Floor Statements

Thank you, Chairman Oberstar, for yielding time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3246, the Regional Economic and Development Act of 2007.

The U.S.-Mexico border region's economic challenges are deeply entrenched and have been overlooked by national policymakers for far too long. Throughout my district, low incomes and high unemployment have translated into a stagnant and depressed local marketplace. Many colonias along the border lack adequate water supplies and paved roads while a shortage of investment and development has limited the economic opportunities of residents throughout that region.

In addition to current challenges, the border region's population is expanding very rapidly and straining our local infrastructure. Historically, Congress has confronted regional economic challenges by creating multi-State development commissions designed to coordinate local resources and encourage cooperation between Federal, State and local governments.

The Southwest Regional Border Commission included within this bill would represent a significant commitment by Congress to developing the economy of the Southwest. Because the challenges of this region cannot be isolated in any one city, county or State, the commission will work to stimulate the entirety of the area's economy by recognizing the connections between local economies and by coordinating the efforts of local officials.

By facilitating the provision of grants to States, local governments, universities, small businesses, and nonprofit entities, the commission will plant the seeds of future economic growth throughout the region.

By expanding the transportation, public health facilities, wastewater treatment plants and telecommunications networks, these grants will provide the border region with the infrastructure it needs to meet its current needs while preparing for the strain of an expanding population.

Mr. Speaker, at a time when the mounting pressures of the global economy and income disparities are causing great economic distress in the border region, the Southwest Regional Border Authority has never been more needed. I urge my colleagues to support this critical legislation, H.R. 3246.

Mr. Chairman, on rollcall No. 935, I was at CHCI Luncheon downtown. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Chairman, today the House passed H.R. 1852, the ``Expanding American Homeownership Act of 2007.'' I am in favor of the bill and am submitting the following letters in support of the legislation for the Record: A letter from the National Association of Realtors; a letter from the Mortgage Bankers Association; and a letter from the National Association of Mortgage Brokers.

National Association of Realtors,

Washington, DC, September 14, 2007.

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Representative: On behalf of the 1.3 million members

of the National Association of REALTORS, I urge you to

support H.R. 1852, the ``Expanding American Homeownership Act

of 2007'', when the bill is considered by the full House.

This is an important measure that will allow FHA to function

in the 21st century. Equally important and worthy of your

strongest support is an amendment to be offered by

Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA), Gary Miller (R-CA) and

Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) that is vital to improving the

stability of mortgage markets, a critical component of our

national economy.

The Frank/Miller/Cardoza amendment would increase the

Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loan limits beyond the

language originally included in H.R. 1852. Such an increase

is now needed in light of the significant housing and

mortgage market turmoil that has severely limited the ability

of families to refinance a problematic existing loan or,

alternatively, purchase a home in a high cost market with a

safe and affordable mortgage.

As you well know, many American homeowners now have

mortgages with payments that will soon increase dramatically,

putting them at risk of foreclosure. Raising the FHA loan

limits will provide many of these homeowners living in the

nation's high housing cost markets with a safe FHA loan

alternative. In addition, with the even more recent

tightening of the jumbo market, many homebuyers may not be

able to find a safe, affordable financing option without an

increase in the FHA loan limits.

Although the underlying bill would increase the loan

limits, we strongly believe that the Frank/Miller/Cardoza

amendment is needed to effect real change. H.R. 1852 creates

a new loan ceiling of $417,000. Many markets are

significantly higher than this limit. Median home prices of

communities in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California,

Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania are already far above this

limit. The Frank/Miller/Cardoza amendment creates geographic

fairness by raising the loan limit to 125% of the area median

home price. Under the amendment working families in Newark,

NJ can buy a home for $512,000, and families in Los Angeles,

CA can buy homes for $650,000--both median price homes for

their area.

FHA reform is needed now, more than ever. Please vote for

H.R. 1852 and the Frank/Miller/Cardoza amendment when these

measures come to the Floor.

Thank you,

Pat V. Combs,

2007 President,

National Association of Realtors.

Mr. Speaker, according to the U.S. Department of Education, an estimated 200,000 academically qualified students are not able to go to college every year because they can't afford the cost.

This is a dangerous trend for our Nation, but it is not surprising. Under the Bush administration, prices at public colleges have increased by 40 percent after inflation. And under Republican rule, Pell Grants remained stagnant for 4 years in a row.

