Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 645 to urge my colleagues and our nation to observe Teacher Appreciation Week and the monumental contributions of America's teachers.

As a cosponsor of H. Res. 645, I commend our nation's teachers for their tireless work on behalf of millions of students and families; their knowledge and expertise; and their selfless dedication to their profession.

Throughout the year, our nation's teachers spend countless hours preparing lesson plans, evaluating student progress, counseling students and families, and instilling the vital importance of civic responsibility and national service.

In South Texas, we are fortunate to have exceptional educators who work day in and day out to educate and prepare children, youth, and adult learners to lead prosperous and healthy lives.

I especially want to thank Dr. Daniel King, Superintendent of the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo (PSJA) Independent School District, for honoring 44 of PSJA's teachers of the year this month.

Today, it's truly an honor for me to recognize and congratulate two of PSJA's outstanding teachers of year: my daughter, Iliana Hinojosa, a pre-kindergarten teacher at Dr. William Long Elementary who was selected as the PSJA Elementary District Teacher of the Year; and Agnes Ocampo, a science teacher at PSJA Memorial High School who was selected as the PSJA Secondary District Teacher of the Year.

Due to their hard work and extraordinary commitment to students and academic excellence, Iliana and Agnes have advanced to the regional competition. This is quite an accomplishment!

Iliana Hinojosa and Agnes Ocampo are shining examples of what can be achieved in our nation's classrooms. By instilling a love of learning in our children and ensuring that they

succeed, Iliana and Agnes are transforming lives and helping students to reach their full potential.

As our nation observes Teacher Appreciation Week, I urge my colleagues and all Americans to support critical investments in education that help to provide all students with a high quality education and to make teaching one of the most valued professions in America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Export- Import Bank of the United States, and I urge passage of H.R. 2072, of which I am a cosponsor.

In 2011, the Ex-Im Bank supported 290,000 jobs in the United States. Additionally, over the past 10 years, the Ex-Im Bank actually returned $900 million to the United States Treasury.

When a program supports so many manufacturing jobs and it doesn't cost the taxpayer a dime, you would expect this bill to be an easy win, and yet some Members on the far right are prepared to put extreme ideology above jobs for Americans. This bill is a real jobs bill, and I urge its support.

Mr. Speaker, I hereby submit the attached letters of opposition to H.R. 4628.

House GOP Student Interest Rate Bill Offers Young Adults a Choice: Your

Health or an Affordable Education?

Yesterday, House Republicans announced support for

preventing interest rate hikes on subsidized Stafford Loans

from doubling on July 1st, joining the Administration and

House and Senate Democrats who have already stated a

commitment to keeping rates down. On Friday, the House

Republicans will call for a vote on their bill introduced

yesterday to extend the lower interest rates. However, the

bill pays for this extension by eliminating a multi-billion

dollar health care prevention fund for life-saving cancer

screenings and child immunizations. These cuts would have a

negative impact on the health of children, young adults, and

families. ``Keeping interest rates from doubling is a

priority, and we are thrilled to see policymakers from both

sides of the aisle support college affordability and take

steps to keep student debt from increasing even further,''

said Jennifer Mishory, deputy director of Young Invincibles.

``However, pitting the interest rate freeze against health

care prevention calls for a false choice between staying

healthy and getting a shot at an affordable education.'' The

House Republican bill would cut the Public Health and

Prevention Fund, which next year is set to provide funding

for childhood immunizations and cancer control programs,

including breast and cervical cancer screening. Mishory

added, ``About 15% of young adults have a chronic disease.

Since when does this generation have to choose between a

stable economic future and a healthy one?'' Effective cancer

screening and early and sustained treatment could reduce the

cancer death rate by 29%. Moreover, just as 92 percent of

young Democrats and 78 percent of young Republicans say that

making college loans affordable will help the economy,

sufficient investment in prevention has positive economic

impact. Research shows that every dollar spent on

immunizations could save $5.30 on direct health care costs

and $16.50 on total societal costs. You can view a recent

Young Invincibles report on the Stafford interest rate issue

at the link below: http://younginvincibles.org/News/releases /student_loan_interest_rates.pdf.

For background on the cost of college and the rise in

student debt, please visit: http://www.younginvincibles.org/ News/releases/student _debt_onepager_apri12012.pdf.

Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 135, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Amendment No. 7 Offered by Mr. Owens

Madam Speaker, I rise with great sadness to pay tribute to and honor the life of Representative Donald Payne, an esteemed colleague and devoted public servant.

