John Boehner

Mr. BOEHNER

Mr. BOEHNER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise today in support of this resolution sponsored by my friend and colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose), which recognizes and honors the foreign guest laborers who worked here in the United States during a 22-year period from 1942 to 1964. As a result of severe wartime shortages, the United States entered into an agreement with Mexico for the legal employment of agricultural workers from Mexico. During this time, between 4 and 5 million guest workers known as ``braceros,'' were employed in the United States. They were an important source of labor during this period, helping to alleviate shortages of workers, particularly in the agricultural industry. Thousands of braceros also labored on our Nation's railroads, maintaining and expanding critical infrastructure that provided transportation for food and supplies during and after World War II. This past Sunday marked the 60th anniversary of the arrival of the first of these guest workers in the United States. They constituted an important part of our country's workforce during World War II, when labor became a valuable commodity, especially on farms. Today, many of these workers and their families or descendants are residents of the United States. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues today to join me in supporting this resolution expressing gratitude for the braceros and acknowledging their hard work and important contribution to our economy during a most challenging period in our Nation's history. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOEHNER. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 522.

Mr. BOEHNER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 522) expressing gratitude for the foreign guest laborers, known as Braceros, who worked in the United States during the period from 1942 to 1964.

Mr. BOEHNER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, let me congratulate my colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose), for bringing this resolution honoring the braceros and their contribution to our country during a very difficult period.

Mr. BOEHNER. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Ose), the sponsor of this resolution. (Mr. OSE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

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

Mr. BOEHNER

Mr. BOEHNER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Georgia for yielding me this time. I want to thank and congratulate the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon), chairman of the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness, for introducing this important resolution, and I appreciate his efforts to recognize the importance of Hispanic- serving institutions. Let me also congratulate the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) for his work in the last reauthorization and his continued commitment to helping these very important institutions. Hispanic-serving institutions, or HSIs as we like to call them, have played an important role in educating America's students. HSIs are defined as those institutions with Hispanic enrollments of at least 25 percent, with 50 percent of those students being low-income. As we all know, Hispanics are one of the fastest growing populations in the United States, and we need to reaffirm our commitment to those institutions serving this vital population. I am proud of the efforts put forward by this Congress and by this administration to help meet the needs of HSIs. In fiscal year 2002, we provided $86 million to support these institutions, and President Bush has increased that commitment again this fiscal year. I applaud the efforts of the HSIs in the country for their commitment to academic excellence and to serving low-income and disadvantaged students. For many, without the commitment of institutions such as these, achieving a postsecondary education would be all but impossible. The work done by HSIs and their dedicated faculty and staff, I think, are critical to the success of the country as a whole. As the Committee on Education and the Workforce moves forward with the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act next year, we will do all we can to continue to support these institutions and the academic excellence they provide to their students. I urge my colleagues to support the resolution today. It recognizes and honors the important work that Hispanic-serving institutions are doing in this country as we look forward to helping students from all walks of life learn and prepare to pursue the American dream.

