Mazie Hirono

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in strong support of the resolution. Thirty-five years ago, a college applicant could be denied admission simply because she was a woman. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 changed that. Led by the late Representative Patsy T. Mink, who had been denied admission to a medical school because of her sex, and Representative Edith Green, Congress established a principle we often take for granted today, the prohibition of sex discrimination in any federally funded educational program. Title IX requires that ``No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal assistance.'' These 35 words over the last 35 years have had a profound impact, and the results are astounding. More women than ever now attend college, which means more women than ever go on to advanced degrees. In 1972 only 9 percent of law degrees were earned by women. In the mid-1970s, when I attended law school, that number had improved. Women then had made up 15 percent of the graduating class. Today women earn almost half of all law degrees. The story is similar for medical degrees and Ph.D.s. This new generation of highly educated women has made a substantial impact on society. Expectations have changed. Girls expect to grow up and contribute to our country and the world in any way they want, as doctors, lawyers, CEOs, school principals, consultants, just to name a few careers previously underrepresented by women. Title IX also literally changed the face of athletic programs and colleges throughout the country. In fact, it is through athletics that title IX's impact has seeped into the public's consciousness. In athletics the change from 1972 to 2007 is astounding. Today, college athletic opportunities abound for young women. In the past three decades, title IX has led to a 450 percent increase in the rate of female participation in college sports and a more than 900 percent increase in participation at the high school level. And the recent surge in women's professional sports teams could not have happened without the dramatic increase in women playing college sports. The thousands of women athletes in basketball, volleyball, soccer, and other sports, where we can see them, root for them, and even play on the team with them, have had a huge impact. Young girls today take it for granted that they can play a sport and aspire to athletic scholarships to college. My own niece started playing volleyball in junior high, continued in high school, and is aiming for a volleyball scholarship to attend college. Women in my generation did not even consider this a possibility. Title IX opened the door to higher education for women in many ways, including through athletic scholarships. These successes, both academic and athletic, are worth celebrating, as are the women who came before us here on the House floor as leaders of the title IX movement. In 2002, after Representative Patsy T. Mink passed away, Chairman George Miller introduced a bill that named title IX the ``Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act.'' This picture of Patsy hangs in my office. She was my friend and continues to be an inspiration to me. I am proud to represent the congressional district that Patsy represented for so long and so well. I know that if she were here today, she would remind us that our work is not done. There are many challenges still to be addressed. Women continue to face substantial barriers, especially in high-wage fields such as science, technology, engineering, and math. Women own less than 30 percent of all U.S. firms. Women make up only a third of chief executive officers and less than 20 percent of engineers. Sexual harassment remains pervasive in schools and on college campuses. Women's and girls' sports teams still receive only 33 percent of recruiting dollars and 38 percent of athletic operating dollars. Title IX is as necessary today as it was in 1972. I am pleased that over 120 of my colleagues are cosponsors on this resolution, including Speaker Pelosi. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in celebrating title IX's successes and in recognizing the work still to be done in our march towards equal educational opportunities. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the remainder of my time.

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 406) celebrating the accomplishments of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, also known as the Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, and recognizing the need to continue pursuing the goal of educational opportunities for women and girls.

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, before I yield back the balance of my time, I would just like to clarify that I am the original sponsor of this measure.

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Utah for his remarks in support of the resolution. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa).

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2284, which will amend the Small Business Act to improve the assistance provided by Small Business Development Centers to Indian tribe members, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians. This bill will provide management, technical and research assistance to small businesses owned by Indian tribe members, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians and ensure them full access to existing business counseling and technical assistance available through the Small Business Development Center program. Mr. Speaker, in a recent report by the distinguished Visiting Senior Fellow at the East-West Center and Emeritus Professor at the University Hawaii, Dr. Seiji Naya, the poverty rate for Native Hawaiians was 15 percent in 2005 while the state average was 9.8 percent. Native Hawaiians accounted for 27 percent of the total State population in poverty. The per capita income for Native Hawaiians was only 67 percent of the state average. In terms of per capita income, 32 percent of Native Hawaiians earned less than $10,000 in 2005 compared to only 18 percent for Non-Native Hawaiians. Native Hawaiians are committed to changing these statistics through innovative educational and entrepreneurial programs. One of the most promising government programs that will enable them to do this is the Small Business Act, particularly Section 8(a) which has given Native Americans an opportunity to participate in the economy of this country by providing a fair chance to obtain federal contracts. As a result, hundreds of Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian entrepreneurs have been given the opportunity to demonstrate their business capabilities, while providing valuable services and products to the government and the private sector. The Native Hawaiian organizations that have taken advantage of the 8(a) program have provided hundreds of new well-paying jobs for Native Hawaiians and Non-Native Hawaiians alike. Many Native Hawaiians have received training in new marketable skills. The profits from these enterprises have been plowed back into the Native Hawaiian communities to provide essential social, health and cultural benefits traditionally funded by government or not at all. H.R. 2284 will provide the necessary assistance to help make sure that these worthy programs continue to grow and expand as much as possible by providing needed assistance and business expertise. I urge unanimous approval of this measure.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Early Childhood Educator Loan Forgiveness Act of 2007. We have paid a lot of attention to reauthorizing the No Child Left Behind Act so far this year. One of the disturbing things we often hear in these discussions is how far behind our students are when compared with their peers around the world. Another problem we have talked a lot about is the persistent achievement gap between well-off, White children and everyone else in this country. Last month Speaker Pelosi hosted a National Summit for America's Children, where we heard from leading child development experts about the importance of providing high-quality early education opportunities to boost success in school and in life. Science shows definitively that a majority of brain development occurs in the first few years of life, and that influences--positive or negative--in these formative years can last a lifetime. We were reminded at the summit that ``getting it right'' in the early years is ``far more advantageous than trying to fix things later.'' Kindergarten teachers know from first-hand experience what scientists know from their research: Often when 5 year olds enter school, there is already a noticeable achievement gap between those students from more privileged backgrounds and those from disadvantaged households. Too often, working families cannot afford to send their children to a high quality preschool, so the youngsters end up spending their formative years in the care of family members--often untrained in early childhood development. The resulting hours in front of a television certainly do not stimulate the positive neural activity needed for healthy brain development. Not only does this experience limit the child's potential for success in school, it also hurts our country. Children without a high quality early education experience are less likely to contribute to the economy, more likely to commit crimes, and more likely to experience poverty and the poor health that goes with it. Scientists, economists, teachers, and parents tell us that we must invest in our country's future by funding increased access to high- quality early childhood education. And yet, time and time again, I hear from the early education community in Hawaii that even with more classrooms and more money, they could not make real progress toward serving every family who wants to send their children to preschool because they don't have enough qualified teachers. We know that a highly qualified teacher makes a huge difference for children. We owe it to them to have a teacher who knows what he or she is doing. Unfortunately, there are strong economic barriers to increasing the number of qualified early education workers. When students are choosing a career, it is unlikely that they will decide to take on the thousands of dollars in educational debt for a job that will pay so little. The average preschool teacher makes less than janitors, secretaries, and many other workers with only a high school diploma. As the saying goes, ``it just doesn't add up.'' We can change the equation. We can start by providing loan forgiveness to students who get a degree in early childhood education or a related field and then teach in low income communities, where the real need is, for 5 years. This bill will do just that. Cost is not the only prohibitive factor for prospective early education teachers. In some places there are simply no training programs available. Our teachers' colleges are not prepared to turn out the number of quality teachers we will need if we are to make a real investment in early education. Further, even with a more robust workforce, States would not have the money they need to implement high- quality early education standards, build the facilities, and run the programs. I am working with Chairman Miller and others on the Education and Labor Committee to address these problems in other pieces of legislation. But while we work on all the other issues, we cannot wait to pass this bill. It is a necessary first step because its benefits will not accrue immediately--training new teachers will take time. I urge my colleagues to support this bill so that we do not miss a chance to make real progress toward closing the disturbing achievement gaps our children face--both amongst themselves and when compared with their peers around the world.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the North Maui Coastal Preservation Act of 2007, a bill directing the National Park Service to study the suitability and feasibility of designating certain lands along the northern coast of Maui, between Sprecklesville and Paia, as a unit of the National Park System. The citizens of Maui strongly support preservation of this coast, which provides important open space and public beach areas. Thousands of post cards in support of creating a national park or national seashore along this coast have been sent to me and to my predecessor. This beautiful coastline is under significant development pressure. Its closeness to major population centers in Maui and its popularity with both visitors and residents makes protecting access a major concern. Supporters of this park have asked that it be named after Congresswoman Patsy Takemoto Mink, a native of Maui who grew up in the Hamakua Poko/Paia area. While this bill, which authorizes a study, does not direct what the prospective national park would be named, I would certainly support naming it after Patsy Mink, whose commitment to the people of the island and state was without question. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1252, the Federal Price Gouging Prevention Act. I am a proud cosponsor of this bill, which makes it illegal for any company to sell gasoline at excessive prices or to take advantage of market conditions by increasing prices during an energy crisis. It allows the Federal Trade Commission and the States' Attorneys General to bring lawsuits against corporations that charge excessive prices for gasoline. The bill also permits investigations of companies suspected of price gouging and requires honest and accurate reporting of pricing practices. In the first month of the 110th Congress, the House took away $14 billion in taxpayer subsidies from the oil companies. This money will be reinvested in alternative, renewable energy sources. Yesterday the House passed a bill by a bipartisan 345-72 vote, a bill that authorizes the Justice Department to take legal action against OPEC state-controlled entities and governments that conspire to limit the supply or fix the price of oil. Hawaii's consumers pay some of the highest gasoline prices in the Nation. In 1998, the State of Hawaii filed a lawsuit against the major oil companies operating in our state. The lawsuit revealed that 22 percent of an oil company's nationwide dealer profits came from Hawaii, a state that represented only 3 percent of the market. Clearly, Hawaii's consumers were contributing an excessive share of the company's profits in relation to market share. Since President Bush took office, gas prices have more than doubled, and previous Congresses have failed to protect consumers from price increases. For the first time in years, Congress has begun exercising its oversight responsibilities. This is important given that the six largest oil companies made $30 billion in profits for the first quarter of 2007, on top of the $125 billion in record profits for 2006. I urge my colleagues to vote for this bill, which aims to reduce the burden of high energy costs on American families and businesses, build on efforts to increase energy efficiency, lessen our dependence on foreign oil, and cut greenhouse gas emissions in the longer term.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1700, the COPS Improvement Act of 2007. I would like to thank the chief sponsors of this legislation, Congressmen Weiner and Keller, for their efforts in bringing this bipartisan bill to the floor today. Congress created the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program as part of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-322). Administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, the COPS program awards grants to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to hire and train community policing personnel, implement new technologies to combat crime, and develop new policing techniques. Since its establishment, the COPS program has been widely hailed as a success. It most notably has supported the hiring of over 120,000 additional police officers and helped contribute to a nationwide decrease in the rate of violent crime. In Hawaii alone, COPS grants have helped to hire 522 additional police officers and sheriffs and placed 18 new resource officers in primary and secondary schools throughout the islands. Yet funding for this successful program has become a yearly Congressional battle. President Bush's latest FY 2008 budget request seeks to cut funding for the COPS program by 50 percent, which is actually an improvement from previous years in which program funding was simply zeroed out. In justifying the COPS program funding cut, the administration has often cited the need to refocus our energies on homeland security issues. However, our State and local law enforcement agencies play an increasingly significant role in homeland security through their already established roles in local crime prevention and investigation. It is not unreasonable to suggest that State and local law enforcement entities are among our first lines of defense in keeping our homeland secure. To that end, it is the responsibility of this Congress to continue to support and strengthen the COPS program. H.R. 1700 is an affirmative step in this direction, as it would authorize $1.15 billion each year in years 2008 through 2013 for the COPS program. This is a 10 percent or $103 million increase from the amounts authorized in current law. Of that amount, $600 million would be allocated each year for the hiring of additional law enforcement officers. It is estimated that this amount will translate into at least 50,000 new police officers on our streets. H.R. 1700 would also allow for up to $350 million annually for grant programs that improve crime- fighting technologies and up to $200 million each year to assist district attorneys in hiring prosecutors. In closing, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of H.R. 1700, as it supports the work of law enforcement officers across our Nation. I would also like to extend a heartfelt mahalo (thank you) to our State and local law enforcement officers who serve our Nation with distinction and aloha.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce a resolution celebrating the 35th anniversary of Title IX of the Education Act Amendments of 1972. Thirty-five years ago, a college applicant could be denied admission simply because she was a woman. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 changed that. Led by the late Representatives Patsy T. Mink and Edith Green, Congress established a principle we often take for granted today--the prohibition of sex discrimination in any federally funded educational program. The results are astounding. In 1972, only 9 percent of JDs were earned by women. Today women earn almost half of all law degrees. In fact, I am one of the many women able to go to law school because of Title IX. The story is similar for MDs and PhDs. There are also, of course, the athletic opportunities. Here too, the change from 1972 to 2007 is astounding. Today, college athletic opportunities abound for young women. And the recent surge in women's professional sports teams could not have happened without the dramatic increase in women playing college sports. These successes--both academic and athletic--are worth celebrating, as are the women who came before us here on the House floor as leaders of the Title IX movement. In 2002, after Representative Patsy T. Mink passed away, Chairman Miller introduced a bill that named Title IX the ``Patsy Takemoto Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act.'' I have a picture of Patsy hanging in my office. She is an inspiration to me. And I know that if she were here today she would remind us that our work is not finished. There are many problems still to be addressed. Women continue to face substantial barriers, especially in high wage fields such as science, technology, engineering and math. Sexual harassment remains pervasive in schools and on college campuses. Women and girls' sports teams still do not receive an equal share of resources. Title IX is as necessary today as it was in 1972. I am pleased to have over 100 original cosponsors on this bill, including Speaker Pelosi. I urge the rest of my colleagues to join me in celebrating Title IX's successes and in recognizing the work still to be done in our march toward equal educational opportunities.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 1873, the Small Business Fairness in Contracting Act. This bill creates a competitive bid process in the federal marketplace by restricting the ability of federal agencies to generate contracts that are too large for small businesses to compete effectively. Within the last 7 years, larger firms have benefited from the bundling of contracts while the total number of contracts received by small businesses has declined nationwide by 55 percent. H.R. 1873 increases the goal for small-business participation in federal contracts to at least 25 percent and requires the Small Business Administration to work with government agencies each fiscal year to establish and meet contracting goals that benefit small businesses. Small businesses represent the overwhelming majority of businesses in Hawaii and play a vital role in economic growth for the state. H.R. 1873 will provide increased opportunities for Hawaii's small business community to compete for federal contracts that formerly were bundled and ended up going to larger out-of-state corporations. Of course, this bill will help small businesses throughout the country compete for their fair share of federally funded projects. I urge my colleagues to support this measure.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker I rise in support of H.R. 1294, the Tomasina E. Jordon Indian Tribes of Virginia Federal Recognition Act of 2006. This bill will confer long-delayed Federal recognition to the Chickahominy Indian Tribe, the Chickahominy Indian Tribe Eastern Division, the Upper Mattaponi Tribe, the Rappahannock Tribe, Inc., the Monacan Indian Nation, and Nansemond Indian Tribe. The members of these tribes were thriving before the arrival of the first European settlers. They entered into treaties with the settlers, but as has happened all too often throughout Native American history, they lost their lands to the newcomers. In many cases, to correct the injustice, Congress recognized its obligation to these Native Americans and funded programs benefiting them, but without Federal recognition. This bill will finally begin to make amends to these proud tribes by granting Federal recognition. This bill will permit members enrolled as tribal members to receive benefits applicable to Indians or nations, Indian tribes or bands of Indians without regard to the existence of a reservation and regardless of the location of the residence of any tribal member on or near any Indian reservation. This is only fair. The physical location of any member should not dictate whether he or she who may be otherwise entitled to and in need of assistance, should receive benefits entitled to the Tribe. This bill also prohibits gaming on the tribal land. It permits the Secretary of the Interior to take any land into trust for the benefit of any member of the Tribe. The bill will finally grant the protections and benefits long denied the six Indian tribes for want of Federal recognition. The experience of these tribes is similar to that of Native Hawaiians. To correct the injustices suffered by the indigenous people of Hawaii, my distinguished colleague from Hawaii, the Honorable Neil Abercrombie, and I have introduced H.R. 505, which will lead to Federal recognition of Native Hawaiians. We believe that the time has long passed when all indigenous people with similar histories of sovereignty lost and homelands taken are recognized and afforded the protections they deserve pursuant to Congress' plenary powers over Indian Commerce authorized by the Constitution of the United States. I strongly urge passage of this important legislation.