Michael Castle

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Chairman, maybe I should stop right there. One way I think we can strengthen the laws governing gift giving from lobbyists to legislators and their staffs is to hold all individuals liable for knowingly breaking the law. Currently, Members and staff are responsible for making sure that they do not accept gifts or meals that violate the current gift limit of $50. Our amendment would also hold liable those individuals who knowingly offer gifts in violation of the law. It is simply common sense that anyone who intends to break the law should be held responsible. With this commonsense amendment, we bring intentional gift-giving violations under the civil penalties already established in the Lobbying Disclosure Act which are currently set at up to $50,000. If there is a silver lining in the clouds surrounding the recent ethics problems in Congress, it is the opportunity to enact meaningful reform. Personally, I think the bill could go much farther by establishing greater disclosure and reporting requirements. I firmly believe that full transparency has the potential to minimize abuses of the system. Unfortunately, an individual who wants to violate the law will usually find a way no matter what we do here today. Regardless, we have a responsibility to pass the strongest bill possible here today, and I think this amendment moves us in that direction. Personally, I believe in transparency. I believe in the education of everybody including lobbyists, staff members and Members of Congress. In terms of ethics laws, I believe in enforcement of the ethics laws as it involves all of us. And that is simply what this amendment does, is move in that direction. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTLE. I yield to the gentleman from California.

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

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Chairman, I agree with the gentlewoman from California. She is absolutely right. The greatest responsibility, in my judgment, is on us, Members of Congress, or on staff people or whatever. And it probably is slightly redundant, too. That is probably also correct. But the point I am trying to make here is that if everybody is educated and everybody is aware of this and everybody can be responsible for it, maybe we can prevent some of the problems from happening. Maybe we can't, but I just hope that we can. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the distinguished sponsor of the bill, the chairman of the Rules Committee, Mr. Dreier.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Chairman, finally, I would just say Mr. Gerlach and I presented almost identical amendments, and that is how it became the Castle-Gerlach, Gerlach-Castle amendment, because they were very similar. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I appreciate the opportunity to offer this amendment today. The way to prevent further abuses of power may not be readily apparent, but by adopting this commonsense amendment to require ethics training for lobbyists, we will be one step closer to achieving greater accountability and transparency. My amendment would require that all registered lobbyists complete a mandatory 8 hours of ethics training each Congress. Ethics training would entail instruction by the Committee on Standards on the code of conduct and disclosure requirements applicable to Members, officers and employees of the House, including the rules relating to acceptance of gifts, travel and meals and financial disclosure requirements. Any registered lobbyist failing to complete ethics training each Congress would be subject to penalties. If we have learned anything over these few years, we have learned that many people in many different capacities, from lobbyists to Members and even staff, abuse the laws and rules that govern this body. We are seeing high-level abuses of power, the exchange of favors and the neglect of basic ethical standards. There is absolutely no reason that we shouldn't educate registered lobbyists on the rules and laws that we have written and adopted to govern the House of Representatives. When a lobbyist registers, they are saddled with pamphlet after pamphlet of rules and regulations. What they can and cannot do is more often learned through word of mouth. Ethics training to clearly outline the rules would be welcome. With the adoption of this amendment, there will be no uncertainty about what the rules are and how to follow them. Requiring ethics training for registered lobbyists helps us begin to repair a system that has failed to regain the confidence of the American people. Mr. Chairman, I would just like to say, finally, before I yield to the chairman of the Rules Committee, that this just goes along with my whole thinking that if we can educate everybody as to precisely what these rules are, then maybe we can prevent some of the abuses. Some of them we are never going to prevent, but maybe we can prevent some of the abuses. And that is the reason for this amendment. I yield to the chairman of the Rules Committee.