When our Democratic majority was elected, we pledged to address this growing crisis, and this week are fulfilling that pledge by sending the College Cost Reduction and Access Act to the President's desk. This important legislation provides the single largest increase in college aid since the GI Bill, increases the maximum Pell Grant over the next 5 years, and cuts interest rates in half on need-based student loans.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation will help millions of students across our Nation afford a college education without saddling themselves with thousands of dollars in debt, and it is the latest example of what the Democratic Congress is doing.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 2761, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Revision and Extension Act, TRIREA, of 2007, which will both extend and improve upon the current Terrorism Risk Insurance Program.

I am very pleased that the legislation will include domestic terrorism as a covered event. I strongly support the inclusion of group life insurance as a covered line under the new TRIA legislation, and I applaud Chairman Frank for allowing the return of farm owners multiple peril as a TRIA-covered line.

I want to thank Chairman Barney Frank, Chairman Paul Kanjorski, Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney and Congressman Michael Capuano for working so diligently on this bill and bringing it to the floor today.

At this point, I ask unanimous consent to submit for the record the following letters of support of H.R. 2761: (1) a letter from the American Insurance Association; (2) a letter from the Financial Services Roundtable; (3) a letter from the Coalition to Insure Against Terrorism; and, (4) a letter of support from the Mortgage Bankers Association.

I want to stress one important point that seems to have been lost in the discussion of terrorism overall and the debate on the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act and program in particular.

Mr. Chairman, we are all in this together--not just New York City or Washington, DC, or other large cities but cities both large and small. We must protect all our constituents in all our cities in the United States, and this bill, H.R. 2761 goes a long way towards attaining that goal.

As far as I know, there is no definitive methodology that will determine where terrorists might strike next in the United States. So, we all need to remain vigilant, even those of us from small cities and rural areas. We all need to be prepared, and we all need to help prevent terrorist attacks.

This legislation will help us attain our goals.

For these reasons and more, I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 2761.

American Insurance Association,

Washington, DC, September 18, 2007.

Hon. Nancy Pelosi,

Speaker, House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Steny Hoyer,

Majority Leader, House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Hon. John Boehner,

Minority Leader, House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Hon. Roy Blunt,

Minority Whip, House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader Boehner, Majority

Leader Hoyer, and Minority Whip Blunt: We understand that

H.R. 2761 is scheduled for House floor consideration

tomorrow. We commend the House for moving forward on this

critical legislation.

Apart from extending the existing program, H.R. 2761

confronts the unique insurance challenges posed by terrorist

threats of a nuclear, biological, chemical or radiological

nature (NBCR). In the last two years, two separate government

studies--one by the President's Working Group on Financial

Markets (led by Treasury) and another by the Government

Accountability Office--have concluded what insurers already

knew: that, outside of state mandates, there is virtually no

private insurance market capacity for NBCR terrorism risk and

there is little potential for such a market to emerge in the

near future. H.R. 2761 fills that void by requiring insurers

to make available additional NBCR terrorism insurance as part

of the Federal backstop where policyholders accept the

terrorism coverage offered under current law, and by

providing insurers with more limited and certain financial

exposure that reflects the distinctive catastrophic nature of

NBCR terrorism. For this and other reasons, the American

Insurance Association and its more than 350 property casualty

insurance company members strongly endorse H.R. 2761 as it

was reported out of the House Financial Services Committee.

We understand that a new provision has been added to

address the concerns resulting from the Congressional Budget

Office report, which would require additional Congressional

action to authorize Federal payment for an act of terrorism.

The industry has serious reservations about the commercial

workability and certainty of the provision and the potential

adverse marketplace impact. As the legislation moves forward

in the process, we look forward to working with you and

others in Congress to ensure these concerns are resolved in a

way that preserves the future viability of the program.

Sincerely,

Marc Racicot,

President.

Madam Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1852, the Expanding American Homeownership Act of 2007, introduced by Congresswoman Maxine Waters, who has worked so hard on this legislation.

I want to commend my good friend from California for introducing such an important piece of legislation and for helping me and the Congressional Rural Housing Coalition find ways to provide housing for all Americans, including those in rural America. She has found numerous ways to improve the availability, affordability and quality of housing; and this legislation advances that cause.

