Russ Carnahan

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to have my name removed as a cosponsor of H. Res. 106.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of this rule and of the underlying bill. I am proud of H.R. 2881, The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2007, and I commend Chairman Oberstar and my good friend, Subcommittee Chairman Costello, for their thorough work on this legislation. Our committee has worked very hard on this bill. We held many hearings and heard from countless representatives of the aviation industry--including airlines, manufacturers, airports, labor groups, and passenger coalitions. The result of those hearings was this fine piece of legislation, which I am proud to support. As we have heard today, this legislation provides the foundation for the transition to the Next Generation Air Transportation System. This summer, as airline passengers faced unprecedented delays, we better understand the heightened importance of completing Next Gen. With 1 billion annual passengers expected by 2015, the transition from a radar-based system to satellite navigation is essential to maintain the strength of the aviation industry and provide our constituents with predictable flying conditions. This bill allows an historic level of funding in order to prepare our Nation's airspace for the future. I would also like to thank the Chairman for including, at my request, Seniority List Integration language in the Manager's Amendment. Nearly 7 years ago, American Airlines bought TWA--a great airline which had a long history of service in my home State of Missouri. Without any labor protections to look after their interests, TWA employees were unfairly stapled to the bottom of the combined work groups' seniority lists. As many airlines were forced to downsize in the aftermath of September 11th, these TWA employees, many with decades of service, lost their jobs as more junior American Airlines employees were retained. The result was the furlough of thousands of my constituents. Given this unfortunate situation, it is appropriate that this bill provide long-needed labor protections ensure that a similar situation does not happen in the future. By providing for ``fair and equitable'' integration of seniority lists, we protect the employees of the purchased airline--without entering Congress into the complicated issue of how seniority should be defined. This language means that future airline mergers will not result in the unfair treatment of one labor group. H.R. 2881 represents a bi-partisan agreement to maintain the strength of our Nation's aviation industry. I urge support for the Rule and for the underlying bill.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, yesterday this House made the historic step of reauthorizing the Children's Health Insurance Program, known as SCHIP, so we can give 10 million low-income children health care. This plan not only ensures current enrollees do not lose coverage, but it will help cover 3 million additional children in low-income families who are currently eligible for the program but not yet enrolled. Unfortunately, President Bush has threatened to veto the bill over and over. He instead supports his own plan which would actually result in thousands of low-income kids losing their health care coverage, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. It is also important to mention that the plan we passed is fully paid for. This is in stark contrast to the over $400 billion that the President has already asked the taxpayers to spend in Iraq. In fact, for the cost of just over 3 months in Iraq, we could insure these 10 million children for 5 years without adding to our Nation's debt. Madam Speaker, it is time for the President to reconsider his ill- advised veto threat and pledge to protect health coverage for America's children in need.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Chairman, for purposes of the record, I would like to register my opposition to H.R. 1908, the Patent Reform Act of 2007. I would like the record to further reflect that while I do support comprehensive patent reform, I cannot support legislation that so dramatically picks winners and losers. My opposition to H.R. 1908, the Patent Reform Act of 2007, stems from concerns raised that this legislation could actually undermine the value of patents, as well as innovative work conducted by universities, biotech facilities, and other companies. Many Missourians understand that research could be impeded by the passage of this bill. Indeed, a growing number of researchers and businesses agree that greater protections need to be put in place, but not in a way that risks existing patents or denies access for judicial relief. A strict one size fits all approach to this problem creates more problems than it cures, and puts companies in certain industries at an unfair disadvantage. I hope that as this bill moves through the legislative process, the disadvantages placed on certain industries are remedied, and that we have a patent reform bill that protects all U.S. businesses.