John Boehner

Mr. BOEHNER

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this bill to protect financial aid opportunities for students and schools affected by the recent hurricanes in the gulf coast region. I would like to thank my friend from Louisiana, Representative Bobby Jindal, for his ongoing efforts to provide higher education assistance to the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I would also like to thank Representatives Miller, Kildee, and Hinojosa for working with us in a bipartisan manner to provide critical higher education relief. The Natural Disaster Student Aid Fairness Act protects financial aid opportunities for students and schools affected by the recent hurricanes by providing needed flexibility for the campus based aid programs. The three campus based aid programs--Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG), Federal Work Study, and the Perkins Loan program--provide valuable financial assistance to low- and middle- income students. The funds are allocated to colleges and universities, which then combine Federal funds with their own dollars and award financial aid to their students. Because the campus based aid programs are awarded to institutions and require institutional matching funds, colleges and universities impacted by the hurricanes are facing additional challenges in maintaining these programs. The Natural Disaster Student Aid Fairness Act allows the Secretary of Education to waive the institutional matching requirements for institutions affected by the gulf coast hurricanes and for institutions whose financial aid budgets have been stretched more than anticipated as they open their doors to affected students. This flexibility will ensure colleges and universities are still able to participate in the campus based aid programs as they work to rebuild their campuses and serve their students. The bill also extends the deadline for the Department of Education to reallocate excess funds for these programs to provide ample time to assess the needs of all participating institutions. Moreover, the bill allows these excess funds to be targeted to the institutions located in the affected regions or to the institutions that have accepted displaced students. The campus based aid programs have always been aimed at meeting the needs of disadvantaged students. For the students and schools impacted by the gulf coast hurricanes, the time of need is now. This bill will provide much needed flexibility to ensure these funds are available to the students and schools that need them the most. Once again, I would like to thank the sponsor of this bill, Representative Jindal, and members on both sides of the aisle for working quickly on this bill to protect financial aid opportunities for students and schools impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Committee on Education and the Workforce, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, September 27, 2005. Hon. Jim Nussle, Chairman, Committee on the Budget, Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Nussle: I am writing concerning H.R. 3863, the ``Natural Disaster Student Aid Fairness Act,'' which is scheduled for floor consideration today. Section 3 of the bill designates that any provision of Section 2 affecting receipts, budget authority, or outlays in the bill will be for emergency purposes pursuant to the budget resolution of this year (H. Con. Res. 95). Thus, the Committee on Education and the Workforce shares the jurisdiction with the Committee on the Budget on this provision. I recognize the Committee on the Budget's jurisdictional interest in Section 3 of the bill, but ask that you allow H.R. 3863 to go forward. I agree that by allowing the bill to be considered, the Committee on the Budget does not relinquish any jurisdiction over H.R. 3863 or similar legislation. I would also support your request to be represented on a conference on H.R. 3863, if one should become necessary. Finally, I will include my letter and your response in the Congressional Record during floor consideration of the measure. Sincerely, John A. Boehner, Chairman.