Committed to social and economic justice, Representative Donald Payne spent his life helping the most vulnerable in America and abroad.

During my tenure in Congress, I had the pleasure of serving with Congressman Donald Payne on the Education and Workforce Committee. As a former public school teacher, Congressman Payne understood the needs of students, parents, teachers, and educators and the value of a good education.

As a senior member of the Education and Workforce Committee, Representative Payne worked tirelessly to expand educational opportunity for disadvantaged children and youth, and to ensure that all children had access to a quality education.

Congressman Donald Payne was a true champion for American workers and the middle class, always fighting to ensure that workers had safe working conditions and family-sustaining wages. In the area of Foreign Affairs, Congressman Payne was known around the globe for his outstanding leadership in promoting peace and democracy in Africa.

Representative Donald Payne will be greatly missed in this chamber. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, his staff, and the people of New Jersey.

Madam Chair, I rise today to express my opposition to H.R. 2117, the Protecting Academic Freedom in Higher Education Act, misguided legislation that repeals efforts to protect students' and taxpayers' investment in higher education.

Every year, the Federal Government spends billions of dollars on student financial aid, and we must account for these Federal investments. As ranking member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training, I am deeply concerned that H.R. 2117 would undermine the Secretary of Education's ability to oversee and safeguard our Federal investment in higher ed.

In my view, strong regulations strengthen the accountability and review of institutions of higher education that participate in Federal student aid programs, and help to maintain program integrity.

In a globally competitive world, our students deserve to get what they pay for--high quality educational programs that prepare them for the demands of the 21st century workforce--and nothing less.

H.R. 2117 repeals the U.S. Department of Education's credit-hour regulation, which sets a minimum standard for the work needed to equal a credit hour for the purposes of the Federal Student Aid program. To avoid having institutions overstate credit hours or inflate the Federal student aid paid for students attending those programs, we must have consistent measures for credit hours. The credit-hour definition provided by the Department is consistent with standard industry practice and provides needed flexibility for innovative programs.

H.R. 2117 also repeals the requirement that higher education institutions be legally authorized in the States they operate in and that they have a process in place for handling student complaints when an institution fails to live up to its promises. Repealing this regulation is clearly unacceptable. Students need to be protected from unscrupulous actors.

Most importantly, I am very disappointed that we are not using our time today to focus on making college more affordable. We must ensure that interest rates for need-based undergraduate student loans do not double from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent in July of this year. If Congress fails to act, more than 7 million students will face approximately $2,800 in higher loan repayment costs. Now, more than ever, American students need Congress' help to afford the cost of a college education.

In closing, I urge my colleagues to vote against H.R. 2117 because Congress and the Department of Education must provide strong oversight for Federal student aid dollars and do everything possible to put students and taxpayers first and protect them from the risk of fraud, waste, and abuse in our Federal student aid programs.

Madam Chair, on rollcall No. 75, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

(By unanimous consent, Mr. LaTourette was allowed to speak out of order.)

Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise to urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass the American DREAM Act.

This past weekend, I learned of the tragic death of Joaquin Luna, a senior student at Juarez Lincoln High School in Mission, Texas, who took his life because he believed that he would never be able to fulfill his dream of becoming an engineer, earning his citizenship, and leading a full and prosperous life in America.

Brought to the United States as an infant, Joaquin attended our Nation's public schools, played the guitar at his church, and hoped to go to college and achieve the American Dream. I cannot express the sorrow I feel on the loss of such a talented young man. I want to extend my heartfelt condolences to Joaquin's family and friends. I cannot imagine the pain they are suffering. It is heartbreaking to know that many of us in the U.S. House of Representatives passed the DREAM Act at this time last year, only to see the legislation held up in the Senate by a vote of 55-41.

Today, as Joaquin Luna's body is laid to rest, I believe it is imperative to underscore the urgency of passing the DREAM Act in the 112th Congress and renewing hope for DREAM students. As a proud cosponsor of H.R. 1842, the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act of 2011, better known as the DREAM Act, I urge President Obama and my colleagues in the House and the Senate to put their ideological differences aside and do what is right. Now more than ever, we must give these young people an opportunity to pursue their college and career goals, resolve their immigration status, and earn their citizenship.

The DREAM Act would allow these students the opportunity to earn legal status if they were 15 years old or younger when they were brought to America, are long-term U.S. residents and have lived in the United States for

at least 5 years before the enactment of the law, have good moral character, graduate from high school or obtain a GED, and complete 2 years of college or military service in good standing.