Mr. BOEHNER

Mr. BOEHNER. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon) for yielding me this time. Before I talk about the bill that we have on the floor today, let me pay tribute to a colleague and friend, Patsy Mink. It is my understanding the House will consider and adopt a formal resolution this week honoring her service to our country, and I am pleased that we will have that opportunity to pay tribute to her in that fashion. Patsy was a vibrant, passionate, and effective voice for the principles that she believed in. She was a true leader on our committee, and I am deeply saddened by the news of her passing. As chairman of the committee over the last 2 years, we worked together on the historic No Child Left Behind Act, as well as bipartisan legislation to improve access to higher education for our Nation's youth. Patsy fought tirelessly for the causes she supported, and I think we are all grateful for her long record of public service. Her passing is a significant loss for our committee, the people of Hawaii, and the people of the United States. And I offer my sincerest condolences to her family and her constituents. She will be greatly missed. Madam Speaker, today I rise in support of H.R. 5091, the Canceling Loans to Allow School Systems to Attract Classroom Teachers Act, or as we call it the CLASS Act, and I want to applaud the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Graham), my friend and colleague, for his commitment to the education of our Nation's children and for sponsoring the legislation that we have before us today. This bill provides an important opportunity for high-need schools and school districts to recruit and retain highly qualified and committed teachers, and we are asking a lot of our Nation's teachers and they deserve our full support. The No Child Left Behind Act calls for States to have a qualified teacher in every public classroom by the end of the 2005-2006 school year. With large numbers of teachers retiring over the next 10 years, estimates are that more than 2 million teachers will be needed to fill these vacancies, and that will be no easy task. Demand for high-quality teachers has never been higher, but in some cases unqualified teachers are being hired to fill these open vacancies. This bill, I think, will help solve that problem. It provides an increase in the total amount of loan forgiveness for teachers now provided in the Higher Education Act from a maximum of $5,000 to a new level of $17,500. This bill also places a priority for providing loan forgiveness to those teachers teaching special education, mathematics, science, or those teaching in schools that are failing to adequately recruit highly qualified teachers as required by No Child Left Behind. This loan forgiveness is provided to teachers who teach for 5 consecutive years at a title I school, and as my colleagues know, these schools serve a high concentration of students from low-income families. As a result of President Bush's involvement in No Child Left Behind, Federal funding for teacher programs is being increased by 38.1 percent, or $787 million, this year to help States train, recruit and retain quality teachers. This historical level of support for teachers is maintained in the President's fiscal year 2003 budget and the budget resolution passed this spring by the House. This bill continues the commitment that we have shown in supporting quality teachers for all of our Nation's children. We have all had that one special teacher who had an impact on our lives, that one teacher who has helped us find the success and direction that we now enjoy. And this bill will help make it possible for all children to have that qualified and caring teacher who will have a positive impact on their lives. The new realities of a wartime budget and economic recovery now require us to exercise fiscal discipline and responsibility; and to meet this important responsibility, we have crafted this program as a discretionary, rather than mandatory, program. At this time, budgetary offsets necessary to make this a mandatory spending program have not been found. However, we think it is vitally important to get the program authorized, and then we will work with our appropriators and our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to fund this program in a responsible, bipartisan way. In addition, H.R. 5091 contains a provision authored by my good friend and colleague, the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. McCarthy), that would forgive the student loans of the spouses of fire, police, military, and rescue personnel who were victims of the September 11, 2001, tragedy. We can never fully repay the debt we owe these families, but I believe this provision can help bring a small element of healing to the families of those heroes. Finally, I want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), the ranking member of our committee, for his help in pushing this bill through and dealing with the gentlewoman from New York's (Mrs. McCarthy) provision as well. This bill exemplifies the commitment that this Congress has shown to education, and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important bill for our Nation's teachers.

Mr. BOEHNER

Mr. BOEHNER. Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Isakson) for yielding me time and congratulate the gentleman from Iowa (Mr. Latham) for bringing this resolution to the floor today. This really is quite an accomplishment that Cael Sanderson has contributed; 159 wins, no losses in a 4-year college career is really unheard of. I think his contributions as a two-time academic all- American also speak loudly to his dedication not only to his sport but to his academic studies. So Cael is a shining example of what someone can do with determination, commitment and a sense of excellence. And I am happy to rise today in support of the Latham resolution.