Mr. BOEHNER

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Putnam) for purposes of a colloquy.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of this bill to reform and reauthorize the Head Start early childhood program. I want to commend the chairman of the Subcommittee on Education Reform, the author of this bill and my good friend, the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle). I also want to recognize the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) and the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) for their work to strengthen the Head Start program. The School Readiness Act will introduce greater competition into the Head Start program and use that competition to leverage reforms that will result in a better program for the children Head Start was created to serve. This bill will strengthen school readiness and increase the role of all 50 States and local communities in Head Start. It will protect children and taxpayers against the abuse and mismanagement of Head Start funds, and it will make Head Start more transparent and more accountable to parents and taxpayers. I am pleased at the approach that this bill takes to solve the school readiness gap between Head Start children and their peers when they reach kindergarten. There is no question that most Head Start children are better off in the program than they would have been without it. That is not in dispute here. But there is evidence that some Head Start centers could be doing an even better job of providing preschoolers with the academic foundation they need in order to succeed in school. This bill will strengthen Head Start's academic standards by emphasizing cognitive development and the results of scientifically based research and topics critical to children's school readiness. It will also improve teacher quality by ensuring a greater number of Head Start teachers have degrees and are adequately trained in early childhood development, particularly in teaching the fundamentals. I am particularly pleased about how the bill will improve coordination between Head Start and State and local early childhood education programs. We are going to improve program integration in all 50 States by encouraging cooperation and program coordination from the ground up. The bill also addresses weaknesses in the Head Start financial oversight structure that have allowed the mismanagement and outright abuse of Federal funds meant for disadvantaged children. Local media outlets across the Nation have documented more than a dozen instances of financial mismanagement involving millions of dollars and thousands of children. This lack of program integrity and financial accountability is unacceptable. The Federal Government is investing nearly $7 billion per year in Head Start, and every dime should be going to support disadvantaged children. The GAO, the Government Accountability Office, in a report that we requested, found that the financial management weaknesses in Head Start are resulting in diminished services for children. Unfortunately, there is currently no system in place to assure parents and taxpayers that these types of abuses will be prevented. This is unfair to parents and children. It is unfair to taxpayers. And it is unfair to the many high- quality, hard-working, law abiding people who operate Head Start centers across the country who should not be associated with the deeds of these bad actors. Head Start is an important program entrusted with a vitally important mission. The vast majority of those in Head Start are honest individuals dedicated to making sure the poorest of our Nation's children have a chance to succeed. The School Readiness Act takes critical steps to support quality Head Start programs and the children they serve by encouraging quality through competition, strengthening transparency and disclosure, and improving the financial oversight structure to protect children and taxpayers. I would like to address one more issue that is the subject of great debate today. In numerous Federal programs across the country, faith- based institutions that want to lend a helping hand and providing critical social services are allowed to do so without changing the fundamental character of their organization. Former President Bill Clinton, for example, signed four bills into law that explicitly protected the hiring rights for faith-based organizations when participating in Federal programs. The Head Start program unfortunately provides no such protections to these organizations. To the contrary, faith-based organizations are forced to relinquish their protected right to hire individuals who share their beliefs or they are not allowed to participate in the program at all. For many faith-based organizations, it is their very nature to offer help and support the neediest among us. Their efforts in response to Hurricane Katrina serve as just one more example. Their mission defined by their faith is to serve their community. Yet, when they seek to participate in federally funded programs for this purpose, they must forfeit the identity that drives them to serve. Today I urge Members to support an amendment that I will be offering on behalf of the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany) to restore the hiring protections in the Head Start program so that faith-based institutions can participate fully without giving up their mission and character that make them such an effective partner for programs like Head Start that serve those in need. Once again, I would like to thank the author of the bill, the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle), for his hard work on behalf of the nearly one million children served each year by the Head Start program. We have got a strong bill that will help give disadvantaged children the head start they need to succeed in school and in life. I urge my colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry).