Madam Chairman, this legislation, H.R. 1852, will modernize and update the National Housing Act and enable the Federal Housing Administration to use risk-based pricing to more effectively reach underserved borrowers. It will also provide a safe alternative for potential home buyers with less than perfect credit, thus helping them avoid the pitfalls of certain subprime lending and, hopefully, reduce a large portion of predatory lending.

This legislation is very important to working families. Hundreds of thousands of American families are concerned about losing their homes as their mortgage payments increase because of subprime loans with adjustable interest rates. With strong efforts to assist them, up to the 40 percent of families with subprime loans could qualify for more affordable fixed-rate loans so they can keep their homes.

As co-chair and co-founder of the Financial and Economic Literacy Caucus, I am particularly pleased that the legislation contains a housing counseling provision. It is a long time coming.

I want to express my sincere appreciation to Chairwoman Maxine Waters for introducing such important legislation.

Madam Chairman, I submit for the Record letters from the American Bankers Association and the National Association of Home Builders in support of H.R. 1852.

For these reasons, I strongly urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

September 18, 2007.

To: Members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

From: Floyd Stoner, Executive Director, Congressional

Relations & Public Policy, ABA.

Re Support for H.R. 1852, the Expanding American

Homeownership Act of 2007.

I am writing to you on behalf of the members of the

American Bankers Association (ABA) to express our support for

H.R. 1852, the Expanding American Homeownership Act of 2007,

scheduled for House consideration today. This legislation

reforming the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) will make

the FHA a strong, relevant tool to help banks and other

lenders to bring homeownership to more Americans for years to

come. These reforms are more necessary now than ever, as FHA

can play an important role in addressing current problems in

the mortgage markets.

The FHA was created in 1934 to serve as an innovator in the

mortgage market. Since then, FHA, in a public/private

partnership with banks and others in the lending community,

has assisted nearly 35 million Americans become homeowners.

Unfortunately, statutory limitations and lack of flexibility

caused FHA to become less relevant to the industry. The

legislation before the House of Representatives makes

necessary changes to improve the efficiency of the FHA,

increase the nation's homeownership rate, increase

competition in the lending market, and provide borrowers with

a much needed option in the current tight credit market.

Specifically, ABA supports provisions that: (1) simplify

the downpayment process and offer borrowers flexible

downpayment options; (2) extend the mortgage term of an FHA

insured loan to 40 years; (3) increase the FHA loan limits;

and (4) modernize the Home Equity Conversion Mortgage

Program. These changes will again make the FHA an important

partner with the private market and will help to ensure that

more borrowers are able to benefit from FHA insurance.

We urge you to support this reform of FHA to better serve

homebuyers by supporting H.R. 1852 when it comes to the House

floor.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution that will recognize tomorrow, September 11, 2007 as a national Day of Remembrance. I want to join all of my colleagues in extending our sympathies to the families of those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.

None of us will forget that horrific day 6 years ago when, in the face of this Nation's worst tragedy, America pulled together to reaffirm our commitment to freedom and democracy.

We will also never forget the heroic actions of our first responders who risked and sacrificed their lives to save their fellow Americans on that day. Yet our first responders were not the only heroes that day.

Office workers, airplane passengers, and ordinary citizens also showed the true spirit of America by assisting their co-workers to evacuate burning buildings and preventing a hijacked plane from being used as a weapon against our country.

Finally, I commend the heroic service provided by our Armed Services in battling the forces of terrorism around the world.

Whether the mission is engaging al Qaeda and the Taliban in the mountains of Afghanistan or transporting food and shelter to victims of the tsunami near Indonesia, our military has proved again and again to be worthy of our praise and admiration. At great risk to their own personal safety, our service members have bravely acted on our behalf to protect our national security and to build goodwill throughout the world.

As Members of Congress, we debate the issues confronting our Nation on a daily basis. By supporting this resolution, however, I hope that all of my colleagues will join me in reaffirming our commitment to defending the people of the United States against any and all future challenges.

Madam Speaker, I strongly urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this conference report.

Today, the payoff for investing in education is even greater and the stakes are higher. The College Cost Reduction and Access Act will open the doors of higher ed to a new generation of students. This is our moment to take a stand for our future competitiveness and prosperity. Investment in Pell Grants is increased significantly.

It supports college success for first generation, low-income students by dedicating additional resources to Upward Bound and College Access Challenge grants. It invests in our public servants and in our teachers.

I am particularly proud of our work to strengthen the institutions that are the gateway of access to higher ed for minority students.