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

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

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of H. Res. 781, a resolution to recognize and congratulate charter schools and their students, parents, teachers, and administrators across the United States for their ongoing contributions to education. The first known charter school opened in 1991, and in 1995 we had our first charter school in Delaware. Of the nearly 1.1 million children attending charter schools across the country, over 5,000 students attend one of our 13 charter schools in Delaware. It is clear that everyone in this country is interested in closing what we know as the achievement gap that currently exists in our schools. There is not one solution to this problem. I do believe that one avenue is to encourage innovation, which is something that our charter schools embrace. A recent Delaware study found, for the second year in a row, that Delaware's charter schools are exceeding achievement levels, with the most dramatic results in grade 10. The nature of charter schools--nonsectarian public schools of choice that operate with freedom from many of the regulations that apply to traditional public schools--has enabled many schools in the Gulf Coast to reopen. The ``charter'' establishing each school is a performance contract detailing the school's mission, program, goals, students served, methods of assessment, and ways to measure success. I was able to see firsthand how important it is for these schools to reopen, and commend those schools for taking advantage of the charter avenue. With this week being national charter schools week, it is therefore fitting that we recognize charter schools as another way to improve student achievement and increase parental involvement and satisfaction.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to Adrienne Jones, who was awarded the 2006 New Castle County Delaware Chamber of Commerce's William V. Roth, Jr. Citizenship Award. The late Senator Roth would have been extremely proud to see the award which bears his name go to such a deserving individual. Adrienne has been described by her guidance counselor at A.I. DuPont High School in Wilmington, Delaware as ``scholarly, mature, focused and friendly.'' Senator Roth conducted his business in a focused manner but always went about it in a friendly way. This is why he was able to do so much for so many people across our great nation. Adrienne has exhibited an excellent academic record in her high school studies. She possesses an outstanding work ethic and selected a quite rigorous college-preparatory curriculum including three advanced placement courses and eleven honors level courses. She also committed to the study of two foreign languages, Spanish and Latin. By the time she graduates, Adrienne will have completed seven years of foreign language study. While maintaining a full study schedule, Adrienne finds significant time to contribute to her community. Senator Roth was well known in Delaware for his tireless work on behalf of his constituents. Adrienne has earned this award by dedicating herself to community organizations such as the A.I. DuPont Hospital for Children, the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine, and the Delaware Community Foundation's Youth Philanthropy Board. I congratulate and thank Adrienne for all she has contributed to the State of Delaware. She is an exemplary citizen and a proud American. Senator Roth would have been extremely pleased with the work Adrienne has done to help her fellow Delawareans, just as I am today.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to Donald Kirtley, who was awarded the 2006 New Castle County Delaware Chamber of Commerce's Wallace M. Johnson Community Service Award. Over the past 7 decades, Don has been committed to providing better opportunities for children, improving healthcare, and expanding access to the arts for so many in the community. Don donates his time to a variety of organizations in the State of Delaware, including a 20 year affiliation with the Boys and Girls Club and a 25 year affiliation with the Grand Opera House. He has been on the United Way of Delaware's Campaign Committee numerous times and is a founding member and chairman of the board of the Arts Consortium of Delaware. His resume is truly amazing and all Delawareans are thankful for Don's service. A telling quote comes from Julie Van Blarcom, Chairwoman of the Arts Consortium of Delaware, who said ``He's an old-fashioned, committed volunteer.'' Don contributes countless hours to different causes and makes every organization he is involved with a top priority. Currently, Don is in his 2nd year as the chairman of the board of the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF), an umbrella organization that oversees many of the community service organizations in Delaware. I congratulate and thank Don for all of his contributions to the State of Delaware. He is an exemplary citizen and a proud American. I am pleased to call Don a friend and am impressed by his dedication to the causes in which he so strongly believes. Thank you, Don, for all you have done and continue to do for people of our State.