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) which makes further improvements to the management of the Head Start program. This has been a particular concern of mine as we have held hearings and taken a comprehensive look at how we can improve the effectiveness of the program on behalf of children and families. As we have heard here today, there are many great things happening in Head Start, but many of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle share my view that not everything is working as well as it should. When approaching this reauthorization, I took my job seriously to take a hard look at every aspect of the Head Start program and work toward the reforms that were necessary to make this program the very best that it can be. And to be perfectly frank, I did not like everything that I saw. Over the course of the last several years, incidents of waste, fraud, program mismanagement, and even financial abuse of taxpayer dollars have been reported in at least two dozen Head Start programs across the country. While a large majority of the Head Start programs have responsible management organizations in place, I think this Congress has an obligation to improve known problems before they get worse. I think it is unfair to taxpayers, but most importantly, it is unfair to children and their parents who count on the Head Start program. The underlying bill contains meaningful program reforms, focused primarily on improving program oversight and accountability at the local level, but in my assessment, additional reforms are needed to ensure effective program management at the top. In fact, as a recent General Accountability Office report reveals, there are systemic flaws in the program's Federal management, and these systemic flaws have been there for many, many years. There is no need no question that we need to fix the problems at the local level. However, addressing issues locally is not enough, and I believe weaknesses in the Federal oversight mechanisms have contributed to the rash of financial mismanagement that we have seen in recent years because Head Start lacks the fundamental management standards and risk-based assessment tools necessary to prevent these types of abuses. This amendment offers reforms that will lead to more efficient and effective Federal management of the Head Start program. In my view, the best way to accomplish this goal is for the department to contract with an experienced, independent organization to conduct a wholesale review, and support the implementation of reforms to the system of Federal management of Head Start grants. The amendment would task the intermediary organization to evaluate all systems affecting program quality, including grant selection, resource allocation, and processes to ensure the early identification of programs in need of intervention. This amendment I think is a commonsense opportunity to inject accountability and sound management principles into the upper levels of the Head Start program. This bill seeks excellence from local Head Start programs, and I believe the same standard should be applied to the Federal Head Start structure as well. Mr. Chairman, passage of the underlying bill will mark an important step toward enactment of the most far-reaching reforms to Head Start since the program first began 40 years ago, and this amendment could greatly improve the national program quality and maximize the use of taxpayer dollars. I want to thank my colleague from Florida, once again, for offering this amendment and ask my colleagues to support it. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the amendment offered by the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind). The amendment would temporarily suspend a large-scale assessment of Head Start children while needed work is done to ensure that the test is suitable for Head Start children and until we have greater assurances that the results are accurate and used for appropriate purposes. The Head Start National Reporting System developed by the Department of Health and Human Services is a standardized assessment administered at the beginning to all 4- and 5-year-olds enrolled in Head Start. During the first year's administration, the National Reporting System was completed by nearly 437,000 preschool children participating in Head Start, including 35,000 children with disabilities and 125,000 children with limited English proficiency. The NRS was developed with limited congressional authority and input and has been the subject of great concern by many child development and early childhood advocates. There was general agreement by early childhood experts on the value of the assessment, and I tend to agree with that; and children are assessed regularly in nearly every preschool program across the country, including all Head Start classrooms. I, too, recognize that early childhood assessments play an important role in measuring children's progress in key areas such as vocabulary, letter recognition, and early math, as well as other aspects of early childhood development. I also agree with this administration that better data is needed on how well individual Head Start programs are doing in preparing children for kindergarten. However, we have a responsibility to ensure that assessments are conducted appropriately and effectively. And if we are going to do this, we need to make sure we get it right. I want to commend the Secretary for convening panels to review and take steps to improve the National Reporting System, but I also believe that more time should be taken to make sure we get it right before its data are used to evaluate the progress of children participating in individual Head Start programs. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy).

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I do not oppose the amendment, but I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, the gentlewoman from Connecticut (Ms. DeLauro) brings a very good amendment to this debate. And I certainly support the good work of Jump Start and think that the amendment that she offers makes a valuable contribution to the bill. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula), the chairman of the Labor-HHS Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, and the Dean of the Ohio Delegation, for general remarks on the bill. (Mr. REGULA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I suggest to my colleagues that the amendment the gentleman from Wisconsin offers, he and I have worked together on this closely over the course of this year. I think it is a good amendment and would urge my colleagues to adopt it. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I do not oppose the amendment, but I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price).

Mr. BOEHNER

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany) for offering this important amendment. Unfortunately, with the hurricane moving now somewhat east of where it was, he decided to return to his district in central and southwestern Louisiana. So he is not here today, and I offer the amendment in his place. Faith-based organizations such as churches, synagogues, and charities are an essential fabric of local communities across America. This amendment will correct a flaw in the Federal Head Start law that has stripped these organizations of their hiring rights, forcing them to relinquish their civil liberties if they choose to participate in Federal early childhood programs that are poised to be reauthorized today. We have had this debate many times before here on the House floor. In fact, earlier this year we rejected, in a bipartisan fashion, an amendment that would have barred faith-based organizations from providing job training services in their own communities. Unfortunately, each time we have had this debate, opponents of faith- based groups' federally protected right to maintain their religious nature and character through those they hire have equated these civil liberties with discrimination. The 1964 Civil Rights Act makes clear that faith-based groups may serve their communities without being forced to give up their right to employ individuals who share the tenets and practices of their faith. Were the authors of the Civil Rights Act pro-discrimination? No. The United States Supreme Court in 1987 unanimously reaffirmed the hiring rights for faith-based organizations. Was the Supreme Court pro- discrimination? No. Former President Bill Clinton signed four laws explicitly allowing faith-based groups to staff on a religious basis when they receive Federal funds: the 1996 Welfare Reform law, the 1998 Community Services Block Grant Act, the 2000 Community Renewal Tax Relief Act, and the 2000 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Act. Was President Clinton pro-discrimination? No. The amendment we are considering today is offered in the same spirit as the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1987 Supreme Court decision, and each of the four laws signed into law by President Bill Clinton. Our Nation's Head Start students deserve to be served by the very best organizations willing to lend a helping hand, and if those organizations are not faith based, so be it. But if they are, the faith and values that motivate them to serve their neighbors should not be held against them. Considering the proven track record of faith-based providers in meeting the needs of our Nation, efforts we are seeing in action right now in the gulf coast region, why would we want to deny them the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Head Start students? President Bush has worked tirelessly to remove barriers that needlessly discourage faith-based groups from bringing their talents and compassion to Federal initiatives that help Americans in need. Countless times he has called on Congress to send him ``the same language protecting religious hiring that President Clinton signed on four other occasions.'' This amendment answers the President's call once again. We should not be denying compassionate, professional faith-based providers the opportunity to serve our children, and I want to urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers).