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to join my fellow Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, CAPAC members, and my other colleagues in celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. I'd like to, of course, thank Congressman Honda for organizing this special order tonight, and for his leadership shown throughout the year in his service as chairman of CAPAC. The heritage month theme is ``Meeting the Challenges for Asian Pacific Americans.'' The APA community has come a long way since the days when laws excluded us from coming to this country, barred us from many places, public places, and worse, interned us in camps solely because of our ethnic heritage. Nationwide, we are now 14 million strong, and in the next 30 years the APA population is expected to double to about 8 percent of the entire U.S. population. Because of our history of labor immigration and our indigenous island population, Hawaii has had a head start in terms of political representation. Our APA communities have lived and worked in our islands since the mid-1800s, when the first Chinese laborers were imported to work in the sugarcane fields. Since 2000, three of our communities, the Okinawans, Koreans, and the Filipinos, have celebrated their centennial anniversaries of arrival to the United States and to Hawaii. Hawaii produced the first Governors in the Nation of Japanese and Filipino ancestry, George Ariyoshi and Ben Cayetano; the first Native Hawaiian Governor, John Waihee; the first Asian American Senators, Hiram Fong and Daniel Inouye; the first Senator of Native Hawaiian ancestry, Daniel Akaka; the first Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Member of Congress, Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole; and the first woman of color to serve in Congress, Patsy Takemoto Mink. And I am privileged to have served as Hawaii's Lieutenant Governor, becoming the first immigrant woman of Asian ancestry elected to statewide office and to be able to continue my service here as the first immigrant born in Japan serving in Congress. Asian and Pacific Islander Members of Congress currently number only nine, including Eni Faleomavaega, our delegate from American Samoa. Also with me in the House are Congress Members Mike Honda and Doris Matsui, Oregon's David Wu, Virginia's Robert Scott, and Louisiana's Bobby Jindals. In the Senate we have Hawaii's two senior statesmen, Senators Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka. Although the successes of our APA community over the years have been many, there is another side to our story that is not often discussed. While more Asians have college degrees than any other group in the country, we also have more people who have not graduated from high school compared with other ethnic groups. And while APAs have higher incomes, the U.S. Census counts 1.3 million Asian and Pacific Islanders living in poverty. There are still many wrongs to be righted. Some of them are decades old. On March 1, 2007, I reintroduced the Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act, H.R. 1287, a companion bill to S. 671, introduced by Senator Akaka. It will accelerate the immigration process for the sons and daughters of the Filipino veterans who fought with our American troops in World War II. I am also a cosponsor of the Filipino Veterans Equity Act, H.R. 760, to fulfill our promise of full veterans' benefits to those Filipino soldiers. I know that questions have been raised about the cost of carrying out our obligation to the Filipino World War II veterans. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the cost of enacting H.R. 760 will be $1 billion over a 10-year period. While this is a large sum, it is worth noting that the United States spends approximately $9 billion each month in the war in Iraq. Challenges are also facing our Native Hawaiian population. The desire for self-determination by the indigenous people of my home State has been ignored for far too long by the Federal Government. Native Hawaiians remain the only indigenous group in our country still awaiting Federal recognition similar to the recognition Congress has granted to American Indians and Alaska Natives. H.R. 505, the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act, would set up a process for Native Hawaiians to organize a government entity. By continuing to work together, I am hopeful that we will be able to meet these challenges as we have overcome others in the past. This month Washington, D.C. is hosting the Eighth Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders, PICL. The triennial PICL brings together the heads of government and senior officials from the Pacific, including Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific Territories. This is the first time that the group has met in Washington, D.C., and it is quite an opportunity for all of us here to find common ground on issues facing the Pacific region and our world. In closing, I would again like to thank Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chairman Honda for allowing us this opportunity to reflect upon how far our APA community has come and yet, of course, remember how much further our community has to go. Mahalo and aloha.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce with Congressman Abercrombie a companion measure to legislation that will soon be introduced by Senators Inouye and Akaka that would convert the fourth temporary judgeship for the District of Hawaii to permanent judgeship status. The fourth temporary judgeship for the District of Hawaii was created in 1990 by Public Law 101-650. Although, the judges appointed to temporary judgeships have lifetime appointments, legislation creating temporary judgeships usually specifies that the first vacancy in the district cannot be filled after a certain date. In the 1990 bill, this time frame was determined to be ten years after each temporary judgeship was filled. That meant that Hawaii could not fill a temporary vacancy occurring after October 2004. Currently, the District of Hawaii has four active judges. However, if any of these judges become inactive, by taking senior status or otherwise, the district will not be able to replace that judge because of the ten-year limitation, which has long passed. This would place a great burden on not only the three remaining active judges, but also on the litigants themselves, especially civil litigants. Due to the right to speedy trial, felony cases regularly bump civil trials off the calendar, leading to long delays to get to court. Civil cases include disputes involving personal injury, civil rights, the environment, business, and other non-criminal matters. The Judicial Conference of the United States has recommended that Hawaii's fourth temporary judgeship be converted to permanent status. The conversion is included in the 2007 Judicial Conference Judgeship Biennial Recommendation. In its 2003 recommendation, the Judicial Conference stated that the District of Hawaii weighted caseloads per judgeship will be over 600 should that district lose a judgeship. As the caseload for the district has since increased, it is imperative that Congress act on this matter as quickly as possible. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this and other initiatives that will address our need for additional federal judgeships across the country.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 296, I was attending a hearing on S. 310, the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2007 and missed this vote. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea.''