Mr. BOEHNER

Mr. BOEHNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution to recognize the importance of teaching United States history and civics in elementary and secondary schools. I would like to thank Mr. Kind and Mr. Osborne for sponsoring the resolution, and I appreciate their efforts to bring it before the House today. Madam Speaker, our nation's students do not have even the most basic knowledge of American history. The 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress--or NAEP--on U.S. history showed that one-third of our 4th graders could not explain the meaning of ``I pledge allegiance to the flag'' on a multiple-choice test and a majority of 4th graders could not answer why ``citizens elect people to make laws for them'' in a democracy. Furthermore, the 2001 NAEP found that 89 percent of high school seniors, 84 percent of 8th graders, and 82 percent of 4th graders scored below ``proficient'' levels. As President Bush recently noted, ``This is more than academic failure. Ignorance of American history and civics weakens our sense of citizenship. To be an American is not just a matter of blood or birth; we are bound by ideals, and our children must know those ideals.'' I agree with President Bush and believe that our children truly benefit when they learn about our nation's victory in the Revolutionary War or the debates that took place at the Constitutional Convention. It is critical that they understand the meaning of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. Last January, President Bush signed into law the No Child Left Behind Act, which will help address this problem. First, the law authorizes the Civic Education program, which supports the Center for Civic Education and its program that encourages instruction on: the principles of our constitutional democracy; the history of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights; and how the Congress functions on a day-to-day basis. Secondly, the No Child Left Behind Act also authorizes the ``Teaching American History Grant Program,'' in which the Education Secretary will award grants to help local educational agencies develop, implement, and strengthen American history programs. These grants will also be used for professional development and teacher education programs in American history. Madam Speaker, teaching United States history and civics in our schools has never been more important. This resolution builds on our efforts in No Child Left Behind Act and I ask my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on it.

Mr. BOEHNER

Mr. BOEHNER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution, which expresses the sense of Congress about the safety of America's children and points out the need for parents and educators to teach our children about safety measures they can use to protect themselves against abduction and exploitation. During the past spring and summer, the American public has watched in horror as daily news reports have highlighted numerous stories of kidnapped children. According to the National Incidence Studies of Missing, Abducted, Runaway, and Thrownaway Children, there were 203,900 children abducted by family members and 58,200 children abducted by non-family members in 1999, the most recent year of collected and analyzed data. The U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention released part of this study in August 2002, and the remainder of study will be released in November this year. Non-family abductions are the smallest category of missing children, but the one in which the child is at greatest risk of injury or death. These statistics highlight the need for communities, schools, and parents to learn more about the specific steps that can be taken to facilitate children's safety and teach children the skills and know-how they need to enable them to stay safe. I commend the Departments of Justice, Health and Human Services, and Education for their recently developed booklet, ``Personal Safety for Children,'' which offers tips to parents for discussing safety and protection measures with their children. For example, the booklet instructs parents to make a list with their children of their neighborhood boundaries, choosing significant landmarks and telling their children whose homes they are allowed to visit. I would also like to commend the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for their fight to prevent child victimization and their assistance in the recovery of countless missing children. Furthermore, the President will convene a White House Conference on Missing, Exploited and Runaway Children tomorrow, October 2. The Conference will promote public awareness of the cause of missing, exploited and runaway children, and it will bring policymakers, experts, key officials, community leaders, teachers and law enforcement officials together to share progress made and generate new ideas to help prevent the victimization of children. In August the President stated that the ``Personal Safety for Children'' handbook holds practical advice to help families and communities make their homes, their schools, and their neighborhoods safer and added that he was calling on ``all Federal, State and local law enforcement agencies and our communities and our citizens to work together to do everything in our power to better protect our children.'' I would also remind my colleagues that the House more than six months ago overwhelmingly passed bipartisan legislation, H.R. 3839, the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act, to help ensure that assistance is provided in the most effective manner for children caught in abusive situations. That bipartisan bill is the product of efforts by members on both sides of the aisle to ensure that all children grow up in a safe and loving environment. I am pleased that my colleague and friend from Delaware has brought this issue to the Floor of the U.S. Congress, and I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. BOEHNER