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to join my colleagues in strong support of H.R. 513, the 527 Reform Act of 2006. H.R. 513 takes an important step in closing a ``soft-money'' loophole by requiring 527 groups to comply with the same federal campaign laws that political parties and political action committees must follow. In fact, the Federal Election Commission should have already done this. A federal district judge in Washington recently called for action, ruling that the Federal Election Commission had ``failed to present a reasoned explanation'' for not requiring 527 groups to register as political committees. H.R. 513 will close this FEC-created loophole that has allowed 527 groups, of both parties, to spend hundreds of millions of dollars in unlimited soft money to influence presidential and congressional elections without complying with campaign finance laws. During the last election cycle, 527 groups raised $426 million. Likewise, much of the soft money came from a relatively small number of very wealthy individuals. According to campaign finance scholar Anthony Corrado, just 25 individuals accounted for $146 million raised by Democratic and Republican 527 groups that spent money to influence the 2004 federal elections. And, we are already seeing an increase in the rate at which 527s are raising money this election cycle. If the primary role of 527 groups is to influence federal elections, which it clearly is, they must play by the same set of rules that apply to other political groups whose purpose is to spend money to influence federal elections. There should be no exception. At a time when the public is calling for transparency and accountability, no longer can we tolerate a loophole that allows this type of money from the wealthy few to unfairly influence the political process. If you voted for the Shays-Meehan/McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform bill in 2002--and 240 of us did--it would be wholly out of step to not support H.R. 513. I urge all my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 513.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to Vincenza Carrieri-Russo, for her tireless dedication to eradicate our community of illiteracy. Vincenza has accomplished amazing things in a very short amount of time. As a high school senior, she co-founded Success Won't Wait, a statewide effort to improve literacy. The program places children's books in everyday places such as doctor's offices, dance studios, auto repair shops, and hair salons. The idea is that when equipped with the proper books, these common waiting areas transform into environments where parents and children can share in the enjoyment of reading. Since its inception, Success Won't Wait has continued to expand its mission with new projects. While continuing to place children's books in offices at no charge, the organization plans to expand existing libraries and their children's book collections as well as creating more ``Independent Libraries'' like the recent installation of over 1,000 books at the Bayard House in Wilmington. Vincenza has been recognized locally as a finalist for the Delaware Jefferson Award, an honor awarded annually by the American Institute of Public Service commending outstanding public service leaders within the community. She is one of five very admirable nominees, all making exceptional contributions to the State of Delaware. No matter who is chosen as the recipient of this award, they are each deserving candidates who demonstrate that one person can truly make a monumental difference. I congratulate and thank Vincenza Carrieri-Russo for all she has contributed to the State of Delaware. Thousands of children are grateful and I am pleased to vocalize their appreciation. She is an exemplary citizen and a proud American. Thank you, Vincenza, for all you have done and continue to do for the children of our State.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to J. Randall Ward Jr., for his years of service to the United Cerebral Palsy of Delaware (UCP) organization. Randall has dedicated over 40 years of service to the United Cerebral Palsy of Delaware organization. Before Randall's efforts, the UCP's summer camp used an inaccessible swimming pool for more than 100 children and all camp activities were held in outdoor tents with portable bathrooms as the only restroom facility. Camp Manito now boasts a new campus, with a larger more handicapped accessible swimming pool. The tents have been replaced with a beautiful building equipped with many amenities, including air-conditioning and accommodations for 4 full-time staff members. Randall has been recognized locally as a finalist for the Delaware Jefferson Award, an honor awarded annually by the American Institute of Public Service commending outstanding public service leaders within the community. He is one of 5 very admirable nominees, all making exceptional contributions to the State of Delaware. No matter who is chosen as the recipient of this award, they are each deserving candidates who demonstrate that one person can truly make a monumental difference. I congratulate and thank Randall Ward for all he has contributed to the State of Delaware. Many children are grateful and I am pleased to be able to vocalize their appreciation. He is an exemplary citizen and a proud American. Thank you, Randall, for all you have done and continue to do for our State and our country.