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise just to add my voice in support of this bill and to submit the rest of my statement for the Record. I would like to thank my distinguished colleagues, Ms. Solis, Mr. Gilchrest, and Mr. Kirk for their work on this amendment. One of the important pieces of this bill is The ``International Climate Cooperation Re-engagement'' section, which seeks to re-engage U.S. involvement in global climate change and will work to reduce global greenhouse emissions worldwide. Our amendment will help us take another step in reducing the effects of global climate change. Numerous reports have found that climate change is directly linked to, and has a disproportionate effect on, developing countries by threatening the world's water supply and contributing to global poverty. In June 2007, the United Nations High Representative for Least Developed Countries issued a report stating that climate change was the one of the most severe threats facing the least developed countries of the world. As one of the largest greenhouse gas emitting countries in the world, it is our responsibility to help other countries adapt to the effects of global warming. This amendment will take a crucial step by requiring a report on the adaptation needs of developing countries, and developing a strategy to address those needs. Thank you and I urge adoption of our amendment.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, an interim report last week by the White House confirmed what most observers believe, that the situation in Iraq is not improving. The Iraqi Government has failed to meet the political benchmarks endorsed by the President last January. The Iraqi security forces continue to perform below expected levels. But the President continues to ask us stubbornly to stay the course. At the same time, U.S. troops are overextended, many having served multiple tours in Iraq. This is unfair to our soldiers, their families, and dangerous for our national security. As Major General John Batiste recently noted, ``Iraq is distracting America from what should be the focus . . . It is in America's best interest to rethink our national strategy, deliberately disengage from Iraq, refit and rearm the military, get serious about homeland security, and prepare to win the next phase of the struggle. Last week this House voted to do exactly that. This Democratic House joins with the American people and our retired generals in demanding a new direction in Iraq. This week the Senate can join us by supporting the Levin-Reed amendment.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Judge Ronnie White, who recently retired from the Missouri Supreme Court. Ronnie White was born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1953, and received degrees from St. Louis Community College, St. Louis University, and the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law. Judge White has a long and storied career in public service. This work included jobs as a Public Defender, at the St. Louis City Counselor's office, and as a State legislator in the Missouri House of Representatives. Since 1994, Judge White has been serving the State of Missouri as a Judge. From 1994 to 1995, he served as a Judge for the Eastern District of the Missouri Court of Appeals. He was appointed by my father, Governor Mel Carnahan, in 1995 and served on the Supreme Court of Missouri until his retirement last week. During his tenure on the Supreme Court, from 2003 to 2005, he served as the State's first African-American Chief Justice. Judge White's service to Missouri has extended well beyond being a lawyer and a Judge. He has also been dedicated to numerous other causes, having served on boards of the St. Louis Housing Authority, the Regional Justice Information Services Commission, and the Maria Droste Residence for Women. I am privileged to call Judge Ronnie White a friend, and am honored to pay tribute to him today for his great service to our State.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my deepest sympathy for the thousands who lost their lives on this, the 12th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide. We should remember all of the innocent people who were brutally killed by honoring their lives and remembering their struggle for freedom during the 3-year conflict in Srebrenica, a city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This conflict was the largest massacre and genocide of civilians in Europe since World War II. In my district, I have the largest Bosnian population outside of Bosnia today. Approximately 40,000 Bosnians reside in the St. Louis, MO, area. Of these, upwards of 5,000 are survivors of the Srebrenica massacre. As a Representative of my Bosnian-American friends in St. Louis, I understand that this tragedy continues to affect many of my constituents. We must commemorate those who died, hold those who are responsible accountable, and honor the brave survivors. It is important for us to remember this dark chapter in history to learn from it for the benefit of our future generations.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, during consideration of H.R. 2764 on the Pence Amendment thereto roll No. 540, my vote was mistakenly recorded as no; however, I intended to vote yes. I strongly support restrictions of financial aid to the Palestinian government in the West Bank and Gaza, unless the president certifies that it renounces terrorism, acknowledges the existence of Israel and abides by previous agreements reached between the Palestinians and Israel, with the exception of certain humanitarian aid. I would like the record to reflect my intent to vote yes on roll No. 540 in support of the Pence Amendment. Moreover, I voted multiple times in the 109th Congress in favor of the restrictions contained in the Pence Amendment. Furthermore, I voted in favor of final passage of H.R. 2764, which included the restrictions contained in the Pence Amendment.