Virginia Foxx

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Grothman), a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg), a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. It is not we who are misleading the American people or scaring the American people. Just read the regulation, which says that schools are not allowed to prevent a person from participating in an education program or activity consistent with the person's gender identity. There are exceptions to the general policy included in the regulations, but athletics are not included among the exceptions. We are not misleading or lying. The other side is misleading. It is true the Biden administration has proposed a separate rule on athletics, but it is also true the Biden administration is using that proposed rule to mislead the American people and Congress into thinking athletics aren't affected by the rule this resolution would stop. Thankfully, the American people can see through the Biden administration's attempts to mislead. We have an opportunity to pass this resolution and protect women's sports. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Owens), chair of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Good), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Michigan (Mrs. McClain), a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield an additional 15 seconds to the gentlewoman from Michigan.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Moran), a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman from Tennessee an additional 15 seconds.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Tenney).

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Burchett).

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lopez), our newest Member in Congress.

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Madam Speaker, we have heard a lot of misleading comments today, as I said earlier--misleading verging on untruths. The Department isn't following court precedent. In Bostock, the Supreme Court specifically warned against applying its decision in that case to Title IX or any other civil rights law preventing sex discrimination. In addition, there is currently a split among Federal appeals courts on this issue. In January of last year, the Eleventh Circuit held that a school district's policy requiring people to use the bathroom that corresponds with the student's biological sex is allowed under Title IX. As I said earlier, we are not misleading or scaring the American people. All people have to do is read this regulation to see that schools are not allowed to prevent a person from participating in an educational program or activity consistent with the person's gender identity. There are exceptions, but athletics are not included. A biological man can announce that he feels like a girl or a woman and go into the bathroom with women and girls if he chooses to do so based on this rule. In addition, three separate Federal district court judges in three separate cases have already taken action to block the rule from going into effect in the States involved in those cases, which has been alluded to. One judge called the regulation ``an abuse of power.'' The other judge called the regulation ``an attempt by the executive branch to dramatically alter the purpose and meaning of Title IX.'' Madam Speaker, this resolution to overturn President Biden's Title IX rule is a necessary step to keep the spirit of Title IX alive. My colleagues have eloquently talked about that. H.J. Res. 165 is about fairness, safety, and ensuring that the playing field remains level for everyone. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr Speaker, I rise to acknowledge members of the Associated Equipment Distributors from all over the country who came to D.C. for their annual fly-in. These great men and women are entrepreneurs who provide millions of pieces of equipment to all kinds of industries in our country every year that help our country's economy. They deserve our admiration and thanks. They certainly have mine.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge members of the Association of Equipment Distributors from all over the country who are in D.C. this week for their annual fly-in. In fact, some of them are joining us in the gallery tonight. These great men and women are entrepreneurs who provide millions of pieces of equipment to all kinds of industries in our country every year that help our country's economy. They deserve our admiration and thanks. They certainly have mine.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Fred Manocherian, an entrepreneur, innovator, and a role model without peers. More than 60 years ago, he founded the National Road Safety Foundation, an organization that holds the mission of educating individuals of all ages about the risks of dangerous driving behaviors. The information, resources, and efforts spurred by Fred's work have saved lives and have helped educate countless Americans while creating safer communities in the process. Fred Manocherian deserves to be commended for his efforts and for his longstanding commitment to helping create a safer society for Americans of all ages. He and his wife, Jennifer, have inspired their children to broaden their philanthropic efforts into other areas, such as healthcare, and they have made a tremendous impact in doing so. All Americans should be immensely grateful for Fred Manocherian, his family, their examples, and all they have done for others.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge members of the Association of Equipment Dealers from all over the country who are in D.C. this week for their annual fly-in. In fact, some of them are joining us in the gallery tonight. These great men and women are entrepreneurs who provide millions of pieces of equipment to all kinds of industries in our country every year that help our country's economy. They deserve our admiration and thanks. They certainly have mine.