Mr. CASTLE

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

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am offering my amendment today with the cosponsorship of Congressmen Regula, Osborne, Van Hollen, and Ford. I support H.R. 609, and I believe with passage today we will be making some good reforms for our institutions of higher learning, parents, and students. This amendment is intended to build upon these reforms and extend them into our Nation's elementary and secondary schools. Specifically, our amendment would authorize funding to recruit, select, train and support a national corps of outstanding recent college graduates of all academic majors who commit to teach in low-income communities and who hopefully become lifelong leaders for education. An example of a national teach corps that would be eligible for this funding would be Teach for America. This past summer I introduced legislation which authorizes Teach for America. Currently, funding for the program has been consistent but piecemeal. The purpose of the bill and amendment, should the organization be awarded a grant, would be to provide an efficient funding stream. Ultimately, this will help the organization grow from its current membership of 3,500 corps members in over 1,000 schools in 22 regions to 8,000 corps members teaching across 35 high-need communities. The Teach for America legislation has the support of 145 cosponsors spanning the political spectrum. The Senate has also expressed support for the program and has included language in their reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. It is my hope that today the House will show our support by including this amendment to H.R. 609. Support extends beyond Congress. This week I spent some time with Secretary Spellings who mentioned the importance of encouraging creative avenues to the classroom and specifically referenced Teach for America. The First Lady has also taught in a Teach for America classroom. What we know to be true is that a highly qualified teacher is imperative to the achievement of our students. This amendment will help us to make that more possible across the country. A study by Mathematica Policy Research showed that corps members effected greater gains than would typically be expected in a year, especially in math. This year, 19,000 individuals applied to Teach for America, including, for example, 10 percent of the senior classes of Yale, Dartmouth, and Spellman, and 7 percent of the senior class of Caltech. A majority of these students then stay on in the classroom. As we as a Nation continue to focus on closing the achievement gap, I see no better complement than a national teacher corps. I encourage all my colleagues to join me in supporting the Castle-Regula-Osborne-Van Hollen-Ford amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the distinguished gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne), who in many ways has probably taught more students, more young people than any of us.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula), the chairman of the appropriations subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education. (Mr. REGULA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier). (Mr. DREIER asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. CASTLE. To Chairman McKeon, congratulations on rising to the top of this very significant committee. I would also like to express my accolades to Sally Lovejoy, who has had occasion to straighten me out, even when I didn't want to be straightened out from time to time, and we appreciate that and do wish her the best. I do rise in support of this legislation and congratulate all those who worked hard on this, because this was a very open process with a huge number of amendments as we got to where we are now. I think it is unfortunate that we are not all together on it, but I understand how those things work. One concern that continues to rise and has done so since I came to Congress is the continuously rising cost of a college education. Tuition increases are outpacing the rate of inflation, increases in family income, and even increases in State and Federal financial aid, which have grown frequently in recent years, as we have seen. These cost increases are pricing students and families out of the college market in a time when we have reports suggesting that for the first time high school students recognize the importance of obtaining a college education. These students should not shy away because of skyrocketing costs. It is my belief that one of the best things we can do is to talk about the issue and to force transparency into the process. H.R. 609 does just that. Parents and students, as consumers, deserve the opportunity to understand why tuition is increasing at their universities and colleges. As educated consumers, it is my hope that they will in turn have the power to demand more, to demand answers and, ultimately, drive down costs. Understanding that there are many moving parts to a solution, transparency is a good step in the right direction. Truly, the Higher Education Act covers a great deal of ground, from student loans to campus-based aid to teacher education to graduate schools to international education. In such a large act, one of the most important jobs of Congress in the reauthorization is to ensure that fraud and abuse protections are in place and are working. During committee, two amendments I offered to meet this goal were accepted. The first would prevent for-profit institutions from competing for Federal funds; the second would retain and clarify what is known as the 90-10 rule. Both of these amendments were intended to recognize the evolution of the for-profit industry in higher education while protecting Federal funds. Again, I support H.R. 609 and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to Brian Hartman, a tireless advocate for people with disabilities in the State of Delaware. Brian has devoted himself, both professionally and personally, to improving every facet of life for disabled individuals. In addition to his work as project director for the Disabilities Law Program, Brian is also committed to other volunteer programs working with families and children in difficult situations. Brian is deeply involved in each of his cases, one mother who was a client of Brian's recalls that, ``from the date of [the] hearing forward . . . we could call Brian day or evening and he would respond.'' The Disabilities Law Program of Delaware is lucky to have such a dedicated individual serving as its director. Brian has been recognized locally as a finalist for the Delaware Jefferson Award, an honor awarded annually by the American Institute of Public Service commending outstanding public service leaders within the community. He is one of five very admirable nominees, all making exceptional contributions to the State of Delaware. No matter who is chosen as the recipient of this award, they are each deserving candidates who demonstrate that one person can truly make a monumental difference. I congratulate and thank Brian Hartman for all he has contributed to the State of Delaware. Many disabled Delawareans and their families are grateful and I am pleased to be able to vocalize their appreciation. He is an exemplary citizen and a proud American. Thank you, Brian, for all you have contributed to the families of our State.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to John Larock, whose work has been invaluable in forming and maintaining Miracle Workerz, a nationally recognized science and engineering mentoring program focusing on an international robotics competition. In 1993, John began a DuPont sponsored Explorer Post which grew in 2000, to become a team. This team is affiliated with the international robotics competition, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). Each year, John recruits adult volunteers who reach out in the community and inspire young students to pursue the fields of science, technology and engineering. His success is a direct result of making learning fun. John is also known for being a leader who encourages others to participate in community service. His positive outlook, tremendous vision, and unlimited energy create an environment where people want to contribute to the achievement of others. John has been recognized locally as a finalist for the Delaware Jefferson Award, an honor awarded annually by the American Institute of Public Service commending outstanding public service leaders within the community. He is one of five very admirable nominees, all making exceptional contributions to the State of Delaware. No matter who is chosen as the recipient of this award, they are each deserving candidates who demonstrate that one person can truly make a monumental difference. I congratulate and thank John Larock for all he has contributed to the State of Delaware. Hundreds of young people are grateful and I am pleased to be able to vocalize their appreciation. He is an exemplary citizen and a proud American. Thank you, John, for all you have done and continue to do for the children of our State.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to pay tribute to Tom Duffy, a tireless advocate for children in the State of Delaware. Since March of 2000, Tom has served as a court appointed special advocate in Delaware's Family Court. He has represented over 20 children from numerous families and works diligently to protect their best interests. Tom goes above and beyond the call of duty by paying close attention to all aspects of a child's life, monitoring everything from safety to education. His top priorities are always happiness and safety for the child. In a legal system often overwhelming to the children it serves, Tom is able to explain complicated situations in a gentle manner. His dedication and skill has eased the fears of many children over his years of service. Tom has been recognized locally as a finalist for the Delaware Jefferson Award, an honor awarded annually by the American Institute of Public Service commending outstanding public service leaders within the community. He is one of five very admirable nominees, all making exceptional contributions to the State of Delaware. No matter who is chosen as the recipient of this award, they are each deserving candidates who demonstrate that one person can truly make a monumental difference. I congratulate and thank Tom Duffy for all of his contributions to the State of Delaware. Many families are grateful and I am pleased to be able to vocalize their appreciation. He is an exemplary citizen and a proud American. Thank you, Tom, for all you have done and continue to do for the families of our State.