Having been brought by their parents to the United States as children, these young men and women know America as their home. Without question, DREAM students exemplify the best of American ideals, such as hard work, perseverance, and the desire to contribute to our Nation's workforce, economy, and civic life.

In the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas, DREAM students have excelled in school and have become valedictorians, Advanced Placement Scholars, and student leaders, despite facing difficult circumstances.

As ranking member for the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training, I have no doubt that the DREAM students can help America achieve President Obama's ambitious high school and college completion goals by the year 2020. Many of these students are working tirelessly to earn their high school and college diplomas and aspire to become professionals in the sectors of our workforce which need their talent, skills, and ingenuity.

In the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, better known as STEM, our country must train a new generation of high- skilled scientists, engineers, and mathematicians to bolster scientific discovery and spur technological innovation. Simply stated, these talented youth can help our Nation increase its global competitiveness and be the innovators of tomorrow.

Finally, it's important to note that the DREAM Act has enjoyed broad, bipartisan support from Members of Congress and Administration officials on both sides of the aisle. They include Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and Carlos Gutierrez, former Secretary of Commerce under President Bush.

Chancellors and university presidents and thousands of students, civil rights groups, and prominent education, business, religious leaders, and elected officials support the DREAM Act because it is humane and sensible. It's the right thing to do.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 745, had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Madam Speaker, I rise today to say that Democrats in Congress continue to work tirelessly to improve the lives of America's Latino families. During the 111th Congress, we passed historic legislation that made college more accessible and affordable and broadened the scope of health care for very many families.

When Democrats controlled the Congress, we increased the maximum Pell Grant, in a bipartisan vote, from $4,050 to the current $5,550, an increase of 37 percent. While I was chairman of the Subcommittee on Higher Ed, I proudly stood next to President Obama when he signed the historic Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 into law. This new law increased college aid for the 39 percent of Hispanic

college students who receive Pell Grants each year. In contrast, the proposed Republican budget will cut college aid for nearly 10 million students, slashing the maximum Pell Grant award by more than $2,500.

Today, I stand here with my colleagues in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month to say that we must pass the DREAM Act.

We cannot turn our backs on these hard working, talented students who call America their home. Brought here as children and through no fault of their own, DREAM Act students deserve a chance to go to college and become U.S. citizens.

I am proud of my heritage. I am proud of my ancestors who came to this country from Mexico over one hundred years ago. I am proud of the contributions made by America's growing Latino community.

Today, I urge my colleagues in Congress to join us in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Let us honor our great Nation. Let us all work harder to make the American Dream a reality for all.

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 693, had I been present, I would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 2218, the Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act. This bill strengthens our Nation's charter schools by making much needed improvements to current law, and I commend Chairman John Kline and Ranking Member George Miller of the Education and Workforce Committee for their leadership on this issue.

As ranking member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education, I want to help K-12 schools to give us college-ready high school graduates and to send them to colleges or 4-year universities. That's why I support H.R. 2218.

In regard to accessibility, this bill helps to ensure that English language learners and students with disabilities have an opportunity to attend and excel in high quality charter schools. Under this proposal, charter school authorizers must ensure that charter schools comply with the Civil Rights Act, as well as Individuals With Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act, and monitor the schools in recruiting, enrolling, and meeting the needs of students with disabilities and English language learners.

I am pleased that the manager's amendment to H.R. 2218 requires authorizers to ensure that charter schools solicit and consider input from parents and community members on the implementation and operation of charter schools.

This bill prioritizes high quality charter schools. By adding a new definition for high quality charter schools and providing priority consideration for States with high quality charter schools, this bill encourages States to set higher expectations for our Nation's charter schools.

This legislation improves charter authorizing. H.R. 2218 ensures that authorizers within the State monitor the performance of charter schools and require charter schools to conduct and publicly report financial audits.

In my congressional district, the IDEA public high schools, a network of high quality public charter schools, have done a terrific job of preparing minorities, English language learners, and students with disabilities for college and careers. Currently, IDEA public schools operate 20 schools in 10 communities in the Rio Grande Valley.

This year, all the IDEA public schools were rated exemplary, the highest district rating issued by the Texas Education Agency; and our IDEA college preparatory school in Donna, Texas, has been recognized as one of the very best high schools in the Nation. In fact, 100 percent of IDEA public school graduates are enrolled in a community college or university.

I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support H.R. 2218.