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Chairman, it bears repeating, the statistics we have heard so many times about the language that is in this bill and what is not in this bill. There are at least 10 provisions in the bill that prohibit U.S. foreign assistance from being used to promote or perform abortions. In many of these countries, abortion is illegal. That could not be more clear. I want to thank Chairwoman Lowey for her leadership on this bill and for including this commonsense, common ground, family planning provision to include contraceptives only, and not funding. I rise today in strong support of both the Lowey amendment and of the contraceptives-only provision in the bill, and in opposition to the Smith amendment. Under current U.S. policy, too many people in the developing world, especially Africa, contraceptives are in short supply, placing the health and well-being of millions of people at risk. President Bush has recognized the crisis and proposed a major Africa initiative. The very specific and narrowly tailored language of Chairwoman Lowey's language allows the U.S. to provide contraceptives only so NGOs can provide contraceptives in developing countries. This provision is, as I say, a commonsense, common ground solution to a very real problem. This provision will reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, help prevent abortions and help stem the spread of disease, including HIV- AIDS. The far-reaching impacts of this provision are immeasurable. This will make a substantive difference in the lives of women and families around the world by allowing them to protect themselves and plan and space their births. It will help slow rapid population growth, which results in poverty and instability. It will help stop the spread of HIV-AIDS. I urge all my colleagues who are committed to family planning to oppose the Smith amendment, vote to support the Lowey amendment and the underlying bill.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I stand to honor our Nation's veterans and one special veteran. Today, we mourn the passing of Jeff Smart, a Vietnam veteran, constituent and friend. Not only was Jeff a tireless advocate for veterans rights, he was a valuable member of my Veterans Advisory Committee in Missouri. I know that Jeff would be proud to know that last week the House came together in a bipartisan way to pass the 2008 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs appropriations bill that contained a historic increase in the VA budget. This bill included the largest single funding increase in the 77-year history of the Veterans Administration. This funding increase ensures that our veterans are given the support, benefits and resources they need and deserve. I applaud this Congress's commitment to countless veterans like Jeff Smart who will always inspire us in the years to come.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, after years of funding cuts by Republican Congresses and the Bush administration to key education, veterans, college aid and transportation programs, this House is now bringing appropriations bills to the floor that invest in the right priorities, while also remaining fiscally responsible. This week, Democratic leadership will pass the largest increase in veterans health care funding in history, a critical step in fulfilling our Nation's obligation to our service men and women, their families and our veterans. The Veterans Health Administration estimates that they will treat 54,000 more troops in 2008 than they did over the last year, including more than 263,000 veterans of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. This House is going to provide our veterans the health care services they are entitled to. We also add 1,000 new claims processors to reduce the backlog of benefit claims so that our veterans will get the services they need in a timely way. Mr. Speaker, this Congress is dedicated to fulfilling our commitment to our veterans in a fiscally responsible way.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I stand in strong support of S. 5, the stem cell research act that we have gotten from the Senate. This bill, first, I want to say, sets strong ethical standards to be followed that don't exist today. As the gentleman from Delaware stated, these embryos can't be created just for the purposes of research. They can only be produced for the purpose of reproduction and that are unused, that would otherwise be discarded as medical waste. They can only be donated, not sold, and only by the written consent of those involved. Those are strong ethical standards that don't exist today. We need them to continue this research in an ethical way. This stem cell research holds real promise to cures of so many diseases. But to unlock the full potential of this research, we must remove the artificial barriers that President Bush put in place to this research and to support the hopes of millions of Americans who work every day to survive under the burden of a life-altering diagnosis. Nearly every family in this country has been touched. My own family, I had a cousin, Betty, who suffered and succumbed to MS. My grandmother and sister have suffered from cancer. In my State of Missouri, we took the extraordinary step in 2006 to vote to amend our State constitution to include protections for research and add strong ethical standards for it. I also became involved in this debate because of the extraordinary men and women from my State, such as advocates like Bernie Frank of St. Louis, attorney and coordinator for the Parkinson's Action Network. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's 13 years ago but has been a fearless advocate. Advocates like Dr. Thy Huskey, assistant professor at the Washington University School of Medicine, she lives with this disease; and we want to continue to support this.