John Boehner

Mr. BOEHNER

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I think the gentleman raises an important point, and I agree with him that all of our children deserve the most appropriate level of care that can be offered. Therefore, I will commit to work with the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird) when we get to conference on trying to ensure that his concern is addressed in the final version of the bill.

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

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, from the time the committee marked up H.R. 1 until today, I have been working with the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) and many other Members from both sides of the aisle to resolve a number of issues. Those issues that we have resolved have been included in this manager's amendment, and I wish to thank all of the Members for their cooperation. In addition, there are several technical and conforming changes that have been included in this amendment as well. In title I, we have made several changes. First, we have made it clear that transportation is to be provided for public school choice when a school is designated as low performing. Second, we have clarified the role of parents in developing a school's restructuring plan. Third, we have made clarifications on the assessments used by Bureau of Indian Affairs schools and made clear that tribal organizations operating Bureau of Indian Affairs schools are to be treated as local educational agencies for purposes of implementing school improvement and corrective action programs. In title II, we have made technical changes regarding State activities and local uses of funds with respect to teacher advancement initiatives and pay differentiation. In title III, part B, we have made changes concerning the accountability of the Secretary of the Interior for the improvement of schools funded or operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Under the innovative education block grant in title IV, we have added two items to the local uses of funds at the school district level. First, we have included activities to enhance or establish prekindergarten programs for 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children. Second, we have included academic intervention programs for students most at risk of not meeting State academic achievement standards as a use of funds, as well as programs for students not completing secondary school. In title V, part B, we have clarified that one of the purposes of the technology grants is to provide training in the use of technology as a part of ongoing professional development. With respect to title VI and Impact Aid, we have added a provision that clarifies that school districts which have no tax base and whose boundaries are held in trust by the Federal Government are considered heavily impacted and therefore eligible for payments under the program. In the 21st Century Schools program, we have made a technical correction regarding the transferability of funds at the local level. In title VIII, we have made technical changes regarding local consolidation plans. Finally, in title VIII, we have added a study on the effects of testing on children. Mr. Chairman, I wish to thank my ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) and other Members from both sides of the aisle for their cooperation in working out the matters. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, pursuant to the rule, I offer an amendment.

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

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Chairman, let me first thank all of the Members for all their kind comments and their support of the bill that we have before us. I think that, as the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) just pointed out, we have a very sound piece of legislation that will improve the educational prospects for millions of American children. All we need to do is to have the courage to stand up and to vote for it. There are Members with different views and different visions of what the Federal Government's role in education should be. I have conservative friends who are a little hesitant about this. We have some liberal friends who are just as hesitant. And as the gentleman from California pointed out, this is the most major change in the Federal Government's role in education in the 35 years that the Federal Government has been involved. This is a big step. This will take courage on the part of Members and take courage on the part of this institution to forge our way down a new path. But I think today is the day to do it, and I think this is the bill that will put us on the right path. This bill did not get here by itself, though. All the Members worked hard but there are a select group of people who deserve to get our thanks: Sally Lovejoy, who heads up the education group on our staff; members of her staff, Kent Talbert, Christy Wolfe, Rich Stombres, Ben Peltier, Cindy Herrle, Pam Davidson, George Conant, JoMarie St. Martin, Bob Sweet, Doug Mesecar, Dave Schnittger and his team, and Paula Nowakowski, staff director. Let me also thank the Democrat staff who worked very closely with us: Charlie Barone, Alex Nock, Denise Forte, John Lawrence, Brendan O'Neil with the office of the gentlewoman from Hawaii (Mrs. Mink); Maggie McDow with the office of the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Roemer); Kara Haas, a staffer in the office of the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle); Karen Weiss with the office of the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon); and Glee Smith of the office of the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Isakson). They spent as many hours or more than the Members in terms of helping to craft this bill, to put it together, and to put us on the track where we are today, and I want to thank them for their work.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the gentlewoman from Ohio for her deep interest in this issue and her desire to meet the needs of these specific families. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich) and the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones) have also expressed their concern regarding this issue and have asked that I work with them to address the problems associated with student transiency. I think we can focus on the problem in a bipartisan manner and seek solutions that will have broad support in the Congress. I will work with the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) and our counterparts in the Senate to address the issue of transient students and the effects that multiple-family moves have on those children's education.

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

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) to complete her dialogue.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest).

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Fletcher), a member of the committee.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder), a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for his comments and pledge to work with the gentleman on this and other programs as we get into the conference.

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, if the gentleman will continue to yield, I want to thank the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Nethercutt) for bringing this to my attention and talking about the importance of distance learning. I believe strongly that distance learning is an important tool for many local school districts and students. And for this reason, this legislation places strong emphasis on distance-learning programs in the education technology grant program.

Mr. BOEHNER. I would be happy to do so.

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

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Nethercutt).

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I would be happy to work with the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker) to address this issue in conference. H.R. 1, as we know, provides for within district school choice and then allows for the establishment of cooperative agreements with neighboring school districts, to the extent practical, if there are no higher-performing schools in the original district. I understand the gentleman's concerns about meaningful public school choice in rural areas where choices are limited, and I can assure the gentleman that I will work in conference towards giving students at low-performing schools the option of transferring to another public school outside of their current school district.

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

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker).

Mr. BOEHNER. As the gentleman noted, similar language is in the Senate bill, and I would pledge to work with the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) when we get to conference to ensure ESEA legislation reflects our Nation's dire need for closing the international achievement gap in math and science. Mr. Chairman, I pledge to work to develop concrete strategies to address this important need.

Mr. BOEHNER. If the gentleman will continue to yield, the gentleman has been a leader in improving science education in our Nation's schools, and I was looking forward to working with the gentleman to debate this issue on the floor. Unfortunately, the amendment was not made in order.

Mr. BOEHNER. That is correct. I am very familiar with the gentleman's amendment.

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

Mr. BOEHNER. Mr. Chairman, I am pleased to yield 4\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers), a member of the committee.