Dale Kildee

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today on behalf of the Michigan State Polka Music Hall of Fame to honor Mr. Tommy Reder of Bay City, Michigan for his musical contributions to the Polka music industry. On October 5, 2003 Mr. Tommy Reder will be inducted into the Michigan State Polka Music Hall of Fame. Tommy Reder was born in Bay City, Michigan on February 2, 1939 to Louis and Frances Reder. He graduated from St. Stanislaus School. In 1962, he graduated from Central Michigan University. Tommy adapted a love for music at an early age. In 1947 at the age of 8, Tommy was awarded first chair in the clarinet section of the St. Stanislaus school band. By fifth grade Tommy had mastered the saxophone and began playing at various social events. His first major performance was with the Ted Dzrewicki Orchestra; it was with this group that Tommy was able to sharpen his vocal, music writing and arranging skills. In 1963 Tommy assumed leadership of the Tommy K'Orchestra, which was later renamed the Polka Towners Orchestra. The group performed at Polka Festivals throughout the country, and was the sponsor of the Polka tours to Hawaii, Toronto, Seven Springs, Pennsylvania and Las Vegas. In 1978 Tommy and his group had the privilege of performing back up for Bobby Vinton at the Riviera during the PLAV convention. The Polka Towners recorded six 45's, eight LP's, four 8 tracks, three cassettes, and one CD. Aside from performing, Tommy co-hosted the Polka Show on WKCQ and WSAM from 1974 to 1999. Presently Tommy performs with the Bay Area Concert, Midland Concert and the Vassar City Bands. In addition to being a musical icon, Tommy is an outstanding father and husband. He has three children, Becky, Edward, and Mary. Tommy married Barbara, his wife and mother of his children in 1965. Barbara passed away in 1996. Tommy remarried in 2002, and his new bride is Dollene. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues of the 108th Congress to please join me in congratulating Tommy Reder on obtaining the State's highest honor for contributions made to the Polka Music Industry.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding me this time. I rise in strong support of H.R. 1409, a bipartisan land exchange bill, which will allow the Eastern Band of Cherokee to build new schools for their children. This bill passed out of the Committee on Resources on July 15, 2003, by a voice vote. During the markup, several Members from both sides of the aisle expressed strong support for the bill to move forward. I am aware of the environmental concerns that the gentleman from West Virginia has raised about this bill. I am a strong supporter for the National Environmental Policy Act, NEPA. I am a strong supporter of that process, and I do not believe that passage of this bill circumvents that process. The public comment period on the land exchange ended last month, and the National Park Service will complete review of this environmental impact statement regardless of this legislation. In addition, in its draft environmental impact statement, the Park Service determined that the exchange will have no impairment on the experience of visitors to the Great Smoky Mountains and determined there will be no impairment to the biodiversity based on mitigation efforts. The Park Service will receive pristine land that it selects, which will result in a net increase of national parklands. Mr. Speaker, the Eastern Cherokee face an educational crisis of having condemned, overcrowded classrooms we would not house criminals in. I have traveled throughout this country, and I have seen schools that are horrible, and these buildings are not fit for human habitation. The tribes' mountainous reservation has no more available flatland suitable for building new schools. This is the kind of environment which many of our Indian children have been forced to learn in. This is unacceptable. Through this legislation, we can help the Eastern Band of Cherokee move forward with its commitment to educate its children. In my years of elected office, Mr. Speaker, I have enjoyed the support of the environmental community. I have one of the highest environmental records in this Congress because of my commitment to protecting our Nation's precious resources. That is something of which I am very proud. I know that some of my environmental friends have concerns about this legislation and feel that no land should ever be exchanged for the National Park Service, but in this instance I must disagree. The Park Service will get more land and will get better land, and the land of their choosing. I believe that this bill is consistent with proenvironmental principles and with Indian sovereignty. Congress is the one that makes this decision. Article I, Section 8, all of which we have taken an oath to uphold, says the Congress shall have power to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the sovereign States, and with the Indian tribes. This Cherokee Nation, this sovereign nation, all they want is some land to educate their children. The Park Service has selected more land, land of their choosing in exchange. I urge the passage of this bill. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1409. a bipartisan land exchange bill which will allow the Eastern Band of Cherokee to build new schools for their children. This bill passed out of the Resources Committee on July 15, 2003, by voice vote. During the markup several members from both sides of the aisle expressed strong support for the bill to move forward. I am aware of the environmental concerns that the gentleman from West Virginia has raised about this bill. I am a strong supporter of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and do not believe that passage of this bill circumvents that process. The public comment period on the land exchange ended last month. And the National Park Service (Park Service) will complete review the environmental impact statement (EIS) regardless of this legislation. In addition, in it draft EIS, the Park Service determined that the exchange will have no impairment on the experience of visitors to the Great Smokey Mountains and determined there will no impairment to the biodiversity based on mitigation efforts. The Park Service will receive pristine land that it selected which will result in a net increase of national park lands. Mr. Speaker, the Eastern Cherokee face an educational crisis of having condemned, overcrowded classrooms we would not house criminals in. The tribe's mountainous reservation has no more available flat land suitable for building new schools. This is the kind of environment in which many of our Indian children have been forced to learn. That is unacceptable. Through this legislation we can help the Eastern Band of Cherokee move forward with its commitment to educate its children. In my years of elected office, I have enjoyed the support of the environmental community for my commitment to protecting our nation's precious resources. That is something for which I am very proud. I know that some of my environmental friends have concerns with this legislation and feel that no land should ever be exchanged from the National Park Service. But in this instance, I must disagree. I believe that this bill is consistent with pro-environmental principles, and with Indian Sovereignty--two principles dear to me. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this bill.