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, there are two sets of issues coming before this Congress before we finish up our work this week. One is the President's request for a blank check to finance this war for the remainder of this fiscal year. I cannot and will not support that. This House will also consider funding for children's health insurance, gulf coast recovery and drought relief for our farmers. I will indeed support that. We have put forth a plan in this House to the President. He has rejected it time and time again. I will continue to fight. Even though this proposal before the Congress today provides benchmarks, it is not enough. Even though it requires reports to Congress in July and September, it is not enough. My pledge is for a new direction to turn this war around, to bring stronger accountability, stronger support for our troops, and bring them home safe, sound and soon.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of international family planning. In the developing world today, contraceptive supplies are often unavailable, placing the health and well-being of millions of people at risk. Currently, the global gag rule limits access to contraceptives by prohibiting the U.S. to giving family planning aid to certain foreign nongovernmental organizations. That's why I have introduced the bipartisan Ensuring Access to Contraceptives Act of 2007 with my colleague, Representative Chris Shays. Our bill carves out a specific exception to allow the U.S. to provide contraceptives to developing countries. In addition, this bill will double the amount of funding USAID is authorized to spend on these programs. I urge my colleagues to join us as cosponsors. This bill will help prevent unintended pregnancies, reduce incidents of maternal and child mortality, improve the health of women, and prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted infections.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, in the war to fight crime in this country we need more than just rhetoric. We need results. During the 1990s, thanks to the initiatives of the Clinton administration and the Democratic Congress, we significantly reduced crime nationwide after enactment of the COPS program. We put 100,000 new cops on our streets, and crime rates fell. But over the past decade, Republicans have cut the program. As a result, crime rates have increased nationwide. The Police Executive Research Forum recently released a report that found violent crime rates have risen by double-digit percentages over the last 2 years. Among the cities surveyed, 71 percent had an increase in homicides, and 80 percent saw robberies rise. Today, this House has an opportunity to show it is serious about protecting our neighborhoods by passing the COPS Improvement Act. This legislation will restore the strong anti-crime measures we enacted in the 1990s by providing funding to hire 50,000 new police over the next 6 years. Madam Speaker, the new Democratic majority isn't just talking about keeping our Nation secure; we are producing real results.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1617, which would name a post office after a true pioneer in Missouri politics and especially for women in politics, Harriett F. Woods. Ms. Woods passed away in February. It would be a fitting tribute to name a post office in her honor in the very town where her storied political career began, University City, Missouri. This was also the post office that Ms. Woods used for over 50 years. Her political career began in the 1960s as a member of the University City Council where she became the first woman appointed to the State Highway Commission. She was elected to the Missouri State Senate in 1976, where she sponsored an equal rights amendment to the State Constitution. While in the State Senate, she also passed landmark legislation which led to drunk driving laws and nursing home reform which became national models adopted throughout the country. In 1984, she was elected Lieutenant Governor, becoming the first woman elected to statewide office in Missouri history. She was a trailblazer for women in politics even after she left elected office. She served 4 years as President of the nonpartisan National Women's Political Caucus. During her tenure, the number of women elected to Congress increased dramatically, including the historic ``Year of the Woman'' election of 1992. Vivian Eveloff, Director of the nonpartisan Sue Shear Institute for Women in Public Life in St. Louis, described Ms. Woods as a strong advocate ``to encourage women of all ages, walks of life and political views to step forward and take on policymaking positions.'' Harriett Woods was a role model and inspiration to young people, but especially young women. I am proud to have introduced this legislation to name her hometown post office in her honor, ensuring that her memory and inspiration will continue to be a visible part of our community. The last time I saw our former Lieutenant Governor Woods was in Washington. She was here this past January. Even though she was not feeling well, she made an extraordinary effort to be here for the historic occasion of our new female U.S. Senator, Senator McCaskill, when she was sworn in, and also see the historic occasion of the first woman Speaker sworn into this House. It was very fitting she was here as part of those historic events. I want to make a special thanks to the many cosponsors of this bill honoring Lieutenant Governor Woods, including nearly all women Members of Congress from both sides of the aisle and the Missouri delegation. I urge all Members of this body to support the legislation.