Mr. CASTLE

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in support of Senate 2363, a bill that would extend the Education Flexibility Partnership Act, also known as Ed-Flex. This important bill will allow States that have already been approved for the Ed-Flex program to continue to participate until the No Child Left Behind Act is reauthorized and the issue of appropriate administrative flexibility can be re-examined by Congress. As some of you may know, Ed-Flex provides greater State and local flexibility when using Federal education funds to support locally designed comprehensive school improvement efforts. This increased flexibility is provided in exchange for increased accountability for results. Specifically, Ed-Flex allows the Secretary of Education to delegate the authority to States to waive certain Federal statutory or regulatory requirements affecting the State and local school districts and schools, if they have adopted challenging academic standards and strong provisions for holding schools accountable for student achievement. I would also like to point out that there are some provisions of Federal law that cannot be waived under the Ed-Flex program. Those provisions include requirements relating to fiscal accountability standards, equitable participation by private school pupils and teachers, parental involvement, allocation of funds to States and local school districts, as well as health, safety and civil rights. I am pleased that my home State of Delaware is one of the States that has been participating in the Ed-Flex program. They have used the additional flexibility provided by Ed-Flex to better serve students and schools with a high level of poverty. I urge all of you to support the bill. In exchange for accountability, we can give States and local schools increased flexibility and more freedom from unnecessary and burdensome Federal regulations that can so often get in the way of attaining educational excellence. I ask my colleagues to support this resolution. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2363) to extend the educational flexibility program under section 4 of the Education Flexibility Partnership Act of 1999.