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007. I would like to thank the chief sponsor of this legislation, Congressman Conyers, for his work and dedication in bringing this bipartisan bill to the floor for debate. H.R. 1592 will strengthen existing Federal hate crimes laws in two meaningful ways. First, the bill removes the requirement that victims of violent bias-motivated crimes be engaged in a federally protected activity, such as voting, when the crime is committed. Federal entities would then be able to provide technical and grant support for the hate crimes investigations of State and local law enforcement agencies. Second, the bill provides for a more comprehensive definition of hate crimes to include those motivated by gender, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. In 2005, the FBI documented 7,163 hate crimes directed against institutions and individuals because of their race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability. These statistics were gathered from 12,417 law enforcement agencies across the country. Yet it is not the frequency or number of crimes alone that distinguish these acts of violence from other crimes. We know that hate crimes are more than individual assaults--they send shock waves and fear throughout a whole community and segments of our diverse population. Hate violence is also a message crime and the messages are clear: ``know your place'' and ``your kind is not welcome here.'' Hate crimes clearly pose a serious threat to our Nation's security and the very values upon which our country were founded. As an original cosponsor of H.R. 1592, I urge my colleagues to vote in support of final passage.

Ms. HIRONO

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Improving Head Start Act of 2007. Over and over again, rigorous evaluations have shown that Head Start and Early Head Start works. It improves the lives of our neediest children and families. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of the bill at hand, as it makes several positive changes to the Head Start program. It authorizes $450 million new dollars to the program, which is enough to provide up to 10,000 new spots for children. It prioritizes program improvement by increasing funding for teacher and staff salaries and professional development. It suspends the National Reporting System, which is a flawed testing system that does not adequately assess this comprehensive system. Science has shown that providing a quality early education experience leads to healthy brain development that prepares children for success in school, as well as later in life. Access to high quality early education, as well as to wrap around, comprehensive services, really sets the foundation for children and their parents. I urge my colleagues to support this strong, bipartisan bill. It will directly improve the lives of many, many children and families.

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Chairman, I offer an amendment.

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Chairman, I rise today to ask for my colleagues' support for this amendment, to improve Early Head Start. The amendment revises the training and technical assistance system by ensuring that these services are provided by entities with specific expertise in infant and toddler development. It also directs at least 50 percent of training and technical assistance funds directly to the grantees. These are the people on the ground working with children who are best able to prioritize their training needs for the purpose of program improvement. In our hearing on the bill in the Committee on Education and Labor, we heard that Head Start providers are not getting the assistance they need under the current system. One program director said that it had been 10 months since she saw her technical assistance specialist. The current system centralized control often results in the assistance specialist spending more time filling out forms for their supervisors than directly helping the program directors in the field. The bill we are debating today solves this problem for the Head Start program serving preschoolers by directing the responsibility for training and technical assistance responsibility into the State-based system that can better meet the needs of the local providers. Early Head Start directors experience similar problems, and, therefore, should get a similar solution. This amendment provides that solution and, furthermore, requires that these State-based technical assistance providers include individuals with infant and toddler expertise available to work with Early Head Start providers. Rigorous evaluations show that the Early Head Start program has made a positive difference in the lives of participating children and their families. This bill expands the Early Head Start program, which currently serves only 3 percent of eligible infants and toddlers. And as Early Head Start expands, we must ensure that individual programs have the knowledge and skills to provide positive outcomes for participants. This amendment will do that, and I urge all of my colleagues to support it.

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Chairman, I yield to the gentleman from California.

Ms. HIRONO. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.