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, employers across all industries are looking for qualified workers to fill in-demand jobs. Job creators are consistently finding that skills-based credentials can successfully, oftentimes more effectively, prepare workers for success on the job. It is not just employers who are recognizing the value of upskilling. A recent poll found that 82 percent of American voters are in favor of bolstering the Nation's workplace development programs. The Education and Workforce Committee is proud to spearhead this effort with legislation like the A Stronger Workforce for America Act, which makes critical updates to the Nation's workforce development system. Additionally, the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act will help connect low-income students and workers with the experiences and programs they need to gain relevant skills for in-demand jobs. In conjunction, these pieces of legislation will be transformative for America's workforce and prepare more Americans for success in the 21st century economy.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, this week, we celebrate and recognize the impact of the 8,000 public charter schools across the country. Charter schools offer students and their families a crucial alternative to the one-size-fits-all education model. About 4 million students benefit from charter school education, 60 percent of whom are from low-income communities. In a clear testament to the effectiveness of charter schools, a recent study found that charter school students gain an additional 16 days of learning and reading and 6 days of math per year over their traditional public school peers. I thank all the advocates across the country who are working tirelessly to expand charter school access. Their work is vital for the parents who desire more options and for the students who are now able to learn in an environment best suited to their individual goals and needs.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, America's colleges and universities are experiencing an explosion in anti-Semitism, including explicit support for terrorism. That these taxpayer-funded institutions have become forums for promoting terrorism is unacceptable. Campus life has become a daily trial of intimidation and harassment for America's Jewish students. Two months ago, nine brave Jewish students described for the Education Committee how their schools have become hostile environments that include death threats and physical attacks. At numerous schools, unlawful encampments now disrupt learning and endanger students. At Columbia, a campus rabbi warned Jewish students to leave campus. A Jewish Yale student was stabbed in the eye. The Antisemitism Awareness Act would provide a needed tool to help better determine anti-Semitic intent, which in turn would help ensure the safety of Jewish students. I commend Representative Lawler for this bipartisan, bicameral bill, and I urge its passage.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize Jack Miller, an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and champion of civic education. He founded the Jack Miller Center, a nonpartisan, nonprofit dedicated to reinvigorating education in America's founding principles and history, an education vital to thoughtful and engaged citizenship. He recognized that the future leaders of our Nation lack a fundamental understanding of the founding principles of our Republic as well as our history. Madam Speaker, we can agree that Mr. Miller's endeavor is of paramount importance, and it underscores a serious demand that we prepare future generations of Americans to become both informed and engaged citizens. Thank you, Mr. Miller, for your continued work in ensuring that America's bedrock principles remain alive and revered.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on S. 2051.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act, which authorizes the support for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, NCMEC. NCMEC is the national clearinghouse and resource center for protecting missing and exploited children. Protecting our country's most vulnerable children has long been a national priority. That is why Congress created the Missing Children's Assistance Act, MCAA, in 1984 to provide Federal coordination of State and local efforts to recover and support missing and exploited children. At the opening ceremony for NCMEC, President Reagan proclaimed, ``All Americans, and especially our youth, should have the right and the opportunity to walk our streets, to play and to grow and to live their lives without being at risk.'' Ever since, NCMEC has dutifully served as the national resource center to find missing children, reduce child sexual exploitation, and prevent child victimization. Reauthorizing the MCAA is imperative in today's times of unparalleled and evolving threats to children, both online and out in public. S. 2051, the Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023, is bipartisan legislation that renews the MCAA through fiscal year 2028 and takes critical steps in helping NCMEC better respond to crimes affecting children across the country. A companion bill, H.R. 5224, was introduced in the House by Representatives Bean and Courtney, and I thank them for their work on this important issue. S. 2051 would improve NCMEC's ability to assist law enforcement to identify, locate, and recover missing and exploited children; develop educational materials to reduce the risk of child sex trafficking, online enticement, sexual extortion, and cyberbullying; provide education and technical assistance for conducting background checks on individuals working with children; offer support services to missing and exploited children and their families; and facilitate requests to have child sexual abuse material removed from the internet. In fact, NCMEC's commitment also extends globally, collaborating with international organizations to combat the issue of child exploitation. Such collaborations ensure a united effort against international trafficking threats, particularly in a world increasingly interconnected online and ever evolving with the advent of artificial intelligence. When President and CEO of NCMEC Michelle DeLaune was asked by the Education and the Workforce Committee at a recent hearing how concerned on a scale of 1 to 10, she was about AI threats to children, DeLaune responded an 11. Earlier this year, Big Tech CEOs testified before the Senate and received sharp criticism for rampant child exploitation on their platforms. Those CEOs have blame to share, but the House of Representatives has a duty to fulfill. Passing the Missing Children's Assistance Reauthorization Act of 2023 means we will ensure NCMEC has the tools needed to protect America's most vulnerable children today and in the future. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, while Women's History Month was in March, the impact that the women on the Education and the Workforce Committee have can be felt every day. I would like to take this time to highlight the accomplishments and legislative wins that Congresswomen on the Education and the Workforce Committee have secured. When Congresswoman Stefanik was elected in 2014, she was the youngest woman ever elected to Congress and is currently the youngest woman to serve in top House leadership. This Congress, she coauthored the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act, which will tackle workforce gaps and equip students with transferable skills. Congresswoman Steel was the first Korean American to be elected to Congress and has continued to pave the way ever since. Her bill, the DETERRENT Act, passed the House and will prohibit foreign adversaries from using monetary incentives to infiltrate U.S. universities. Congresswoman Letlow is the first woman to represent Louisiana in the House in more than 30 years. As a former education professional, she saw the need to increase transparency and expand school choice options. She authored the Parents Bill of Rights Act to restore parents' presence in their children's education and the Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act to aid the charter school application process. Congresswoman Houchin has been a leader in her community for years and served in the Indiana State Senate for 8 years before her time in Congress. Language from her Students Bill of Rights Act, which codifies free speech protections on college campuses, was recently passed by the committee. Congresswoman Miller of Illinois is a conservative champion, local farmer, and vice chair of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Her work on the Parents Bill of Rights Act was vital to its passage and enshrines parents' right to make decisions for their children. Additionally, her work to protect women's sports has been instrumental. She will lead a Congressional Review Act resolution to overturn the Biden administration's dangerous and unfair Title IX policies that allow biological males to compete in women's sports. Before her time in Congress, Congresswoman McClain spent more than 30 years growing her own successful business from the ground up. She currently serves in House leadership and authored legislation to save taxpayers from Biden's $559 billion student loan transfer scheme. Prior to her time in Congress, Congresswoman Chavez-DeRemer served as Happy Valley's first female and Latina mayor. She is the first Republican woman from Oregon elected to Congress. This Congress, her Health DATA Act was passed by the House to increase transparency in the health insurance marketplace. This committee is dedicated to advancing opportunities for women both in the workplace and throughout their education. The remarkable women who serve on the committee play an indispensable role in that mission, and I thank them for their tireless work on behalf of the American people.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6655) to amend and reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, as amended.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of A Stronger Workforce for America Act. I thank Ranking Member Bobby Scott for his bipartisan work on behalf of America's workforce without which this bill would not be on the floor today. Bobby and I decided on day one that while we will not always agree on every issue, we will work diligently in the areas in which we find common ground. It is safe to say we agree that workforce development is too important an issue not to get something done. I thank each and every member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce. Due to their efforts, we were able to pass the bill through the committee on a wide, bipartisan vote. Now it is the turn of the full House. Mr. Speaker, A Stronger Workforce for America Act owes its bipartisan appeal to two main features: its principles and its promises. The principles of this bill are firmly rooted in increased efficiency, innovation, and accountability in the workforce. A Stronger Workforce for America Act will bolster the efficiency of the workforce system by dedicating 50 percent of funding to upskilling workers. Skills are becoming the currency of the labor market and the key to unlocking career success, yet too few of the taxpayer dollars provided to the workforce system currently are being spent developing the skills of our workforce. By elevating skills development, this bill will deliver more opportunities for Americans to prepare for good-paying jobs. Moreover, this bill gives States more flexibility to innovate and to support employer-led initiatives. Empowering States and employers is the best way to ensure the workforce system is nimble and adaptive in the modern economy. Also, it will enhance the performance accountability system in the law that has suffered from nearly a decade of delayed implementation and low expectations, meaning States and local workforce boards will truly be held accountable for the labor market outcomes they produce. Efficiency, innovation, and accountability are the shared bipartisan principles A Stronger Workforce for America Act rests on. Now for the promises: A Stronger Workforce for America Act is a bill for those who believe in the incredible, boundless potential of the American workforce. This is the American workforce that smelted the steel that built the engine that propelled man to the Moon in a Saturn V rocket. This is the American workforce that has repeatedly dropped its tools and its livelihoods on a moment's notice to go fight in service to our country. This is the American workforce that put the world in our pocket when it created the iPhone, a transformational tool that has revolutionized the way we communicate and that has enabled drones, smart homes, self- driving cars, and more. It is our constant duty and our promise never to forget, neglect, or discount the American workforce. American workers built this great Nation. They deserve nothing but the best opportunity to succeed as rapid changes in the modern economy necessitate new skills in order to keep pace. Therefore, the legislation before us today should be seen in that light. It is a promise that as the economy changes, we will always ensure that workers have an opportunity to gain the right skills for the job. Therefore, Mr. Speaker, I urge passage of A Stronger Workforce for America Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.