Virginia Foxx

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding time. I rise in support of the Smarter Solutions for Students Act, renamed as the Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act by the Senate. It's about time that bipartisanship on this issue won the day in Washington. Earlier this year, my colleagues and I warmly welcomed the President's ideas to settle how student loan interest rates are calculated. Referencing his plan and his premise that student loan interest rates should be permanently free of politics and set using market interest rates, we introduced, and a bipartisan House majority passed, the Smarter Solutions for Students Act in May, well before rates were scheduled to double on July 1. Our friends in the Senate were on a much different schedule. Rather than immediately building on the striking similarities between President Obama's initial proposal and the House Republican solution, Senate Democrats chose infighting over completing this important work. July 1 came and went without any agreement from the Senate. Rates doubled. But advocates of common sense and bipartisanship made a better case. Last week, Senate Democrats finally chose to support a permanent, market-based solution much like what the President had originally requested and practically identical to our Smarter Solutions for Students Act. Campaign promises and political posturing should not play a role in the calculation of student loan interest rates. As we've seen, Washington's involvement in the rate-setting equation is a recipe for uncertainty and confusion. Borrowers deserve better. The Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act will apply predictable, market-based interest rates to all Federal Stafford and PLUS loans, ensuring that student and parent borrowers will be able to capitalize with certainty on low rates while being shielded from high rates by specified caps. From personal experience, I know that paying for college is hard work. It's getting harder as tuition and fees increase, and the vast majority of American households are feeling that pressure. The need for solutions to help ease the challenge of college affordability is especially acute in today's jobless economy. Many recent graduates took out loans with the expectation that they would be able to find a job to pay off their debt. Now, many find themselves among the 53 percent of their peers struggling with un-or underemployment. Like our colleagues across the aisle, we want every student to have the necessary, honest information they need to make an informed decision about the financial obligations they voluntarily assume, and we want taxpayer subsidies for higher education to be well-spent, not wasted. Now, with interest rates settled permanently for students and taxpayers, the Higher Education Subcommittee I chair will continue to look for and promote solutions to help bring clarity to college costs for all students and families considering the investment. Students, families, and taxpayers deserve a long-term student loan solution, not more can-kicking from Washington. The Bipartisan Student Loan Certainty Act, like the House-passed Smarter Solutions for Students Act, puts an end to temporary fixes and campaign promises that have failed to strengthen our Nation's student loan system. This legislation offers students simplicity and predictability as they prepare to pay for college. The American people deserve the clarity, certainty, and protection guaranteed by this legislation. I urge a ``yes'' vote.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, it is not surprising that many Americans think the Federal Government is out of touch. Washington is filled with unelected regulators who have never owned a small business or created a job. These regulators are disconnected from the costs their rules impose on small businesses, which amount to roughly $8,000 per employee each year. Regulators fail to see that each unnecessary, duplicative, or contradictory rule they impose forces American entrepreneurs to waste time and money satisfying government instead of hiring new employees or investing in their families. The American people are asking, ``Where are the jobs?'' and they are asking for a government that makes sense. No one is asking for more redtape. House Republicans don't just talk about jobs. We defend them, and we take action to make it easier for job creators to grow and hire. Cutting back Washington's redtape is part of that work.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the ongoing Cyprus problem. Another year has passed, and yet again Members of Congress are speaking out in support of resolving this problem. As co-chair of the Congressional Caucus on US-Turkish Relations and Turkish-Americans, I wish to join my colleagues in these efforts. A positive resolution of this matter would enhance the stability, security, and economic integration in the Eastern Mediterranean region and ensure the equitable and effective sharing of natural resources. Many of my colleagues have grown frustrated over the years by the lack of progress toward a negotiated political settlement. Perhaps the greatest frustration was caused by the failure of the UN peace initiative in 2004, when--despite the strong approval of the Turkish Cypriots--Greek Cypriots overwhelmingly rejected the Peace Plan and defeated the initiative. If it had been approved by the both sides, the UN Peace Plan of 2004, which was strongly supported by the United States and the international community, would have established a bi-zonal and bi-communal state, demilitarized the island and settled the very issues that many of my colleagues have raised in recent weeks in conjunction with Cyprus. In a report issued in May 2004, the UN Secretary General stated: ``In the aftermath of the vote, the situation of the Turkish Cypriots calls for the attention of the international community as a whole, including the Security Council.'' The report also noted that ``[t]he Turkish Cypriot vote has undone any rationale for pressuring and isolating them.'' Meanwhile, on April 26, the General Affairs Council of the European Union declared that: ``The Turkish Cypriot community has expressed their clear desire for a future within the European Union. The Council is determined to put an end to the isolation of the Turkish Cypriot community and to facilitate the reunification of Cyprus by encouraging the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot community.'' Yet we cannot let frustration deter us from moving forward. I applaud The Turkish Cypriots for their willingness to move forward and their continued commitment to a negotiated political settlement. I am also encouraged by the newly elected Greek Cypriot President's previous support of the 2004 Peace Plan. Mr. Anastasiades now has a genuine opportunity to not only support a comprehensive settlement, but to achieve it. The economic difficulties that have gripped Southern Cyprus this year should not be an obstacle to peace. On the contrary, as many experts say, they offer a good reason to take the path of cooperation. A united Cyprus would increase economic growth and provide stability in an important region--for the United States and our allies. And while it will be up to the Greek and Turkish Cypriots to decide on their common or separate futures, the United States' interests in the region require an active involvement and engagement in the process. The U.S. should use its best influence to encourage all relevant parties in Cyprus to launch comprehensive peace talks without any further delay. Mr. Speaker, I hope this time next year we will be able to applaud the ultimate resolution of the 40-year-old Cyprus problem.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, the Federal Government is not the master puppeteer of higher education, though a litany of burdensome regulations suggest that's what it's angling for. We all want college to be more affordable and we want to ensure students throughout the country who work hard have the opportunity to attend a high-quality school. But Federal attempts to regulate those goals into existence unilaterally are counterproductive and costly. Restrictive regulations stifle pioneering institutions at a time when forward-thinking solutions are desperately needed to meet the changing demands of an increasingly diverse American student body. With less punitive Federal intervention, Congress will be able to work carefully with students, families, educators, and higher learning institutions to address the issues of college affordability, accountability, and transparency during the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. The administration should think outside the box with us so that education can be more accessible and affordable. We should start by reducing the size of the costly regulatory footprint in higher education.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, on the rollcall vote, No. 386, for Rep. Poe's amendment to H.R. 2397, I inadvertently voted ``no,'' when I intended to vote ``yes.''