I applaud Tom Torkelsen, JoAnn Gama, co-founders of the IDEA Public Schools, as well as the teachers, parents, staff, and community members for their outstanding track record and unwavering commitment to fulfill IDEA's mission of `College For All Children.'

Out nation's public charter schools must strive to be high-performing and inclusive; have the highest standards of excellence, accountability, and transparency; and foster strong, healthy partnerships with traditional public schools that yield successful outcomes for all students.

Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 515, had I been present, I would have voted ``no.''

Amendment No. 61 Offered by Ms. Foxx

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of June 2011 National Homeownership Month.

The most current data show that of 130.7 million homes in the United States, 74.9 million serve as principal residences. Another 37.0 million homes are renter-occupied, and the remaining 18.8 million are either for sale, for rent, or for seasonal use.

Despite the recent economic decline, the people of the United States remain one of the best-housed populations in the world. Owning a home remains a fundamental part of the American dream and the largest personal investment many families will ever make. High homeownership rates help communities through higher property values, lower crime, and higher civic participation. Homeownership promotes a more even distribution of income and wealth, and establishes greater individual financial security. It improves living conditions, which can lead to a healthier population.

Homeownership creates neighborhood stability since owners are more inclined to remain in the community for a longer period of time than renters. It has been proven to increase social and political involvement due to the concern about one's property value. Homeownership correlates with lower neighborhood crime. It fosters more responsible behavior among youths in the community, such as higher academic achievement and lower teen pregnancy rates, due to the monitoring mechanism put in place to maintain the attractiveness of a community. Economists have been able to establish that a correlation between homeownership and these positive neighborhood effects does exist.

Improving homeownership opportunities requires the commitment and cooperation of the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, including the Federal Government and State and local governments. It is of the utmost importance that we maintain the mortgage interest deduction and the 30-year fixed rate mortgage as their elimination would damage the availability and cost of mortgage capital for millions of Americans, especially while the housing market recovery remains fragile. The same can be said of the ill-conceived downpayment portion of the ``Qualified Residential Mortgages'' proposal.

As part of the financial reform legislation, we here in Congress designed a clear framework for improving the quality of mortgage lending and restoring private capital to the housing market. To discourage excessive risk taking, we required securitizers to retain five percent of the credit risk on loans packaged and sold as mortgage securities. However, because across-the-board risk retention would impose significant costs on responsible, creditworthy borrowers, we also created an exemption for ``Qualified Residential Mortgages,'' defined to include mortgages with product features and sound underwriting standards that have been proven to reduce default. Rather than creating a system of penalties to discourage bad lending and incentives for appropriate lending, regulators have developed a rule that is too narrowly drawn. Of particular concern are the provisions of the proposal mandating high downpayments.

The principal barrier to homeownership is accumulating the money needed for downpayment and closing costs. It is estimated that it would take the average American family, living frugally and saving at the current national rate, nearly seven years to save for a 5 percent down payment on a $200,000 home and more than 10 years to save for 10 percent down.

The regulators' proposal to require a 20 percent downpayment is tantamount to declaring war on homeownership. Only the elite in the United States would be able to afford such a downpayment. The supermajority of residents in Hidalgo County located in my district in Texas would not be able to meet the downpayment requirement, thereby depriving them of the American Dream. Hidalgo County is the second poorest county in the country. 89 percent of my constituents are Hispanic, the poorest of the poor, and tend to operate in a cash society. My constituents already have difficulty meeting current downpayment requirements, much less an even higher, ill-conceived 20 percent downpayment. It has been proven that once my poorest constituents actually own a home, they manage to make the monthly mortgage payments and turn a household into an actual ``home.''

The proposed qualified residential mortgage definition harms creditworthy borrowers while frustrating housing recovery. It violates congressional intent and makes homeownership more expensive for millions of responsible consumers.

At this time in history, given our economic and political climate, changes should not be made to the mortgage interest deduction, the 30 year fixed interest mortgage, or downpayment requirements that are pragmatic and beneficial to our constituents and our economy, especially while the housing market recovery remains fragile. They would reduce the availability and increase the cost of mortgage capital for millions of Americans.

President Obama has declared June 2011 as National Homeownership Month. It is my sincere hope that this Administration will do the right thing and leave time tested deductions, requirements, and downpayments alone.

I strongly support June 2011 as declare my steadfast opposition to the proposed qualified residential mortgages proposal, modifications to the mortgage interest deduction, and changes to the 30-year fixed interest mortgage.

Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 442, had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Amendment No. 3 offered by Mr. Blumenauer