Texas, Senator Coons of Delaware, and Senator Murkowski from Alaska, for their leadership on this legislative priority.

I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding, and I thank her for her good work.

Madam Speaker, the people, the American people deserve a government that puts people over politics and protects hardworking families, not billionaires and special interests. That is why, throughout the 117th Congress, the House Education and Labor Committee has advanced legislation that meets the needs of students, families, workers, and our economy.

Over the last 2 years, Congressional Democrats and the Biden-Harris administration have made historic progress to rescue the American economy, create good-paying jobs, get students back on track, fight child hunger, and boost access to healthcare.

Just in the Education and Labor Committee, there was a lot that was done. We helped create over 10 million jobs in our economy since January 2021: the most jobs in history for 20 months. We recovered all of the jobs lost during the pandemic. We reduced unemployment to historically low levels.

We saved the pensions of over 1 million workers, and protected thousands of businesses by saving the multiemployer pension fund.

We delivered the largest one-time Federal investment to K-12 education in the United States history. And we delivered that money and distributed it according to the Title I formula where poverty is the main factor, meaning that the districts that need it the most got the most. Those that are traditionally overlooked got more money than they have ever gotten before.

We put money into school lunches so that students didn't go hungry during that period of time. We made sure that, with that money, the schools could open safely, stay open safely, and make up for lost learning. During that period of time, during the COVID relief bills, we had more money for historically Black colleges and universities than we ever have in history.

Now, we also made sure that the number of Americans without health insurance, because of the actions that we have taken, is now the lowest it has ever been. We have made sure that they can get vaccines, and those vaccines were distributed equitably. That is not always the case.

We made sure that drug prices were down, particularly insulin for seniors, no more than $35 per month for insulin. A lot of people right now before this bill were paying a lot more than that.

That is just the kind of legislation that came through the Education and Labor Committee. But House Democrats and the Congressional Black Caucus are committed to continuing this historic progress and building back a stronger economy for all Americans. That is why we passed the bipartisan infrastructure law, which not only modernized roads, bridges, and waterways, but will also create millions of good-paying jobs and will deliver broadband to areas that don't have broadband today. We will invest in neighborhoods that were destroyed by previous transportation plans going right down the middle of African-

American neighborhoods, and we will invest in those neighborhoods to try to make up for that devastation.

Moving forward, we are committed to committee work, advancing policies like the Raise the Wage Act, the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, the Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act, the Strength in Diversity Act, and the Rebuild America's Schools Act to ensure that every worker, student, and family has the opportunity to succeed.

We have done a lot. We haven't finished.

Madam Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for her leadership and the opportunity to remind the American public of what we have already accomplished.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Allen Ezail Iverson for his contributions as an amateur and professional athlete as Bethel High School, his alma mater, retires his football jersey in a ceremony today.

As a student at Bethel High School in Hampton, Virginia, Allen was a standout athlete on the football field and on the basketball court. He excelled as a quarterback, punt returner and defensive back while leading his teammates to a Division 5 State Championship in 1992. Allen was equally talented on the basketball court, and he had the distinction of winning an Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Under 17 National Championship in 1992 as a member of the Boo Williams AAU Team.

Allen also excelled as Bethel's starting point guard. He led Bethel's basketball team to another Division 5 State Championship in the spring of 1993, which resulted in the rare feat of winning State Championships in two separate sports in the same school year. Allen was widely- recognized as one of the best athletes in the nation. During his high school career, he was named the Associated Press Group's AAA Football and Basketball Player of the Year and a McDonald's High School All- American in Basketball.

After graduating from Bethel High School, Allen went on to attend Georgetown University in Washington, DC, where he was a member of the basketball team. During his two years on the basketball team, he led the Hoyas to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Basketball Tournament with berths to the Sweet 18 and Elite 8. As a Hoya, Allen received the Big East Rookie of the Year Award and was selected for All Rookie Tournament First Team. He was also selected as Big East Defensive Player of the Year and a First Team All American.

To the delight of his fans, Allen was drafted to the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996. He made an impact with the team immediately and was named the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Rookie of the year in 1997. During the 2000-2001 season, he was named Most Valuable Player and led the 76ers to the NBA Finals. Ultimately, Allen spent ten seasons with the 76ers before he was traded to the Denver Nuggets. He played for the Nuggets for two seasons before also playing for the Detroit Pistons and the Memphis Grizzlies. He concluded his NBA career by reuniting with the Philadelphia 76ers for twenty-five games.