Through this legislation, we will increase funding over several years by $510 million in HSIs, HBCUs, tribal colleges, Native Hawaiian institutions and newly designated predominantly black institutions, as well as institutions serving Asian Americans.

I commend Chairman Miller, Senator Kennedy and all my House colleagues on both sides of the aisle on the Education and Labor Committee for their hard work and leadership in crafting the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. It has been my privilege to work on this legislation.

This conference report has already been passed in the Senate, and I'm very happy about that. I urge my colleagues to support this conference report.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly urge all of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this conference report. H.R. 2669, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, represents the largest investment in college access since the GI bill. Over the next 5 years, we will increase our federal support for higher education by $20 billion. This is a once in a generation opportunity.

I can still remember when, college was not even in the realm of possibility for people who came from communities like mine. That was until the GI bill opened our college campuses to our returning veterans--rich, poor, black, Hispanic--they all had a shot at the American Dream of a college education. Our nation became smarter, stronger and richer as a result of this egalitarian investment in education.

Today, the pay off for investing in education is even greater and the stakes are higher. The College Cost Reduction and Access Act will open the doors of higher education to a new generation of students. This is our moment to take a stand for our future competitiveness and prosperity. Investment in ``Pell Grants'' is increased significantly! The College Cost Reduction and Access Act is a strategic package of investments to expand higher education opportunities. It guarantees a minimum increase of $1090 in the maximum Pell grant over the next 5 years--reversing the last five years of stagnant funding.

It supports college success for first-generation, low-income students by dedicating additional resources to Upward Bound and College Access Challenge grants. It invests in our public servants and in our teachers.

I am particularly proud of our work to strengthen the institutions that are the gateways of access to higher education for minority students. Through this legislation, we will increase funding over several years by $510 million dollars in HSIs, HBCUs, tribal colleges; Native Hawaiian Institutions, and newly designated predominantly Black Institutions; and Institutions serving Asian Americans.

Some on the other side will say that we are investing in institutions at the expense of students. This argument reflects a fundamental lack of understanding of the communities that will fuel the growth in our workforce and the need to develop their capacity to provide higher education opportunities.

The 2007 Condition of Education reports that 42 percent of our public school children are racial or ethnic minorities--one in five is Hispanic. HSIs, HBCUs, and other minority-serving institutions are only going to grow in their importance for ensuring that our nation continues to have enough college graduates to fill the jobs in our knowledge-based economy. They are a worthy investment.

I commend Chairman Miller, Senator Kennedy and all of my House colleagues on the Education and Labor Committee for their hard work and leadership in crafting the ``College Cost Reduction and Access Act''. It has been my privilege to work on this legislation. This conference report has already passed in the Senate!

I urge my colleagues to support this conference report.

Madam Speaker, I regret that I had an event in Texas that could not be rescheduled on Saturday, August 4, 2007. Had I been present, I would have voted yes on Roll Call 825, 829, 832, 833, 835, 836, 837, and 846. In addition I would have voted no on Roll Call No. 824, 827, 828, 830, 831, 834, 838, 839, 840, 841, 842, 843, 844, and 845, but was also unavoidably detained.

Madam Speaker, on rollcall Nos. 824 and 825, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 3221, the New Direction For Energy Independence, National Security, and Consumer Protection Act.

This important legislation puts our Nation on a new course in energy policy--a course towards additional energy supply, energy efficiency, conservation, environmental stewardship, and a leadership role in the worldwide effort to confront global warming.

This legislation trains our workforce to provide the energy needs of future generations. Through the ``Green Jobs'' program, our Nation will train workers to manufacture sources of renewable energy and energy efficiency. We will also re-tool our economy and our workforce to bring about a diversified energy supply while assisting at-risk youth in developing the skills needed to join a new green economy.

This bill returns the United States to a leadership role in the international effort to halt climate change. As the world's leading economy and a largest emitter of greenhouse gas, our Nation must participate in negotiating new international treaties and agreements on the environment. The new Ambassador-at-Large for Global Climate Change will work to build consensus in the global community on this international problem.

The planet will be protected from global warming only through global cooperation and effort. This bill will task the State Department with attaining binding emissions reduction commitments from all major emitters, including China, India, and Brazil.

This monumental legislation is only the first step in bringing America towards a cleaner, safer, and productive future. I wish to acknowledge Chairman Miller of the Education and Labor Committee, Chairman Lantos of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and all the other Committee Chairs for their strong leadership in drafting this bill.