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, let me respond to my colleagues and say that we worked closely together in a bipartisan way to produce the No Child Left Behind Act, and it was truly the most bipartisan bill this Congress has produced, and I am proud of my relationship with my good friend the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), who worked closely with me and all of my colleagues to produce it. We put huge increases in place last year, and my colleagues have to understand that the increases that are in this year's budget are on top of the increases in last year's budget. We have offered a budget. We have a plan. My colleagues have no plan. They brought no budget to the floor. They are ducking and hiding from the issues how. Now where is the bill? The fact is we have a plan. We have a budget. Show us yours. We have not seen it yet.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, the rhetoric we are hearing from our friends across the aisle is not about children. This is all about politics. And when it comes to education funding or any other kind of funding, our Democrat friends this year have no budget, no plan, and no credibility. Now let us just look at the facts. In the House the Democrats voted against the President's budget but did not even offer an alternative of their own. In the Senate they even failed to pass any budget at all. The first time since 1974 that has happened. Now, let us take a look at what columnist David Broder wrote recently: ``When the House is debating its budget resolution,'' Broder wrote, ``the Democrats proposed no alternative of their own.'' He went on to say, ``Rather than fake it, House Democrats just punted,'' Broder wrote. ``The resolution is designed to be the clearest statement of a party's policy priorities, and as long as they are silent the Democrats cannot be part of a serious political debate.'' I think David Broder is right. So I say to my Democrat friends, if you are going to stand here today and say you are for additional education spending, you better be prepared to tell the American people how you plan to get there. Fortunately, President Bush has given us a budget this year that continues to make education a priority even in the face of war and economic turmoil. As you can see by this chart, President Bush's budget this year proposes far more for education than the last budgets proposed and signed by President Clinton. In fact, Federal funding for education has more than doubled over the past 6 years. Discretionary appropriations for the Department of Education have climbed from $23 billion in fiscal year 1996 to $49 billion this year, an increase of 113 percent. Now, as you can see by this chart, special education, the Republican budget provides for another billion dollars' increase in special education grants to the States, and calls for full funding of IDEA over the next 10 years. This is almost a 300 percent increase over the last 7 years. Democrats did not offer a budget to help children with special needs. They have no budget. They have no plan, and they have no solution. Now, let us look at title I for a moment. For disadvantaged students in school, the Republican budget provides for a billion dollars' increase in title I grants. Now this is on top of the $1.6 billion increase that we passed and was signed into law earlier this year. These resources are focused in on high-poverty schools and kids who are in poor neighborhoods who need our help. Democrats have not offered a budget to help low-income school districts or kids. They have no budget. They have no plan and they have no solution. Now, here is something else to consider. As this chart shows, under the first 2 years of President Bush's Presidency, we will have seen greater increases in title I funding than in the previous 7 years combined. The last 2 years of the President's budget, last year and this year, are greater increases than in the last 7 years under the previous President. Let us not forget about teachers, the people responsible for our kids in the classroom. For teachers, the Republican budget provides $2.85 billion, matching the historic increase the President signed into law last year. This is a 38 percent increase over the last Clinton budget. Democrats have offered no budget to help America's schoolteachers. They have no plan, they have no budget and they have no solution. Despite the twin challenges of war and economic recovery, the President's budget this year expands funding for all of our educational priorities, and so I say to my friends on the other side, if they have got a better plan, why do they not show us?

Mr. BOEHNER

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, let me congratulate our colleagues on the Committee on the Judiciary, the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Sensenbrenner), the chairman of the committee, and his colleagues for their very good work on this DOJ authorization bill. I am very pleased that the chairman has included the provisions of juvenile justice that we have been trying to pass in this House for 6 years. We have had countless numbers of hearings, countless numbers of markups; we have been to the floor three times, and finally, this 6- year project is finished. I just want to thank the two people most responsible on our committee, and that would be the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott), who have really worked hard to help pull this together. I also want to thank the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra), for his fine work; one of our committee staff, Bob Sweet, who just did incredible work, working with Members and staff on both sides of the aisle to bring about what I would describe as a very good agreement and something that has alluded us for a long time. Lastly, let me thank two other people, my colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), the ranking member of my committee. We have a very good relationship, and we have been able to work through many of these difficult issues. Lastly, let me thank again Chairman Sensenbrenner for his willingness to include this issue, this juvenile justice bill in this DOJ conference report.