Over the course of his career, Allen received numerous accolades. He led the NBA in scoring on four separate occasions. He was named to the All-Star team eleven times and was twice named the All-Star Game's Most Valuable Player. He was named to an All-NBA Team seven times. Known for his grit and determination, Allen has had tremendous impact on the game on the court and basketball culture at large. Allen was rewarded for his many contributions with his induction to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. During the NBA's 75th Anniversary, Allen was recognized as one of the 75 best players in NBA history.

Madam Speaker, Allen Iverson has inspired and impacted basketball fans in his hometown of Hampton, across our Nation, and around the world. Off the court, he has given so much back to his hometown community, including donating toys to children and helping to fund a new basketball court at the local Boys and Girls Club in Newport News where he played as a child. Bethel High School renamed its gymnasium the Allen Iverson Gymnasium and his basketball jersey was retired in 2003. As his family, friends, fans, and supporters gather this weekend to celebrate his numerous accomplishments and the retirement of his high school football jersey, I join them in congratulating Allen on a truly legendary career. I also want to thank his wife Tawanna, his mother Ann, his five children, and his family for all the support they have given Allen throughout his career. Allen, who is also affectionately known as ``AI'', ``the Answer'' and ``Bubba Chuck'', I thank him for representing our community during his career and congratulate him on the retirement of his Bethel High School football jersey.

Mr. Speaker, with the passage of this bill, Medicare will finally be able to negotiate for lower drug prices. The bill extends the American Rescue Plan's reduction in the cost of insurance under the Affordable Care Act, which has helped us reach the lowest number of uninsured people ever.

The bill will make the largest ever investment to address climate change. I am especially pleased with the bill's provisions to turbocharge the development of offshore wind.

As chairman of the Committee on Education and Labor, I am encouraged by the permanent extension of the black lung excise tax. The extension will fund future benefits in healthcare for miners in southwest Virginia and across coal country who are suffering from black lung disease. Extending the tax will protect the long-term sustainability of the Black Lung Disability Trust Fund by ensuring that the coal industry does not shift the cost of benefits from coal companies to miners, families, or the taxpayer. All of this while simultaneously reducing the Federal deficit.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Huntington High School on the anniversary of its founding more than 100 years ago.

Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Huntington High School was opened in 1920 as the first public high school for African-American youth in the city of Newport News. The school was named in honor of Collis Potter Huntington, founder of the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company and a developer of the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad, which he helped bring to Newport News.

Huntington High School began as a class of just 52 students with one teacher in a small room at John Marshall Elementary School. The school eventually moved to its own four-room building on 18th Street in Newport News. The school continued to expand adding four additional rooms, making the structure two stories high. Huntington High School's growth eventually required additional staff as well as the construction of a new campus on Orcutt Avenue that was completed in 1936. Additions were made to that new building in 1945, 1947, and 1949.

Huntington's ``Mighty Vikings'' excelled in academics, sports, and music and helped earn Huntington a reputation as one of the most outstanding schools in Virginia. The spirited marching bands were renowned for their famous ``Viking Call,'' which could be heard throughout the neighborhood. The 48th and final class graduated in 1971, ending Huntington High School's five decades of fostering community hope, unity, and pride. It's proud name and tradition continued on as an intermediate school for eighth and ninth grades, and in 1981 the school's storied building on Orcutt Avenue became Huntington Middle School, serving students in sixth through eighth grade.

Madam Speaker, as the Newport News community gathers to celebrate over 100 years since Huntington's founding, I want to congratulate the alumni of this historic school and the work they have done to serve the City of Newport News and the greater Hampton Roads community.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Pembroke High School Class of 1972 which will be holding its 50th reunion next week.

Located in the City of Hampton in Virginia's 3rd District, Pembroke High School, originally named the George P. Phenix High School, was opened in 1940 to educate African Americans living in the area. In 1954, the Supreme Court issued its landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling which struck down segregation in public education. The high school was moved to a new building in 1962 but was not fully integrated until 1967.