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), a member of our committee.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I think the point we are trying to make here is there is a lot of innovation that is underway in terms of bringing technology and other innovation to the whole idea of learning. When it comes to early childhood programs, the chance at a profit, I believe, could bring innovation technology to this entire sector. Nobody has asked me for it, I am not suggesting there is going to be a rush to come in with innovation, but without some opportunity at getting a return on your investment, will the innovation ever come? That is where I am willing to take the chance that new ideas, new innovations in terms of developing these children, could be very beneficial to the program.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition to the amendment, although I do not oppose the amendment.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) for offering this amendment on behalf of the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson). The gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson) and I have worked together and have known each other since the gentleman's arrival here in Congress. This amendment will direct the Department of Health and Human Services to assist those displaced children, to try to get them into Head Start locations around the country. We have already allocated some $15 million to help enroll children in those places where they have moved to temporarily. We believe that the amendment offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Thompson) would help on a longer-term basis. Given the fact we have another hurricane going to hit somewhere in the gulf in the next couple of days, unfortunately, there could be more children displaced, and helping them stay in a Head Start program, regardless of where they go, is something for their good and their family's good and our country's good, and is something we should do. I urge my colleagues to accept the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Inglis), a member of our committee.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green).

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for her amendment. I think it is a very good amendment. Under current law, a for-profit entity can apply to be a local grantee to a Head Start program, but you are not allowed to make a profit. This has been in the law for some time. Given what we are trying to accomplish in terms of helping children be ready for school, we ought to have all of the providers possible. If there is an entity out there who thinks they can provide Head Start with a very high- quality program and make a profit, we ought to allow them the opportunity to apply and be in the program. That is all this amendment does. It does not guarantee that they are ever going to get a grant. I am a big believer in competition, a big believer in the private sector and innovative solutions. Given the challenge we have with low- income children in very low-income neighborhoods, anything we can do to bring more high-quality innovative services to those children, we ought to take that chance, and so I support the gentlewoman's amendment.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 3 minutes. Mr. Chairman, the previous speaker talked about how we brought this bill out of our committee and brought it to the House, with a unanimous vote out of the committee, 48 to nothing. One of the reasons that this language was not included in the original bill was to try to create a spirit of bipartisanship in moving the process along. But the American people elected us to come here and make decisions on their behalf. We are having a free and open debate about this issue. No one should denigrate the majority because we want to have a debate and want to have a vote. We have had this debate many times in this House. It has passed every time on a bipartisan basis, and I expect it will pass on a bipartisan basis again today. The issue here is a simple one. In the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and amendments to it in 1974, religious organizations were granted an exception in their hiring practices so they could hire people of their own faith. I think most people would understand that. Over the years, religious organizations have been involved in doing all types of good works, including providing programs in their communities. But, for far too long, these organizations have been denied the use of Federal dollars in order to preserve their religious heritage. Over the years, a number of programs passed by this Congress have been signed into law that have allowed religious organizations to maintain the rights given to them under the 1964 Civil Rights Act and provide services with Federal funds. As a matter of fact, Bill Clinton, Bill Clinton, during 8 years in office, signed 4 laws into law that had the same identical language as being offered to this bill today.

Mr. BOEHNER. I yield to the gentleman from Illinois.