Pete Hoekstra

Mr. HOEKSTRA

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

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself 1 minute just to respond to my colleague from Connecticut. As he well knows, this $64 million appropriation has nothing to do with enlisting people for this year to be a part of national service. That is a distortion of where this $64 million is going. This $64 million is going for mismanagement of the trust fund and accounting changes that have not been fully examined by the authorizing committees to determine whether the problems have been fixed. My colleague knows very well that I support the reauthorization of the corporation, and we are working together on the reforms that need to be put in place so that we can be proud of the organization and the promise that they make to our young people. This is to fix abuses within the program that have occurred, and this is not saying no to community service. This is saying a big yes to community service, but let us make sure that we do it right. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn).

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 1104, the Child Abduction Prevention Act, which strengthens the punishment and consequences of criminals who dare to harm our children. An important provision of H.R. 1104 doubles the authorization level for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which serves as the national resource center and clearinghouse to aid missing and exploited children and their families. The Center is a private, nonprofit organization, mandated by Congress, working in cooperation with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention within the Department of Justice. It is a critical resource for aiding the over 18,000 law enforcement agencies throughout the Nation in their search for missing children. According to statistical data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, from its inception in 1984 through the end of 2002, the Center handled 1,718,784 telephone calls through its national Hotline 1-800-THE-LOST. It trained 179,685 police and other professionals and distributed over 27 million issue-based publications. The Center has also worked with law enforcement on 87,513 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery of over 71,000 children, an incredible success rate of more than 80 percent. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is uniquely positioned to access vital information to aid in the search and recovery of missing kids. It is the only child protection nonprofit organization with access to the FBI's National Crime Information Center Missing Person, Wanted Person and Unidentified Person Files, the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, and the Federal Parent Locator Services. Additionally, it is the only organization operating a 24-hour, toll-free Hotline for the recovery of missing children in cooperation with the U.S. Justice Department. It is also the sole organization operating a 24-hour, toll-free child pornography tip line in cooperation with the U.S. Customs Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Please join me in voting for and supporting H.R. 1104.