Most importantly, I applaud Speaker Pelosi's visionary leadership in crafting a national energy policy that we can be proud of and future generations will be eternally grateful for. I hope all of my colleagues join me in supporting this important and overdue legislation.

I rise in strong support of the Conference Report on H.R. 2272, the America COMPETES Act.

There has been a steady drumbeat across the country to call the nation to action to renew its leadership in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. The National Academies of Science Report, ``Rising above the Gathering Storm'' has become the rallying cry that Sputnik was a generation ago.

Today, with the passage of this conference report, the 110th Congress answers the call.

The America COMPETES Act ensures that American students, teachers, businesses, and workers are prepared to continue leading the world in innovation, research, and technology well into the future. It takes a comprehensive approach with investments in education, research and development. It moves us towards energy independence and harnesses the potential of small businesses to drive innovation.

The American COMPETES Act recognizes that America needs to draw on all of its talent--especially a growing population of minority students who continue to be under-represented in the STEM fields.

According to the U.S. Census, 39 percent of the population under the age of 18 is a racial or ethnic minority. That percentage is on a path to pass 50 percent by the year 2050, Yet, in 2000, only 4.4 percent of the science and engineering jobs were held by African Americans and only 3.4 percent by Hispanics. Women constitute over half of the postsecondary students in the nation, but represent a little more than one-quarter of our science and engineering workforce.

The America COMPETES Act tackles these disparities head on. Throughout the legislation, there is an emphasis on increasing the numbers of minorities and women in the STEM fields and on expanding the minority-serving institutions' participation in education, research and development.

The America COMPETES Act makes strategic investments in improving the STEM pipeline through education.

This legislation invests in 25,000 new teachers through professional development, summer training institutes, graduate education assistance, and scholarships through NSF's Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program and Math and Science Partnerships Program. In exchange for their scholarship, these teachers go to our highest need schools.

The America COMPETES Act includes provisions modeled after the successful U-Teach program at the University of Texas where students earn degrees in the STEM fields and teaching certificates at the same time. These newly minted teachers are placed, mentored, and supported in the schools where they are needed the most.

This legislation expands access to Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate programs. It also establishes P-16 councils to coordinate education and workforce goals with industry and community leaders, and to identify the challenges of recruiting and retaining students in innovative fields.

I am especially pleased that this legislation addresses a quiet crisis in our high need high schools--the lack of quality laboratory science opportunities.

The National Research Council's report on America's High School Labs found that experience in high school labs was poor for most students and practically non-existent for students in low-income or minority communities. We will never produce enough STEM professionals if we do not address this issue.

I am very pleased that the legislation before us today includes the provisions of my bill, H.R. 524 Partnerships for Access to Laboratory Science Act. This legislation will establish a pilot program that will partner high need school districts with colleges and universities, and the private sector to improve high school laboratories. Through these pilots, we will be able to develop models and test effective practices for improving laboratory science in high need schools. We will leverage resources from the local community and the private sector, and build on our base of knowledge of what works in teaching science.

The America COMPETES Act is about our vision for the future of this country. It is about our belief in this nation's unlimited potential and our willingness to invest in it.

I would like to commend Chairman Gordon, Chairman Miller and all of the members of the conference committee for their excellent work.

I urge my colleague to unanimously pass this legislation.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 1868) to temporarily extend the programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965, and for other purposes.

Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may insert materials relevant to S. 1868 into the Record.

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

(Mr. HINOJOSA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of S. 1868, a bill to extend the Higher Education Act through October 31, 2007.

This bill is very straightforward. It simply extends the current programs authorized under the Higher Education Act until October 31, 2007, giving us the time to fully consider and complete the reauthorization before us in the 110th Congress.

We are making progress. We have passed a historic investment in student financial aid in the College Cost Reduction Act. We have also laid the groundwork to reauthorize the other core higher education programs, including teacher preparation, developing and strengthening institutions, college readiness and outreach programs, including international education, graduate education and others. We put out a call for recommendations and received over 85 responses from individuals, organizations, and coalitions from across the Nation. We hear them loud and clear.

I am looking forward to working with all of my colleagues in the House to produce a strong reauthorization of the Higher Education Act that will earn broad support.