Mr. BOEHNER

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, over the last year, thousands of hardworking and loyal Enron and WorldCom employees watched helplessly as their companies and their retirement portfolios collapsed. We have an obligation to provide workers with the tools to help them manage their retirement savings. Let us just put the facts on the table: the House has acted on bipartisan pension protections, but the Senate has not. Back in February, President Bush called on Congress to act in a bipartisan fashion to restore confidence in our Nation's pension and retirement security system. More than 160 days ago, the House did its part by passing a comprehensive pension protection bill that protects workers from losing their retirement savings in Enron-style corporate meltdowns. Today we wait. One thing is very clear: worker retirement savings remain vulnerable to corporate meltdowns today, and it should not take another Enron or WorldCom for Congress to act on bipartisan pension protection that would give workers the tools they need to protect and expand their retirement savings. That is exactly why we passed the Bipartisan Pension Security Act in April, more than 160 days ago. It takes a balanced approach by expanding worker access to investment advice and includes new safeguards to help workers preserve and enhance their retirement security, such as giving employees new freedoms to diversify their portfolios. However, it also insists on greater accountability from senior company insiders. There are several pension provisions that the Senate has not acted on. Enron barred workers from selling company stock until age 50; the Pension Security Act gives workers new freedom to sell their company stock within 3 years. In addition, it requires companies to give workers quarterly benefit statements that include information about accounts, including the value of their assets, their right to diversify, and the importance of maintaining a diverse portfolio. The benefits of diversification will help workers better plan and save for their future over the long term. The bill also empowers workers to hold company insiders accountable for abuses by clarifying that companies are responsible for workers' savings during blackout periods when workers cannot make changes to their 401(k)s. Under the Pension Security Act, as under current law, workers can sue company pension officials if they violate their fiduciary duty to act solely in the interests of 401(k) participants. As we all know, defined contribution 401(k)-type accounts have become a primary vehicle for retirement savings. Yet, today, the vast majority of American workers receive no investment advice on how best to structure their 401(k) retirement plans; and most cannot afford to pay for it on their own like company insiders can. It is time to fix these outdated Federal rules that discourage employers from giving workers access to professional investment advice. Like most U.S. companies, Enron and WorldCom did not provide their workers with access to this type of investment advice. The investment guidance would have alerted these workers to the need to diversify their accounts, which would have enabled many to preserve their retirement savings. The Pension Security Act changes these outdated rules and encourages employers to provide their workers with access to this high-quality investment advice. We need to give investors more choices and more information to choose wisely, so they are better able to navigate their way through volatile markets and maximize the potential of their hard-earned and hard-saved retirement savings. Workers must also be fully protected and fully prepared with the tools they need to protect and enhance their retirement savings. The Committee on Education and the Workforce, along with my colleagues from the Committee on Ways and Means, have been engaged on the issue of pension reform for several years now, looking at ways to expand worker access to high-quality investment advice and encourage employers to sponsor retirement plans for their workers. As our committees have been doing hearings to specifically address the Enron collapse, we did so with a firm commitment to identify further reforms that promote security, education, and freedom for employees who saved all their lives for a secure retirement. Congress should move decisively to restore worker confidence in the Nation's retirement security and pension system, and the bill before us will accomplish those goals. Unfortunately, instead of gathering the President's signature, the Pension Security Act has been gathering dust. The Senate has not acted on any pension protection bill. If we are truly concerned about protecting the pensions of American workers, the 107th Congress will complete action on this vital issue and send President Bush a bipartisan pension security bill that he can sign into law. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Pickering), the author of the resolution before us.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Resolution 547, I call up the resolution (H. Res. 540) expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should complete action on H.R. 3762, the Pension Security Act of 2002, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on House Resolution 540.