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, the problem of civic illiteracy and the ever-diminishing level of public engagement in our representative form of government must be confronted. I am pleased to report that a new national project, Representative Democracy in America: Voices of the People, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, was created by an Act of Congress to tackle this problem. The project is directed by the Alliance for Representative Democracy, a collaboration of three fine organizations: the Center for Civic Education, The Center on Congress at Indiana University, and the National Conference of State Legislatures. The Alliance is holding an important conference here in Washington, D.C., from September 20 to 22. The joint bipartisan leadership of the U.S. Congress is serving as the honorary hosts for the conference. The Conference will bring together key decision-makers on education policy from every state and representatives of professional and civic education organizations. Their common goal will be to create an initiative to encourage our schools to undertake the civic mission of preparing students for effective citizenship. The conference will encourage the establishment of state delegation working groups to improve the status of civic education in their state. I am pleased to note that Linda Start, who is the Executive Director of the Center for Civic Education Through Law, will be the state facilitator for the Michigan delegation. Student achievement levels in civics simply must improve. I know we all share the hope that out of this conference will come a renewed commitment to make that happen.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise before you today to recognize Ennis Center for Children, Inc., for 25 years of dedicated service to six counties throughout Southeast Michigan. On November 13, 2003 Ennis Center will celebrate their anniversary with the community. Ennis Center for Children is a non-profit, multi-service agency, providing community based in-home foster care, adoption and group home services to children and families. The center helps children from birth to age 19 by providing stability and permanent homes. Most children who utilize the center's services are poor, minority and have at-risk backgrounds, many of them abused, neglected and abandoned. Each year the center assists more than 2,500 children within the Southeast Michigan area. In 2002, they placed 640 children in foster care with 263 foster families, 130 children were adopted, 99 of which were by their foster families, 26 by relatives or guardians, and 5 by recruited families. The center also assisted more than 900 juvenile delinquents through counseling, mentoring and reintegration services. The center had operating revenues of approximately $12 million in 2002, and over 85 cents of every dollar received was spent on program services. Currently the center employs 200 people. The center was founded in Flint, Michigan, in 1978. The founder is child advocate Robert E. Ennis. Mr. Ennis started the center with $6,000, which he borrowed from a friend, and a responsibility to 33 foster children. Today the center is operating in four locations, 20100 Greenfield Rd., Detroit; 2921 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit; 3650 Dixie Highway, Waterford; and 129 E. Third Avenue, Flint, Michigan. Ennis Center for Children has been noted as one of Michigan's largest minority-led non-profit organizations of its kind. Mr. Speaker, as a Member of Congress, I ask that my colleagues in the 108th Congress join me in recognizing Ennis Center for Children on their 25th anniversary for dedication and service to the children and families of Southeast Michigan.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I ask the House of Representatives to join me to pay tribute to the members of the Third Army veterans 864th Heavy Automotive Maintenance Company on the occasion of their 48th annual reunion. They gathered together in Lapeer, Michigan on August 31st. During World War II the 864th HAM Company was instrumental to the success of D-Day and the allied victory. These veterans of the Third Army were originally stationed at Fort Ord in California. During their stint at that post they worked with local authorities to defend the California coastline against a possible invasion by Japanese forces. The mobilization of troops during the first days of World War II was very rapid and troops were often barracked in makeshift quarters. The 864th HAM Company was no exception. When the Company was detailed to the community of Pomona California they were provided temporary barracks at the Sears and Roebuck store. In 1943 the Company was transported from the United States to the South Hampton Naval Yard outside Portsmouth, England. For the next eight months the 864th HAM Company prepared the vehicles that were going to be a part of the D-Day invasion. In addition to this work they also trained as part of the invasion force. The Company landed at St. Mere-Eglise France and immediately began the awesome task of supplying rations, ammunition, and medical supplies to the front lines. Under the leadership of General George S. Patton, the statistics for the Third Army during this time are staggering. 2,186,792 tons of supplies were transported. The Third Army had over 99,000 general purpose vehicles and over 21,000 combat vehicles. The veterans of the 864th HAM Company risked their lives to retrieve and repair damaged vehicles. Never shying away from the danger involved, the members of the 864th HAM Company were an integral part of General Patton's march to Berlin. Their versatility was demonstrated during the Battle of the Bulge as they quickly moved from Verderonne to help repel the German counter-attack. Once the war in Europe ended, the 864th came home and were mustered out of the military in November 1945. As the members of the company scattered throughout the United States and began their civilian lives, they maintained contact with each other. In 1957 they gathered together for the first reunion and the tradition of getting together to remember their fallen fellow soldiers, to reminisce, and share the civilian experiences was born. We as a nation are better for the sacrifices these veterans made so we could all be free. I ask the House of Representatives to rise with me today and honor the members of the 864th HAM Company. Again and again they have earned our respect and admiration and I am deeply grateful for their service to our country.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I rise in opposition to this bill. This bill literally turns back the clock on decades of efforts to improve programs for our youngest children. Head Start has meant so much to so many of our most disadvantaged children and their families. Rather than strengthen Head Start through bipartisan consensus, this bill begins the dismantling of the most successful and popular early childhood education program in our Nation's history. I must also express my disappointment that the majority has not sought to reach bipartisan consensus on this legislation. I have been through, Mr. Chairman, a number of Head Start reauthorizations during my 27 years here in the Congress, and they were all pleasant and productive experiences. This statute has always been reauthorized in a bipartisan manner. I strongly believe that we do our best work when we pass bipartisan legislation, especially legislation dealing with children. Not to do so is a doleful disappointment. The Republican Head Start bill creates an unaccountable block grant that undermines the comprehensive nature of Head Start. Under this legislation, the strength of Head Start's decades of existence would be eviscerated through lower-quality State-controlled block grants. What makes the bill's block grants even more troubling is that it departs from the efforts of this committee over the past decade to strengthen accountability and results in Federal programs, the most recent example being the No Child Left Behind. On that bill, Democrats and Republicans in both the House and the Senate, along with the President, all worked to create bipartisan legislation to strengthen accountability in our K-12 programs. Now we are confronted by a White House and Republican bill to create unaccountable block grants in the Head Start program. This does not make sense. I urge opposition to this legislation.