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, the White House, this week, is dusting off the old talking points on jobs and the economy. Hopefully, they will undergo a few revisions. The President should strike all references to stimulus because that certainly hasn't worked to create jobs. Tax increases, EPA regulations, and any claims that ObamaCare will spur job growth should also be removed. Practical experience tells us those strategies are as empty as the promises used to sell them. Today's Washington Post includes a sobering indictment of the President's economic handling thus far: The only part of the Obama economy that has flourished because of Obama policy is Wall Street. What about Main Street? What about small businesses? What about working families? Working families want affordable health care. Working families don't want the government regulating their jobs out of existence just because Washington looks down on their industry. House Republicans have a plan for the economy that defends working families. The White House should consider our ideas.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, the White House announced this week that President Obama will be returning his focus to jobs and the economy; but he's not planning to do this by removing red tape from job creators, withdrawing his opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline, or by repealing ObamaCare. He's planning to do this by giving speeches. Speeches don't turn the economic tide. Speeches devoid of policy proposals won't help the 4.3 million Americans who've been without a job for more than 6 months. Speeches also won't undo the damage ObamaCare is already doling out to small businesses and working families. The particularly lethargic recovery our Nation is trudging through is the economic signature of the Obama Presidency. Rather than blocking American energy or defending ObamaCare, the President should try something new--working with House Republicans to advance our plan for economic growth and jobs. The American people deserve a thriving economy and economic growth. House Republicans have a plan to get us there. The President should take note.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I'm going out on a limb here and say that North Carolina teachers, parents, and administrators know more than the suits in Washington about North Carolina students' needs. It's a shame that Federal law often stands in the way of local educators having the flexibility they need to innovate and serve students. It's a greater shame, though not a surprise, that Federal intervention has done little to improve student performance. House Republicans aren't just going to comment on the problem or propagate a system where waivers, like Band-Aids, patch bad Federal laws. We're going to change the law. H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, takes steps to reduce the Federal Government's one-size-fits-all footprint in education. It empowers parents, supports effective teachers, and restores local control. Children across this country are directly impacted by broken Federal education policies. There's no excuse to let the brokenness continue.