Mr. BOEHNER

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time. Mr. Speaker, over the course of this past year, we have watched employees of Enron and WorldCom and other companies watch their retirement savings dwindle to almost nothing. The House in a bipartisan way came together on April 11, 160 days ago, to pass the Pension Protection Act which will in fact help protect all pensions in America. Yet the Senate has not acted. Now the Senate did in fact act along with the House when we passed the Corporate Accountability bill to put those corporate insiders who have abused their shareholders and abused the law and put them in jail. In that bill, I might add, there were two provisions from the Pension Security Act actually signed into law. One, a provision that would bar company insiders from selling their stock during a blackout period where the plan administrator is changing. Secondly, in the Corporate Accountability bill, we do require that pension plan administrators notify their employees 30 days in advance of any blackout period. But we all know there is a lot more that needs to be done. We need to give workers more freedom to diversify their 401(k) accounts. We need to make sure that workers have access to high- quality investment advice. But the House cannot do it alone. We all know under the Constitution that before a bill can become law and go to the President's desk, it has to be acted on by the House; it has to be acted on by the other body. Any differences have to be resolved before the bill goes to the President. The House has acted. The Senate has yet to take up pension legislation, and I believe this issue is one thing that needs to be done. We have to remember that this bill, the Pension Security Act, passed the House with 46 Democrat members voting for it. We worked in a bipartisan way to make responsible reforms that really would in fact protect the pension assets of many of our employees. But we cannot get this bill to the President's desk until we have action. That action needs to occur, and it needs to occur now.

Mr. BOEHNER

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Isakson), a member of the committee.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), the majority whip.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of our time. Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day we need to send President Bush a pension protection bill he can sign into law because this is about real people and their own financial security, and the gentleman and my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who talked all during this debate about the amount of losses in pension accounts by State is exactly the reason we have this resolution on the floor today. The House passed pension protection legislation on April 11. We are still waiting to send a bill to the President, and I would remind my colleagues that this was a bipartisan bill, and I appreciate that my colleagues may not agree with all the aspects of the bill, but 46 Democrats voted with all Republicans to move this bill to the other body. Forty-six Democrats, almost one-fourth of the Democrat party in the House, voted with all the Republicans to move this bill to the other body to try to get it to the President's desk. At the end of the day, this is about real people. It is about their retirement security, and it is time that this Congress act and get this bill to the President's desk before we leave here before the election. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert), a member of committee.

Mr. BOEHNER

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. Announcement by the Speaker pro tempore

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, in May, my colleagues and I passed important legislation to reauthorize the 1996 welfare reform law, one of the most successful social policies ever enacted by Congress. It has transformed the lives of millions of families and helped them achieve self-sufficiency. The 1996 welfare law has done its job, and now it is Congress' job and unique opportunity to improve upon that 1996 act. The key reason why many former welfare recipients are leading independent lives today is clear: we require individuals to work for their benefits. Under the old system, welfare families could expect a lifetime of cash assistance without engaging in constructive activities of any kind. When Republicans gained control in 1994 of this Congress, we vowed to change our Nation's welfare system. It took awhile. The debate was spirited. But by 1996, after vetoing the bill twice, a reluctant President Clinton finally signed the landmark Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act into law. The success of those reforms has been extraordinary. Welfare caseloads have fallen over 50 percent, nearly 3 million children have escaped poverty, and the black child poverty rate is now at its lowest point ever. Between 1996 and 1999, overall spending on cash assistance in my home State of Ohio declined by $19 million a month, enabling the State to increase funding for job training, child care, literacy and transportation programs that further assist families in moving toward self-sufficiency. The legislation the Committee on Education and the Workforce committee passed in early May builds on that success. Based on President Bush's reform blueprint and introduced by my friend and colleague, the gentleman from California (Chairman McKeon), the Working Toward Independence Act strengthens the work requirements in current law, which will ensure that even more welfare families are able to move into productive lives. This measure was incorporated into the comprehensive welfare reform bill that passed the House in May. The bill increases child care funding by over $2 billion and places an increased emphasis on improving the quality of care for our young children. With welfare caseloads cut in half since the welfare reform law was enacted, States will be able to devote significantly more money to expand access to quality child care. We know that State and local leaders have been on the front lines of welfare reform. The flexibility in the 1996 law is one of the reasons it has worked so well. That is why this bill would give States and localities even more flexibility. With broadened waiver authority, they will be able to continue the kind of innovation that has proven so successful over the last 5 years. Welfare reform is a top priority for this Congress. President Bush deserves a chance to sign this important piece of legislation into law this year. For the good of millions of Americans moving from welfare to work, this reauthorization must be completed by the conclusion of the 107th Congress. I urge my colleagues to approve the resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.