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me time. Mr. Chairman, today's education funding bill completely ignores the reality facing the neediest of our college students today. College costs are rising dramatically over the last 10 years. College tuition is up 38 percent, and the buying power of the Pell grant is at an historical low. Due to the sour economy, State legislatures have dramatically reduced their support for a postsecondary education as they seek to balance State budgets. Charitable giving, alumni support and endowments are down. How has all of this affected our students? Students, especially the neediest students, are literally being denied a postsecondary education because they do not have the resources to pay for college. According to the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, nearly one-half of all college-qualified, low- and moderate-income graduates will be unable to attend a 4-year college due to rising costs. Nearly 170,000 students will be unable to attend any postsecondary institution. As a member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce and the ranking member of the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness, I have heard from countless numbers of students and student associations on their need for relief, but here on this floor the Republican response to the financial difficulties of students is to freeze the maximum Pell grant. We have passed tax cuts that have benefited the wealthiest of Americans. Those within incomes of $1 million receive an $88,000 tax cut, and student aid was frozen. This is a terrible priority. We cannot provide the $5,800 maximum authorized Pell grant to our students because we prioritize those tax cuts over the needs of students. Are we now asking the neediest students to walk across town to those who got an $88,000 tax cut and plead for help in going to college? What is really happening to our country? We are better people than that. The entire increase in Pell grants during the Bush administration is less than the increase made in Pell in the last year of the Clinton administration. Clearly financial access to a postsecondary education has not been a priority for this administration. Freezing Pell grants at a time when more and more individuals are seeking retraining and education due to the sour economy sets us back as we struggle to come out of this economic recession. Rather than passing another tax cut for the wealthiest in our Nation, we should defeat this bill on the floor. Instead of passing this legislation, we should significantly increase funding for Pell grants and other critical education priorities. When I was growing up, my dad had to pick one of his five children to go to college, one of the five. Although my brothers and sisters were qualified, he had to pick one. Are we returning to those days when those choices had to be made?