In 1968, George P. Phenix High School was renamed Pembroke High School as part of the Hampton School Board's efforts to integrate all public schools. The school would continue to serve the Hampton area, including students from Fort Monroe and Langley Air Force Base, until 1980 when Pembroke High School would be forced to close its doors due to low enrollment and low capacity.

Now, the former Pembroke High School building continues to serve the Hampton community by housing the Hampton City Social Services office as well as the Hampton Family YMCA.

Madam Speaker, as the Pembroke High School Class of 1972 gathers to celebrate a truly momentous anniversary, I want to congratulate the members of this historic class and the work they have done to serve the City of Hampton and the 3rd District of Virginia. I thank Pembroke High School Class of 1972 for their service, and congratulate them on their 50-year reunion.

Madam Speaker, I have an amendment at the desk made in order under the rule.

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

Madam Speaker, this amendment is simple and straightforward. It requires the Director of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation within 1 year after the date of enactment to issue a public request for information regarding ways to ensure the long-term solvency of the PBGC's insurance programs, and then within 2 years after the date of enactment, the Director shall issue a report to congressional committees with recommendations on how to ensure the long-term solvency of the insurance programs.

As my colleagues know, the PBGC administers two insurance programs, one for multiemployer pensions and the other for single-employer pensions. PBGC's multiemployer program has been on the brink of insolvency. It was projected to run out of money in just a few years, but thanks to the Biden administration and congressional Democrats stepping up and passing the American Rescue Plan last year, millions of Americans' pensions have been saved.

Because the law requires participating businesses to pay into those failing plans until the businesses go broke, tens of thousands of businesses have been saved, and the solvency of the PBGC's multiemployer program has been extended for at least 30 more years.

For the single-employer program, the PBGC's most recent annual report indicates that it is financially healthy, with a positive net position of over $30 billion at the end of fiscal year 2021 compared to just over $15 billion at the end of fiscal year 2020. So, fortunately, it is not at the near-term risk of becoming insolvent.

A few years ago, I had the honor of being one of the four House Democrats selected for a special committee charged with addressing the multiemployer pension crisis. We tried to address the immediate crisis facing multiemployer pension plans with their participants and employers while also considering other long-term reforms to pension programs, but unfortunately we could not reach any agreement before the clock ran out.

Now that congressional Democrats and the Biden administration have solved the immediate crisis, and it looks like we can solve this crisis, we should take action to ensure that this doesn't happen again. We will do this by getting policy recommendations from the PBGC on how we can ensure long-term solvency of both insurance programs and avoid the possibility that 20 years from now pension plans would again be on the brink of insolvency.

I urge my colleagues to support the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Madam Speaker, the distinguished ranking member pointed out that the saving of the multiemployer pension fund would cost about $90 billion. That is right.

What she omitted was that estimates of doing nothing with the people losing their pension, they would pay less in income taxes, they would use more social services, and the Federal Government was on the hook for $170 billion if we had done nothing. In other words, we would have to spend $80 billion more to help the people who lost their pensions and the businesses that went broke trying to save those pension plans.

But in any case, Madam Speaker, the time to fix the roof is when the Sun is shining. We have gotten past the crisis. Let's find out what we need to do to avoid the possibility that these pension funds might be back here 20 years from now in a state of failure.

We need to make sure we fix it. Let's get these recommendations. That is why this amendment is so important that it will guarantee getting the information so we can fix these plans once and for all.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in opposition to several provisions included in this year's National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Reauthorization, although ultimately, I will vote in favor for final passage of the bill.

First, I oppose Amendment 640, considered on the floor as part of en bloc Amendment 5, which directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to reclassify public safety telecommunications officers, also called 911 dispatchers, as a protective service occupation in the U.S. Government's Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system. This Amendment would have no direct effect on these workers' wages, benefits, or other resources; proponents of this reclassification have stated that it ``would provide validation.''

The SOC classification system is a federal statistical standard used across agencies in data collection. According to OMB, ``[t]he-SOC is designed exclusively for statistical purposes.'' Changes to the codes affect multiple data sources frequently used by policymakers, researchers, and employers, including the American Community Survey, the nation's largest household survey; the Current Population Survey (CPS), the key source of our monthly employment numbers; and the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES), the authoritative source of employment and wage information by occupation. These changes would undermine the intent and legitimacy of the SOC by deviating from the long-established process designed to ensure the objectivity and integrity statistical data classifications more broadly.