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my support for H.R. 2206, the U.S. Troops Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability appropriations Act. This legislation will fund our troops, protect our veterans, and give the much needed relief to the Gulf region while sending a clear message to the Iraqi government that they will not receive a blank check. However, I would like to express my displeasure that the bill includes a rescission of nearly $683 million in unobligated highway funds. The cost of the Iraq war has already taken too many lives and costs way too much money. Our nation's infrastructure is at a breaking point, and cannot afford to be subjected to further cuts. At a time when increased investment in our roadways is critical, this rescission hurts our Federal-aid highway program. Some roads in my District have been rated among the most dangerous in the country and it is critical that we fully fund highway improvements to ensure the safety of our constituents. I look forward to soon having the opportunity to vote to restore these funds.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Speaker, when the Democrats took control of Congress this year, we pledged that the voices of children would become a top priority for a change. This month Democrats will complete a final budget that meets our commitment to our children and abides by tough pay-as-you-go rules we reinstituted in January. This new Congress has a responsibility to clean up the fiscal mess that we inherited. Deficits matter. Over the last 6 years, the choice to live beyond our means has come at a great expense to our children who will be forced to pay off that debt. The Democratic budget says, enough with deficit spending. Unlike the President's budget, ours will be balanced within the next 5 years. First, we increase funding for our children's health care by $50 billion over the next 5 years, which will allow States to ensure millions of children who are now uninsured. And then we will provide $7.9 billion over the President's budget for education funding so we can really mean it when we say, No child left behind.

Mr. CARNAHAN

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

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I want to really thank Chairman Miller and Ranking Member McKeon for their leadership on this bill under consideration today. The Improving Head Start Act of 2007 is a very good bill, and I am pleased to be able to support it and be here today and speak on this amendment. I want to inquire first, before I got into the text of this, if there are any others that wanted to speak on our side, having just gotten into the Chamber. If not, I will proceed. I am presenting this amendment to H.R. 1429 based on recommendations I received from my district Head Start leaders to address the goal of maintaining quality in the Head Start program. My amendment would allow for Head Start grantees to negotiate a funded enrollment level with the HHS Secretary if funding for the program does not keep pace with inflation. Over the past 3 years, Head Start and Early Head Start have experienced an estimated 8 percent real decline, adjusted for inflation, in Federal funding from fiscal year 2002 through fiscal year 2007. If this trend were to continue, the decline in funding would climb to 10 percent for Head Start programs. If President Bush's budget were to become law, the Head Start programs would suffer an 11 percent cut. This decline in funding has required already efficient Head Start agencies across the country to tighten their belts even more. Sadly, local agencies are now forced to pass these cuts on to quality staff. By default, agencies are unable to compete for the best and brightest of early childhood educators, thus risking the quality of Head Start programs. Our local agencies are forced to make the worst in managerial choices. As Chairman Miller and others have pointed out, we must maintain and enhance both funding and quality. In my congressional district, I am proud to say that the four primary organizations responsible for administering Head Start services have successfully revitalized the program in the city of St. Louis. From 2001 to 2003, the enrolled number of children grew from about 1,000 to a full enrollment of 3,000 children. Unfortunately, the compensation of St. Louis area Head Start staff has lagged behind the salaries of those in comparable positions. After consulting with some of the brightest business leaders in our area, our local agencies have taken extraordinary steps to conserve costs and maximize efficiencies. Even with these steps, agencies are unable to keep staff compensation in line with inflation increases both in wages and insurance costs. Programs in St. Louis and across the country are at a serious risk of losing quality staff due to this critical situation. In fact, many of you may have agencies within your districts that have experienced worse cuts across their service lines. They have turned to cutting key staff, reducing the number of weeks they operate in a year, and reducing the number of hours they operate in a day just in order to adjust for financial constraints. We must ensure that the historic quality and strength of Head Start is not placed in jeopardy. Many of us know the vast evidence demonstrating the profound difference Head Start makes both in the lives of children served and in our local communities. I know that has been talked about at great length here in presenting this bill. I just want to close and say, I think all of us would agree that Head Start programs should not have the right to request reduced enrollment levels unless they have taken all appropriate steps to achieve efficiency first. I want to clarify that my amendment gives HHS the discretion to determine whether or not individual agencies have explored all possible solutions prior to requesting reduced funded enrollment. The grantee must demonstrate that any reduction in enrollment is necessary to maintain the quality of services. I appreciate, again, all the efforts on this bill that have brought this forth in a bipartisan way, and appreciate the amendment being considered.