I would like to thank Congressman McKeon, ranking member of the full committee, and Congressman Ric Keller, ranking member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness, as well as our chairman, George Miller, for working together with me to expedite this extension.

I respectfully urge all my colleagues to pass this legislation overwhelmingly.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank Congressman Kuhl from New York for his positive remarks on S. 1868, and together we are going to ask that our colleagues join us and pass this legislation overwhelmingly.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 553, to pay special tribute to Lady Bird Johnson. I am proud to recognize the accomplishments of a fellow Texan and a true Renaissance woman.

For much of her life, Lady Bird Johnson acted as the graceful wife of a congressional secretary, U.S. Representative, Senator, Vice President and President. She devoted herself to her husband's political campaigns and lived in the public eye throughout the turbulent 1960s and Vietnam War Era.

But, Lady Bird Johnson was also a scholar, a writer, a politician, and an advocate for education issues. At the University of Texas in Austin she studied journalism and qualified as a public school teacher. Later in life, she wrote A White House Diary and served as a University of Texas regent.

Lady Bird demonstrated her remarkable talents for public speaking while on the campaign trail through Southern states, where, as a product of an East Texas town steeped in traditional southern values, she was an invaluable spokesperson for the 1960 Kennedy-Johnson Presidential ticket.

While her husband served as President, Lady Bird Johnson acted as honorary chairwoman of the national Head Start program. As my colleagues may note, I am a strong proponent of the Head Start program, which can make immense differences in the lives of underprivileged pre- school children by preparing them to enter elementary school on a par with their peers. Thus, I celebrate Lady Bird's contributions to this invaluable program.

During this time, Lady Bird Johnson has also been credited with holding luncheons spotlighting women of assorted careers. As a strong supporter of women's rights and pay equality, I believe that her efforts to applaud young women's advancements into traditionally-male- dominated careers have had a profound effect on women's equality in general.

Lady Bird was also an adept businesswoman who purchased a small radio station in 1942 in Austin and built a multimillion-dollar radio corporation. In today's society, young women interested in business and the telecommunications industries may look to Lady Bird Johnson as a trailblazer and a success story.

While Lady Bird's conservation work in our Nation's Capital is widely-known, Lady Bird's efforts to beautify our great State of Texas should also be applauded. In 1969, she founded the Texas Highway Beautification Awards, and hosted 20 annual awards ceremonies, where she presented personal checks to the winners. And, on her 70th birthday, she founded the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, to which she donated acres of her own land.

Lady Bird has indeed left her mark upon Texas, as the namesake of a golf course, a municipal park, a walking trail, and a street.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join my colleagues in support of H. Res. 553, celebrating the life of Lady Bird Johnson. She was a remarkable First Lady, businesswoman, environmental advocate, and trailblazer of women's rights. She has left a grand legacy of strength of character and service upon Texas and upon the entire nation.

Madam Chairman, I rise in strong support of the fiscal year 2008 Labor, HHS and Education appropriations bill that is before us today.

I would like to express my admiration and gratitude to Chairman Obey and the members of the committee for bringing forward a bill that reflects our values and our commitment to investing in education.

As the chairman of the Higher Education Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness Subcommittee, I am pleased to see the significant increases for student financial aid, for GEAR UP and TRIO programs. These investments make a real difference, and they have not come a moment too soon.

Recent reports estimate that by the year 2025, just to keep pace with our international competitors, the United States would need to produce an additional 15.6 million college graduates. That translates to another 781,000 degrees per year. GEAR UP and TRIO help close the college awareness and readiness gap.

Pell Grants and campus-based student aid programs close the affordability gap. This legislation coupled with the recently passed budget reconciliation bill signal that we are serious about ensuring that our students have the education and the skills they need to compete.

As chairman of the Education Task Force for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I am particularly heartened to see the commitment in this bill to increase educational opportunities for Hispanic students. This legislation reverses the trend of the past of eliminating, cutting or at best flat-lining the key programs that provide the pillars of educational support to the Hispanic community. They include migrant education programs for English language learners, developing Hispanic- serving institutions, Even Start Family Literacy, GEAR UP, TRIO and adult education. Together, we call them the Hispanic education action plan.

In 2006, every single program in the Hispanic education action plan was reduced. Elections do make a difference.

For 2008, on top of the $1.5 billion increase to the core title I program in No Child Left Behind, we have over $212 million increases to the other programs, including a long overdue investment program for English language learners.