Ms. FOXX

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Many of my Republican colleagues and I feel that the Federal Government should be out of education altogether, but that is not what we are recommending here. Rather, H.R. 5 is a reasonable first step in empowering the people closest to the students to make decisions for those students. That being said, as long as taxpayer money is being used by the Federal Government to fund education, Congress must ensure that funding recipients are being held accountable for how they use that hardworking taxpayer money. Washington must live within its means just as families all across this country do, and limited resources require wise stewardship. Again, those closest to the students--parents, teachers, principals, local school boards, school district leaders, and States-- know what works best for their diverse student populations. The Student Success Act recognizes this by allowing States to develop their own accountability systems that incorporate three broad parameters: an annual measure of the academic achievement of all public school students against State academic standards; an annual evaluation and identification of the academic performance of each public school in the State based on student academic achievement; a school improvement plan to be implemented by school districts when schools don't meet the State standards. These broad accountability measures not only serve to steward taxpayer money carefully but ensure parents have the information needed to make the best decisions about their schools' education. Let's give control back to the people who know the needs of their students and communities best, and let's pass this rule and underlying bill. We tried it the other way, and it hasn't worked. Control from Washington has not brought us improvement in our educational programs. Mr. Speaker, my background as an educator, school board member, mother, and grandmother reinforces my belief that students are best served when people at the local level are in control of education decisions. I also believe that education is the most important tool Americans at any age can have. I was the first person in my family to graduate from high school and go to college, where I worked full time and attended school part time. It took me 7 years to earn my bachelor's degree, and I continued to work my way through my master's and doctoral degrees. From my own experience, I am convinced this is the greatest country in the world for many reasons, not the least of which is that a person like me, who grew up extremely poor in a house with no electricity and no running water, and with parents with very little formal education and no prestige at all, could work hard and be elected to the United States House of Representatives. No legislation is perfect, and that is why I look forward to working with my colleagues to address their concerns and improve the Student Success Act through the amendment process. However, I have never been one to let the perfect be the enemy of the good, and while H.R. 5 isn't perfect, it's a step in the right direction of reducing the Federal role in education, empowering parents, teachers and local school districts, and increasing local control. That's why I am a proud cosponsor of this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this rule and the underlying bill. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution.