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

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1867, the National Science Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2007. I really want to thank Chairman Gordon, Chairman Baird and Ranking Member Ehlers for their work on this bill. Under their leadership, our committee has produced a remarkable amount of quality legislation, including this bill before the House tonight. Our country's global competitiveness is directly linked to the ability of our math, science and engineering professionals to develop innovative technologies, policies and scientific breakthroughs. Yet while it is important to support these professionals and their industries today, it is perhaps of even greater importance to support their professions and industries of tomorrow. In order for our Nation to compete with countries around the world, we must ensure that we increase the educational opportunities for our youth to study and pursue careers in math, science and engineering, while also investing in programs to enrich the quality of these opportunities. Making both research and the education of our children a national priority is not simply an investment in these fields. Our global competitiveness is directly tied to our Nation's economy and national security. NSF plays a critical role in influencing our global competitiveness as it supports science and engineering across all disciplines. Each year NSF supports an average of about 200,000 scientists, engineers, educators and students at universities, laboratories and field sites all over the U.S., including many great institutions in my home State of Missouri. H.R. 1867 authorizes the necessary funds for NSF which will allow the agency to foster relationships between academia and industry in order to spawn U.S. competitiveness and further the Agency's traditions of education in science, technology, engineering and math, the STEM, fields. I urge my colleagues to invest in the future of our children, in our country's global competitiveness and support this bill.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the life of Martie J. ``Jay'' Aboussie, Jr., the devoted son of Martie and LeEllen Aboussie and the loving brother of Amy Aboussie. Jay earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from St. Louis University, and graduated with honors on May 14, 2005 while maintaining nearly perfect attendance in spite of his chronic health problems. Jay's family, friends, and numerous people unknown to Jay have been inspired by his bravery, courage, and deep religious faith. He refused to surrender to the debilitating physical ailments which ultimately took his life. Jay's leadership qualities and academic excellence were recognized by the Faculty and Administration of Christian Brothers College High School when they selected Jay as ``Senior of The Year'' among a class of 217 seniors. Moreover, Jay was a member of the National Honor Society and was regularly on the Honor Roll at CBC. Jay's family and high school colleagues have chosen to honor his life and preserve his memory by supporting the Martie J. ``Jay'' Aboussie, Jr. '01 Scholarship Fund at Christian Brothers College. I commend the efforts of his friends and family in honoring Jay's life to ensure that his memory lives on.

Mr. CARNAHAN

Mr. CARNAHAN. Mr. Chairman, I stand today with enthusiastic support for H.R. 362, 10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds Science and Math Scholarship Act. I want to add my thanks to Chairman Gordon and Ranking Member Hall for their leadership on this issue and continued commitment of our entire Science and Technology Committee and the Research and Science Education Subcommittee. Last year, I received a letter from a mother in New Jersey whose 14- year-old daughter was not satisfied with her education. This young girl wanted permission from her parents to move to Beijing, China, for high school because she felt like her counterparts were getting ahead of her education here in the United States. To me, this story underscores the need for our Nation to strengthen its investment in education, and it is consistent with the international statistics that we have seen of U.S. students falling behind in both the number of graduates and in academic performance with regard to science and math education. In particular, America must make a major renewed commitment to education in math and science and engineering to promote innovation and technological advancement. As public servants, our constituents have entrusted us with the responsibility of ensuring our educators have the tools they need to best serve our young people. I urge all my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation to create a brighter future for our children, expanded support for our teachers, increased innovation in our research and technology, and a stronger competitive edge for the U.S. in the growing world marketplace.