A standing committee at OMB, the SOC Policy Committee (SOCPC), is responsible for maintaining the accuracy of these codes using well- defined principles. The SOCPC undertakes a routine revision of the codes roughly once per decade; the process spans multiple years and ``involves extensive background research, periods or public comment, review of comments, and implementation of revisions.'' During its latest revision, which began in early 2012 and was finalized in 2018, OMB specifically rejected comments requesting it reclassify 911 dispatchers as directed in Amendment 640. In response to public comments presented in the May 2014 Federal Register, the Obama Administration's OMB explained it ``did not accept these recommendations based on Classification Principle 2, which states that workers are coded according to the work performed. The work performed is that of a dispatcher, not a first responder.''

In 2016, OMB declined a similar request for reclassification. Based on the principles OMB's policy committee applies to determine SOC codes, 911 telephone dispatchers are already properly and accurately classified. This point was reiterated in communications with the Education and Labor Committee in 2021, explaining, ``After an extensive technical review of the requested reclassification for 911 dispatchers, OMB, consistent with the recommendation of the Chief Statistician of the United States, decided not to make such an adjustment because it is inconsistent with the statistical purposes of the SOC.''

Furthermore, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), in a written communication with the Education and Labor Committee on September 15, 2021, reported that the change made by H.R. 1175, a bill identical to Amendment 640, ``will introduce costly, unnecessary logistical and data interpretation delays and challenges affecting the quality of data.'' Moreover, changes outside of the routine revision process would undermine the goal of data continuity, limiting data sources' usefulness for their key purpose of statistical analysis; create precedent for disrupting the standard SOC revision process; and undermine the SOCPC's authority as experts to apply the classification principles to determine what accuracy requires.

Public safety telecommunications officers perform critical, challenging work. They deserve our honor and gratitude for their efforts. However, considering the many alternative ways policymakers could confer ``validation,'' as the proponents are seeking, there is little policy justification for this Amendment's approach to achieving that goal. Furthermore, the SOC is not intended to rank or group occupations by education, credentials, earnings, benefits, or any other user-defined indicator of status.

In conclusion, mandating a change to a statistical code would not affect these workers' wages, benefits, or other resources--but it would disrupt data series continuity; require significant additional work for government agencies, researchers, employers, and others; and intervene in an official, routine government data-collection and statistical process.

Second, I oppose language in the bill, added by Amendment 113 considered on the floor as part of the en bloc Amendment 2, which would expand the Troops-to-Teachers program from recruiting veterans to become teachers, to recruiting veterans to fill a longer list of school-based positions including school resource officers (SROs). Increasing the presence of SROs can have a particularly harmful effect on students of color and students with disabilities. Nationally, Black and Latinx youth make up over 58 percent of school-based arrests while representing only 40 percent of public school enrollment, and Black students are more than twice as likely to be referred to law enforcement or arrested at school as their white peers. According to a 2018 study by GAO, Black students, boys, and students with disabilities are also disproportionately disciplined in K-12 public schools.

Moreover, the amendment removes crucial language from the definition of ``eligible school'' which would target resources to high-poverty schools. This is concerning with regard to the recruitment of key positions such as teachers, school leaders, and counselors to meet the needs of students in high-poverty schools, particularly as high-poverty schools have been disproportionately impacted by recent staffing shortages.

Finally, I oppose section 572 of the bill, added to NDAA during the full committee markup of the bill on June 23. The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) plays a critical role in educating the children of our nation's military families. Across the globe, DoDEA coordinates the education of more than 60,000 children. Importantly, the DoDEA

also stands apart from other public-school districts as one of only two federally operated K-12 school systems.

As a result, while it is within the federal government's purview to implement the proposed requirements for DoDEA schools under this legislation, these proposed requirements would be inappropriate to impose on traditional public school districts. This is a unique exception in our education system. Moving forward, Congress must continue to ensure that state and local governments can meet the unique needs of their students and parents without mandating requirements regarding the rights of parents.

While I support the overall passage of NDAA, I remain opposed to these three provisions.