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. This amendment would expand the bill to allow clinical and mentoring programs as part of the teacher preparation. I believe this amendment is a good addition to the bill, and I would urge its passage. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, this amendment will expand the bill to allow teachers to retrain using computer software for bilingual education. I believe this amendment is a good addition to the bill and urge its passage. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Kind). (Mr. KIND asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt).

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, as the designee of the gentleman from California (Mr. Baca), I offer an amendment.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Green).

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews). (Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich).

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition, although I am not in opposition.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I do not intend to oppose this amendment. This amendment makes, indeed, important technical and clarifying changes to the bill, and I urge its support. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of H.R. 2211, the Ready to Teach Act of 2003, with the hope that certain amendments that were made in order will be adopted. I want to thank the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey), the author of this bill, and the gentleman from California (Mr. McKeon), the chairman of the subcommittee. He and I have worked together for a number of years now on higher-education matters. It was a very enjoyable task in this. I would also like to thank the chairman of the full committee, the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Boehner), for his work in the committee. Mr. Chairman, this legislation reauthorizes title II's teacher- quality programs and makes much-needed improvements to its accountability system. Teacher quality is a critical element to ensure our children succeed academically. This bill makes great strides to improve teacher-preparation programs that create our supply of highly qualified teachers. Chief of these improvements is a bipartisan amendment accepted at the subcommittee markup creating the Minority Centers of Excellence program. This new program will allow high-quality Historically Black Colleges, Hispanic-serving institutions and Tribal colleges to improve teacher preparation and to work with disadvantaged school districts. This program will tap the vast knowledge and skill housed in these institutions to improve teacher preparation, especially for minority teachers. In addition, the bill's provisions to expand teacher retention and preparation of early childhood teachers are very critical improvements. With added resources for retention, school districts will be more able to keep highly qualified teachers in their districts. With new resources to ensure that we have early childhood teachers, our Nation's youngest children will receive the head start they really need to succeed. While this legislation represents a good first step, we are missing an opportunity to address some of the most pressing issues facing education. Whether it is the No Child Left Behind Act, IDEA or Pell Grants, the Bush administration and Republican leadership have failed to meet their education funding commitments. President Bush and the House and Senate appropriations committees have proposed funding, for example, title I at $12.35 billion. That is over $6 billion short of the $18.5 billion which the President signed into law for this year when he signed No Child Left Behind. The Republican budget resolution promised $2.2 billion in new IDEA funding. The House and Senate appropriations committees have proposed less than half that amount. In addition, the Pell Grants have been frozen by the House and Senate appropriation committees, despite increasing college costs. While I really want to reiterate that I will support this legislation, the administration and the Republican Congress are missing an opportunity to meet our education funding commitments. Basically, and Members have heard me say this before, this is an authorization bill; and it is a good authorization bill. We worked hard on it. But I have always said an authorization bill is like a get-well card, Mr. Chairman. If I have a friend who is ill, I will send my friend a get-well card, which expresses my attitude, how I value my friend, and that is very important. But what my friend really needs is a Blue Cross card to pay the bills. I think we have to work closer together to make sure there is not such a wide disparity between the levels that are in the authorization bills, the get-well card, and what is in the appropriations bill, the Blue Cross card. But having said that, I want to say that the authorizing committee did work well together; and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), the chairman, was very, very fair to us, and we adopted Democratic amendments in that committee. I think the authorizers have done a good job. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis).