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House of March 25, 2003, I call up the bill (H.R. 14) to amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to make improvements to and reauthorize programs under that Act, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we are here today to consider H.R. 14, the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003, which reauthorizes and improves the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, CAPTA, the Adoption Opportunities Program, the Abandoned Infants Act, and the Family Violence Prevention and Treatment Act. Consideration of this bill today is appropriate and timely, as next week begins National Child Abuse Prevention month. Unfortunately, the House and Senate were unable to reach agreement on all issues pertaining to the reauthorization of CAPTA and FVPSA at the end of last Congress. The bill before us today shows our efforts and commitment to ensuring that programs aimed at the prevention of child abuse and neglect continue. I would like to thank my colleagues on both sides for their hard work and efforts in developing this legislation under consideration today. I especially want to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), the full committee chairman, for his continued support of our efforts in moving this bill forward; the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood) for his diligence in ensuring that infants born addicted to alcohol or drugs receive necessary service; and of course my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), the ranking member of the full committee, for his support in quickly bringing this bill before us; and also the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa), who again in somewhat of irregular order consented to bypass the subcommittee and enable this bill to come right to the full committee and now come to the House. I thank him very much again for his partnership, and as we complete this bill today, it will now enable us to move on to other issues within the committee, so I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) very much. H.R. 14 provides for the continued provision of important Federal resources for identifying and addressing the issues of child abuse and neglect and for supporting effective methods of prevention and treatment. It also continues local projects with demonstrated value in eliminating barriers to permanent adoption and addressing the circumstances that often lead to child abandonment. Mr. Speaker, this bill emphasizes the prevention of child abuse and neglect before it occurs. It promotes partnerships between child protective services and private- and community-based organizations, including education and health systems to ensure that services and linkages are more effectively provided. H.R. 14 appropriately addresses a growing concern over parents being falsely accused of child abuse and neglect and the aggressiveness of social workers in their child abuse investigations. It includes language to increase public education opportunities, to strengthen the public's understanding of the child protection system, and appropriate reporting of suspected incidents of child maltreatment. The bill fosters cooperation between parents and child protective service workers by requiring caseworkers to inform parents of the allegations made against them. It improves the training opportunities and requirements for child protective services personnel regarding the extent and limits of their legal authority and the legal rights of parents and legal guardians. It also ensures the safety of foster and adoptive children by requiring States to conduct criminal background checks for prospective foster and adoptive parents and other adult relatives and nonrelatives residing in the household. Lastly, this bill expands adoption opportunities to provide for services for infants and young children who are disabled or born with life-threatening conditions and requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study on the annual number of infants and young children abandoned each year and extends the authorization for the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act. I want to thank my colleagues for their work on this bill and urge them to join me in supporting this effort to improve the prevention and treatment of child abuse and family violence by supporting H.R. 14, the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay), an individual who has a passion for helping all of our children and who has demonstrated a real caring for abused and neglected children in America.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood), a member of the full committee and a gentleman who helped us work through this legislation.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 14.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, just in closing, some may ask, what is the Federal Government's role in this? Do we not realize that dealing with these kinds of issues is done at the local level, that it is done at the State level? And they are absolutely right. What we want to do tonight is we want to recognize the tens of thousands of caseworkers and social workers who each and every day wrestle with these kinds of issues and how they help these children, how they help these families address these very serious problems. What we are doing here tonight, what comes out of the CAPTA bill, is that at the Federal Government level we do research, we identify best practices, we provide technical assistance, we provide funding for demonstration projects. All of these things are intended to help the States and help those workers at the local level, that when they are involved in these cases that they come up with the right set of answers, the right sets of proposals, to help the child, to help the family, and to help the community forward. That is where the Federal Government can provide a helping hand to address this very, very serious problem. So, in closing, I thank the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa), I thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), and I thank the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) and the staff on both sides of the aisle for working in a very collaborative way to get this bill done. I look forward now to joining with my colleagues in passing this bill out of the House and bringing it to the other body and, soon, either being in a conference committee or being at the White House for the President to sign this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1104, the Child Abduction Prevention Act, which strengthens the punishment and consequences of criminals who dare to harm our children. An important provision in H.R. 1104 doubles the authorization level for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which serves as the national resource center and clearinghouse to aid missing and exploited children and their families. The Center is a private, non-profit organization, mandated by Congress, working in cooperation with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention within the U.S. Department of Justice. It is a critical resource for aiding over 18,000 law enforcement agencies throughout the nation in their search for missing children. According to statistical data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, from its inception in 1984 through the end of 2002, the Center handled 1,718,784 telephone calls through its national Hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST; trained 179,685 police and other professionals; and distributed 27,834,762 free, issue-based publications. The Center has also worked with law enforcement on 87,513 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery of 71,141 children--an incredible success rate of more than 80 percent. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is uniquely positioned to access vital information to aid in the search and recovery of misisng kids. It is the only child protection non-profit organization with access to the FBI's National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Missing Person, Wanted Person, and Unidentified Person Files; the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS); and the Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS). Additionally, it is the only organization operating a 24-hour, toll-free Hotline for the recovery of missing children in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice. It is also the sole organization operating a 24-hour, toll-free child pornography tip-line in cooperation with the U.S. Customs Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Clearly, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children does our country and our nation's families a great service, and I urge my colleagues to assist the Center by supporting H.R. 1104.

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my colleague, Congressman Vernon J. Ehlers of Grand Rapids, MI, on receiving the prestigious 2002 Philip Hauge Abelson Prize. The Abelson Prize is awarded annually to honor a public servant for exceptional contributions to advancing science, or a scientist for a distinguished career of scientific achievement. It is granted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world's largest general scientific organization and publisher of the journal, ``Science.'' This award is much deserved. Congressman Ehlers received his Ph.D. in nuclear physics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1960. In 1966 he began teaching at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, MI and later became chairman of the college's physics department. Following a distinguished career in teaching, scientific research and community service, Congressman Ehlers joined this body in 1994, becoming the nation's first research physicist elected to Congress. He serves the 3rd Congressional District of Michigan, which directly borders the district I represent. While serving, Congressman Ehlers has employed his scientific expertise to the benefit of our country. In 1997 the House Speaker selected him to review and restate the nation's science policy. The study, ``Unlocking Our Future: Toward a New National Science Policy,'' was the first full policy statement on federal science and technology by the U.S. Congress. In addition, he currently serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, Technology and Standards for the House Science Committee. Mr. Speaker, Congressman Ehlers brings to this body both a unique scientific background and a strong commitment to use his knowledge and abilities for the public good. Please allow me to congratulate him once again on his most recent honor and thank him for his exemplary public service.

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Burns), a new member of the subcommittee.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, today the House will consider H.R. 13, the Museum and Library Services Act of 2003, which authorizes Federal assistance to museums and libraries through fiscal year 2009. H.R. 13 maintains the modest, but essential, Federal support for museums and libraries across the country. It authorizes funds for the one Federal agency, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, devoted exclusively to museums and libraries, and encourages model cooperation between museums and libraries. Last Congress, the Committee on Education and the Workforce reported a bipartisan authorization bill that had 94 cosponsors. It was supported by the administration and was endorsed by the American Library Association, the chief officers of State library agencies, and the American Association of Museums. To complete our work from last Congress, I introduced H.R. 13, the Museum and Library Services Act of 2003. H.R. 13 has 126 cosponsors, makes several modifications to current law to streamline and strengthen museum and library services, and will help build on the bipartisan progress made by the committee during the 107th Congress. Generally, this legislation authorizes the Federal Library and Museum program under the Institute of Museum and Library Services. More specifically, H.R. 13 requires the director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services to establish procedural standards for making grants available to museums and libraries which will prohibit projects that are determined to be obscene from receiving funding, ensures that library activities are coordinated with activities under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, consolidates Museum and Library Advisory Board activities under a single statute, authorizes the director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services to present national awards for library service and national awards for museum service, and ensures that administrative funds are also used to conduct annual analyses of the impact of museum and library services in order to evaluate and identify needs and trends of services provided under IMLS-funded programs. I believe there is broad support for this reauthorization legislation, because museums and libraries are a vital part of our society. Attendance at America's museums is now at more than 865 million visits per year, and today's 21st century library is not merely a provider of books. Instead, the typical library coordinates a complete and comprehensive approach to community development and services. The Library Services and Technology subtitle is the only Federal program solely devoted to supporting libraries. This legislation assists libraries in providing crucial services to the communities they serve. Throughout our Nation, libraries are at the forefront of reading and family literacy programs; and importantly, libraries serve as essential links to the business community, assisting with job creation and training programs, and assisting with business development initiatives as well. They are also critical for many people with disabilities, providing them with specialized materials and resources that are obtainable in a single location. For older Americans, libraries provide a place to interact with others, use the Internet, and receive services. For those persons of limited resources or who live in remote areas, libraries provide access to books and reference materials, computers and the Internet, and community-based social services that are often available nowhere else. The Museum and Library Services Act also supports museums in their educational role and assists museums in modernizing their methods and facilities so they are better able to conserve the cultural, historical, and scientific heritage of the United States. Museums play an important role in its education of people of all ages. Specifically, most American museums provide K through 12 educational programming, with most using local and State curriculum standards to shape their programs. Additionally, museums increasingly partner with libraries to offer joint educational opportunities for adults, as well as children. The Museum and Library Services Act of 2003 makes commonsense reforms to authorize museum and library activities, includes provisions important to Members on both sides of the aisle, and reauthorizes a program that should be supported by this Congress. I would like to thank all those who participated in this process, including the ranking Democrat on the committee, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the American Library Association, the chief officers of State library agencies and the American Association of Museums. They deserve a great deal of the credit for this bipartisan bill before us today. I look forward to moving this legislation through the House and working with the Senate to complete an authorization bill that President Bush will support, so that we can ensure that our Nation's museums and libraries are getting the best assistance we are able to provide from the Federal level. I would also like to thank the staff that has worked on this bill. I look forward to working with the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) on other legislation that will come through the subcommittee. We really did not work on this, we took a lot of what we did in the last Congress on this bill, but I really appreciate starting off in such a positive way on this bill, and also on the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act that the House will consider sometime in the next couple of weeks. I think it is a great start for this subcommittee. I look forward to working with my colleague on other legislation that will come before the subcommittee and am sure we will have the same kind of bipartisan effort on that legislation, especially the Corporation for National Community Service which our subcommittee will consider this year. I think this is a great start. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H.R. 13.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the order of the House of March 4, 2003, I call up the bill (H.R. 13) to reauthorize the Museum and Library Services Act, and for other purposes, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, excuse me for interrupting, but before the gentleman continues with his remarks, I think it would be appropriate that the House recognizes that the gentleman from New York (Mr. Owens) is well-versed in this area, I believe being the only librarian, professional librarian, as a Member of the House of Representatives. I would like to congratulate the gentleman and make that reference before the gentleman continues his remarks. I thank the gentleman for being down here.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Kelly).

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I thank my colleague for helping us move this bill and encourage all of our colleagues to vote in support of this reauthorization.

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Gibbons).

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 13.

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing a bill to reauthorize federal assistance to museums and libraries through fiscal year 2009. The Museum and Library Services Act of 2003 maintains the modest but essential federal support for museums and libraries across the country; authorizes funds for the one federal agency--the Institute of Museum and Library Services--devoted exclusively to museums and libraries; and encourages model cooperation between museums and libraries. Last Congress, the Committee on Education and the Workforce reported H.R. 3784, the Museum and Library Services Act of 2002. That bill had 94 cosponsors, was supported by the Administration, and was endorsed by the American Library Association, the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies and the American Association of Museums. The Museum and Library Services Act of 2003 makes several modifications to current law to streamline and strengthen museum and library services, and will help build on the bipartisan progress made by the Committee during the 107th Congress. Generally, this legislation authorizes the federal library and museums program under the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Specifically, the Museum and Library Services Act of 2003: Requires the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services to establish procedural standards for making grants available to museums and libraries (ensuring that the criteria are consistent with the statutory purposes); Prohibits projects that are determined to be obscene from receiving funding; Ensures that library activities are coordinated with activities under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001; Consolidates museum and library advisory board activities under a single statute; Authorizes the IMLS Director to issue National Awards for Library Service and National Awards for Museum Service; and Ensures that administrative funds are also used to conduct annual analyses of the impact of museum and library services to evaluate and identify needs and trends of services provided under funded programs. The Museum and Library Services Act of 2003 makes common sense reforms to authorized museum and library activities, includes provisions important to Members on both sides of the aisle and reauthorizes a program that should be supported by the Congress. I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle cosponsor the Museum and Library Services Act of 2003. 1 look forward to completing this legislation this Congress so we can ensure that our nation's museums and libraries are getting the best assistance we are able to provide from the federal level.

Mr. HOEKSTRA

Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, today I introduce the ``Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003'' to reauthorize the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA), the Adoption Opportunities program, the Abandoned Infants Act, and the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). Unfortunately, last Congress the House and Senate were unable to reach agreement on all issues pertaining to the reauthorization of CAPTA and its related programs and acts. The bill I am introducing today once again puts forth our bipartisan effort and ongoing commitment to ensuring that programs aimed at the prevention of child abuse and neglect continue. The Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003 supports the continued provision of important federal resources for identifying and addressing the issues of child abuse and neglect, and supports effective methods of prevention and treatment. It also continues local projects with demonstrated value in eliminating barriers to permanent adoption and in addressing the circumstances that often lead to infant abandonment. This bill emphasizes the prevention of child abuse and neglect before it occurs. It retains language promoting partnerships between child protective services and private and community-based organizations to ensure that services are more effectively provided, and retains important language supporting public education on child abuse and neglect by strengthening the public's understanding of the role of the child protection system and appropriate methods for public reporting of suspected incidents of child maltreatment. This bill also continues to foster cooperation between parents and child protective services workers by requiring case workers to inform parents of the allegations made against them, and improves the training opportunities and requirements for child protective services personnel regarding the extent and limits of their legal authority and the legal rights of parents and guardians. Lastly, this bill ensures the safety of foster and adoptive children by requiring states to conduct criminal background checks for prospective foster and adoptive parents and other adult relatives and non-relatives residing in the household. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to back this important bipartisan legislation that supports improved services for children and families in the prevention and treatment of child abuse, neglect and family violence.