Ms. FOXX. We do not, Mr. Speaker.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. It is really puzzling why our colleagues continue to misrepresent what H.R. 5 does when the public can read the bill and know the truth. For example, our colleagues have said that H.R. 5 eliminates protections for students with disabilities, low-income students, and students from major racial and ethnic groups. This charge is simply false. The Student Success Act maintains annual testing requirements in reading, math, and science. It also maintains the law's requirement that schools in districts disaggregate and report subgroup data on student performance. This ensures student achievement results for special needs students and other traditionally disadvantaged populations are transparent and parents and communities have the information they need to evaluate their schools properly. Critics of this approach believe in the now widely discredited premise captured in No Child Left Behind that the Federal Government can and should devise an accountability system appropriate for all of the nearly 100,000 public schools in the country. Frankly, Mr. Speaker, that is one of the most widespread criticisms of what we have known as No Child Left Behind, which was really a reauthorization of this bill several years ago. It is puzzling to me that they continue to criticize what is bad about what exists and yet say they want to do it again. It doesn't make any sense. H.R. 5 is based on a different premise that true education reform comes not from the top down, but from the bottom up. Acknowledging that Washington can't fix schools does not mean we are backing away from our strongly held belief that schools should have standards to which they are accountable and that those standards should be equally applied across all school groups. It means we must empower and trust States and communities, those closest to the classroom, to develop an accountability and school improvement system that best meets the educational needs of their students. All of the wisdom of the world is not in Washington, D.C., Mr. Speaker. It is out there in the country. It is out there with the local people, with the American people who are very bright and know how to do things for themselves. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 5 continues the charter school, magnet school, and tutoring programs to provide parents with more choices in educating their children. Along with parental involvement, encouraging and supporting effective teachers in the classroom is critical to student success in quality education. Most Americans can regale you with stories of their favorite teachers who made a lasting impact on their lives. H.R. 5 also supports the development and implementation of teacher evaluation systems that are designed by States and school districts with input from parents, teachers, school leaders, and other stakeholders. In addition to evaluation systems, the Student Success Act reduces confusion and duplication by consolidating teacher quality programs into a single, flexible grant program to be used by States in school districts to support creative approaches to recruit and retain effective educators. The recurring theme throughout this legislation is empowering the people closest to students to make decisions for their communities and ensuring that the law is flexible to meet the needs of diverse States, regions, and student populations. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Our colleagues have said that H.R. 5 guts education funding. That is not accurate. H.R. 5 authorizes funding for all programs under the act as the final appropriated amount for ESEA programs in FY 2013. Those amounts are level-funded for the 6-year life of the bill. While authorizing spending for the act at the final FY 2013 level, H.R. 5 prioritizes Federal spending by protecting core programs. Title I aid for the disadvantaged, as well as targeted population programs: migrant education, neglected and delinquent, English-language acquisition, Indian education, and rural education are authorized at FY 2012 levels. Additionally, because the bill consolidates many existing programs, funds currently spent on those lower priority programs have been used to increase the authorization for these core programs. As a result, our bill would authorize more spending--I'll emphasize--more spending for these core programs in FY 2014 than the President's own FY 2014 budget proposal. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. No, not until I finish. However, I appreciate the gentleman's strong feelings on the issue and respect his desire to protect students. Mr. Speaker, I am proud of this bill, and I'm proud of the open and transparent process by which it has been brought up for consideration. I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, Republicans do agree that schools should be safe places for all students to learn. However, as my friends and colleagues know, the amendment to which they have been referring had several parliamentary problems when it was introduced. To begin with, it was not germane to the underlying bill. Additionally, it violated CutGo provisions in House rules. My understanding is that although the CutGo issues were ultimately resolved, the amendment was not redrafted to fix the germaneness problem. For these reasons, the amendment was not made in order.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Over the last four decades, the Federal Government's role in elementary and secondary education has increased dramatically. The Department of Education currently runs more than 80 K-12 education programs, many of which are duplicative or ineffective. As a school board member, I saw how the vast reporting requirements for these Federal programs tie the hands of State and local leaders who want to make the best education available for their students. Since 1965, Federal education funding has tripled; yet student achievement remains flat. More money is clearly not going to solve the challenges we face in education. Our children deserve better. It's time to acknowledge more taxpayer dollars and more Federal intrusion cannot address the challenges facing schools. H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, will streamline the Nation's education system by eliminating more than 70 duplicative and ineffective Federal education programs; cutting through the bureaucratic red tape that is stifling innovation in the classroom; and granting States and school districts the authority to use Federal education funds to meet the unique needs of their students. The bill also requires the Secretary of Education to identify the bureaucrats in Washington who run the programs to be consolidated or eliminated in H.R. 5 and eliminate those positions to ensure that the bureaucracy shrinks with the programs. Additionally, this legislation will take definitive steps to limit the Secretary's authority by prohibiting him or her from coercing States into adopting academic standards like the Common Core. It also halts the executive overreach in the waiver process by prohibiting the Secretary from imposing extraneous conditions on States and local districts in exchange for a waiver. The Student Success Act protects State and local autonomy over decisions in the classroom by removing the Secretary's authority to add new requirements to Federal programs. Mr. Speaker, Federal policy should not tie the hands of local educators to make the best decisions for their students and communities. H.R. 5 is a step in that direction. I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. I yield the gentleman an 30 additional seconds.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I now would like to yield 4 minutes to my distinguished colleague from Georgia (Mr. Collins).

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to our distinguished colleague from Tennessee, Congresswoman Blackburn.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to my distinguished colleague from the Education Committee and the great State of Wisconsin (Mr. Petri).

Ms. FOXX. House Resolution 303 provides for a structured rule providing for consideration of H.R. 5, the Student Success Act. Mr. Speaker, my colleagues on the House Education and the Workforce Committee and I have been working to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Our efforts in reauthorization have centered on four principles: reducing the Federal footprint in education, empowering parents, supporting effective teachers, and restoring local control. H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, ensures that local communities have the flexibility needed to meet the needs of their students. This legislation reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as ESEA, for 5 years, while making commonsense changes to update the law and address some of the concerns following the last reauthorization. Despite good intentions, there's widespread agreement that the current law is no longer effectively serving students. Instead of working with Congress to reauthorize ESEA, the Obama administration began offering States temporary waivers in 2011 to exempt them from onerous requirements in exchange for new Federal mandates from the Department of Education. These waivers are a short-term fix to a long-term problem, and leave States and districts with uncertainty about whether they will again be subject to the failing law, and if the administration will change the requirements necessary to receive a waiver. It is time to give students, parents, teachers, and school districts certainty to make decisions and flexibility to make the best decisions for their communities. H.R. 5 is a step in the right direction and will provide this certainty and flexibility. Since Republicans returned to the majority in the House in 2011, we've held 20 hearings on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The committee considered five reauthorization bills in four markups in the 112th Congress, in addition to a markup and favorabe reporting of H.R. 5 this year. I'm pleased to work with my colleagues on the Rules Committee to report rules for floor debate and the consideration of legislation that promote transparency and participation. I urge my colleagues to support this rule and the underlying bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis), pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 303 and ask for its immediate consideration.