Mr. KILDEE

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, I have spent 27 years in the Congress and 27 years on the Committee on Education and the Workforce, formerly called the Committee on Education and Labor. And in those 27 years, I always felt and discovered that we do our best work especially in the area of education, sometimes we have some differences in areas of labor, but in areas of education we do our best work when we work together in a bipartisan way. I think the last few months have demonstrated that we are able to bring to the floor a bipartisan bill. It was an exercise of civility and, as I mentioned earlier, actually enjoyable writing this bill. I think, again, we can demonstrate that bipartisanship does work, and it has worked here again today. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 438. This legislation does provide much needed loan forgiveness for math, science and special education teachers in high need schools. It is critical that we provide school districts with the resources they need to recruit and retain the best teachers for our children, especially in these vital subject areas. In addition, legislation that we are debating today was improved over the introduced version through the adoption of an amendment by our colleague, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt). This amendment provides for incremental loan forgiveness over the 5-year period of service as a teacher, rather than at the end of such service. This critical improvement will make loan forgiveness an attractive means to recruit and retain high-quality teachers in our most disadvantaged schools. While H.R. 438 is a good start, we should be doing more. The scope of this bill is limited to math, science and special education teachers. These are critical areas in which we do have shortages of highly qualified teachers. However, we should also be extending loan forgiveness to other vital teaching areas such as Head Start teachers and all teachers who teach in our schools with extreme poverty. The gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Tierney) filed an amendment with the Committee on Rules to expand loan forgiveness to Head Start teachers. During the latest year I have data for, nearly 8,000 teachers left Head Start programs. Over half the teachers who left Head Start programs did so due to low salaries. Clearly, the need for loan forgiveness in Head Start is evident. However, the Committee on Rules blocked consideration of this amendment. The gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Payne) also filed an amendment with the Committee on Rules to expand loan forgiveness to all teachers in extremely poor schools. Title I schools, especially the most disadvantaged of these schools, have enormous problems recruiting and retaining teachers of all subjects. These schools are the least likely to have certified teachers or teachers who know the subject matter that they are teaching. These schools are also the most likely to have high teacher turnover rates. Unfortunately, the Committee on Rules blocked consideration of this amendment as well. The unwillingness to even debate these amendments here on the floor comes at the same time we are tragically underfunding our Federal education programs. Whether it is the No Child Left Behind Act, IDEA or Pell grant, the administration has failed to meet their education funding commitments. President Bush and the House and the Senate Committee on Appropriations proposed funding Title I at $12.35 billion. That is $6 billion short of the $18.5 billion promised in No Child Left Behind. Repetition is the mother of study, so let me state again what I stated in the earlier bill, let me use this analogy again: An authorization bill, and this is a good authorization bill, is like that get well card which I will send to my friend who may be ill, and it does express my sentiments, and it expresses the value I have for my friend. But what my friend really needs is the Blue Cross card, and that is the appropriations bill. There is a real lag between authorization and appropriations. Just in Title I alone we are 30 percent below the bill that the President signed in Ohio, No Child Left Behind, and I think that we have to address that. We cannot address that here in the authorization bill. We did a good job in the authorization bill, a job that I think we enjoyed doing. But I think we as a Congress have to make sure that our appropriations come closer, if not match entirely, the authorization level. The Republican budget resolution promised $2.2 billion for new IDEA funding. The House and Senate Committee on Appropriations have proposed less than half that amount. In addition, Pell grants have been frozen by the House and Senate Committee on Appropriations despite increasing college costs. While I again want to reiterate that I will support this legislation, the administration and the Republican Congress are missing an opportunity to meet our education funding commitments. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey).

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I, first of all, would like to commend the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Wilson), from Columbia, the principal author of this bill for his fine work on the bill; and I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Andrews). (Mr. ANDREWS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt), and let me just say that it is interesting, as a Latin teacher, to stand here with a physicist on each side of me, the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) and the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt).