Ric Keller

Mr. KELLER of Florida

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Mr. Chairman, at this time I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Fossella).

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Mr. Chairman, we have no objections to the amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Mr. Chairman, at this time I'd like to yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Regula).

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle).

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Madam Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Madam Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young).

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Madam Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. KELLER of Florida

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Mr. Chairman, I note that Mr. Emanuel's extension was shorter than even his form that he's seeking here, but we're in broad bipartisan support of that simplified process. It was a wonderful idea, and I'm glad we could work with him. At this time, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Nebraska.

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Mr. Chairman, at this time I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Souder).

Mr. KELLER of Florida. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 4137, the College Opportunity and Affordability Act, which reauthorizes the Higher Education Act. I support this legislation because it will expand college access for millions of worthy students primarily by strengthening and reauthorizing the Pell Grant program and Perkins student loan program. I know that these programs work well because I wouldn't have been able to go to college if it wasn't for Pell Grants and student loans. Also, as the chairman of the Higher Education Subcommittee, and now its ranking member, I know that over 5.5 million students get Pell Grants each year, and over 500,000 of these students also get Perkins student loans, which, together, are the passport out of poverty for so many of these young people. I'm going to limit my remarks today to the Pell Grant and Perkins loan sections of the bill since they are, in my view, the heart of this legislation. First, with respect to Pell Grants, Pell Grants are money we give to children from low- and moderate-income families to pay for their college tuition, books, and fees that they never have to repay. This bill strengthens the Pell Grant program by providing year-round Pell Grants to help college students get through college quicker and by increasing the authorization levels. This legislation also, at my request, has included language which eliminates a wasteful spending loophole that had allowed convicted pedophiles and rapists to get Pell Grants even though Congress passed a law in 1994 making it illegal for prisoners to get Pell Grants. In my home State of Florida, for example, this loophole was exploited by 54 sexual predators who were able to get over $200,000 in Pell Grants. By passing this legislation, we will take money out of the hands of convicted predators and put it back into the hands of needy, law- abiding college students where it belongs. With respect to the Perkins loan program, these are very attractive, low, fixed rate at 5 percent student loans for children of low- and moderate-income families. This legislation will strengthen the Perkins loan program by increasing the loan limits for undergraduate and graduate students and expanding loan forgiveness to now allow firefighters to have their Perkins loan forgiven, as well as nurses, teachers, and police officers. In closing, I want to thank Chairman Miller for his hard work, Ranking Member McKeon and Chairman Hinojosa for working together in a bipartisan spirit. This legislation is good for students; it's also good for our Treasury. The expert studies show that by investing $16 billion in Pell Grants, it can help yield up to $85 billion in additional tax revenue because the average college graduate makes 75 percent more than the average high school graduate. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 4137. Let us work together in a bipartisan manner to make sure that all children, rich or poor, have the opportunity to get their dream of a college education.

Mr. KELLER of Florida

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 932 offered by the Representative from California (Ms. Linda T. Sanchez). National School Counseling Week, which is celebrated annually the first full week of February, helps focus public attention on the unique contribution of professional school counselors. School counselors are employed in school districts and public and private schools of all levels across America to help students reach their full potential. They are actively committed to helping students explore their abilities, strengths, interests and talents as these traits relate to academic success and career awareness and development. School counselors serve as a vital resource for parents by helping them focus on ways to further the educational, personal and social growth of their children. They work with teachers and other educators to help students explore their potential and set realistic goals for themselves. They often seek to identify and utilize community resources that can enhance and complement comprehensive school counseling programs that help students become productive members of society. These comprehensive developmental school counseling programs are considered an integral part of the educational process which enables all students to achieve. National school counseling week highlights the tremendous impact that counselors have in helping students achieve academic success and plan for their career. This year's theme, ``School Counselors: Creating Pathways to Success,'' truly sums up the effort they put forth daily to ensure that no child is left behind. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to all school counselors, not only from my home State of Florida but also all across this great Nation. I also wish to thank the Representative from California (Ms. Linda T. Sanchez) and the Representative from Michigan (Mr. Ehlers) for bringing forth this resolution today. I urge all my colleagues to support it. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLER of Florida

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I would urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H. Res. 916. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot).

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta).

Mr. KELLER of Florida. I have two more speakers.

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 916, offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Lipinski). This resolution increases the awareness of Catholic education while honoring the contributions of America's Catholic schools. January 27 through February 2, 2008 has been designated Catholic Schools Week, an annual tradition in its 34th year and jointly sponsored by the National Catholic Education Association as well as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. With this resolution we recognize the vital role Catholic elementary and secondary schools play in providing an education with high standards of quality and excellence to the nearly 2.4 million students enrolled in Catholic schools across the country. According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic schools have a graduation rate of over 98 percent, and about 97 percent of Catholic high school graduates go on to post-secondary training at 4-year colleges, community colleges, or technical schools. This success can be attributed to the importance Catholic educators place on character and morals. By making the development of moral and social values an integral part of the curriculum, Catholic schools are ensuring that their students are not only good academicians but also good citizens. The theme for Catholic Schools Week 2008 is ``Catholic Schools Light the Way.'' This theme highlights the mission of Catholic schools to provide a faith-based education that supports the whole child academically and spiritually and prepares students for future success. Catholic schools demonstrated an enormous amount of character and compassion in their response to the devastating hurricanes that hit the gulf coast 3 years ago. In the wake of this national disaster, more than 300,000 students were displaced from their homes, schools, and communities. Catholic schools opened their doors and hearts and welcomed these students into their classrooms. They provided these children with the opportunity to continue their studies without stopping to consider the cost of that education. Instead, the Catholic schools knew their first priority was to educate these children. In addition, the Catholic schools in New Orleans have proved to be most resilient by becoming some of the first schools in the hurricane- damaged area to reopen their doors to students. I appreciate the great work done by Catholic schools, their administrators and teachers, as well as the parents and volunteers. Catholic schools carry out their servant mission by building the academic achievement, character, and values of their students. I again commend the gentleman from Illinois for introducing this resolution and urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Gingrey).

Mr. KELLER of Florida

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, I would urge all my colleagues, then, to vote ``yes'' on H. Res. 908 and will yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Madam Speaker, we have no further speakers. If I can inquire if the other side has any further speakers.

Mr. KELLER of Florida. I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 908 which recognizes National Mentoring Month. National Mentoring Month celebrates mentors who are positively impacting the lives of young people and highlights the need for additional mentors to make themselves available to America's youth. I applaud Representative McCollum for sponsoring this resolution, and as a cosponsor I look forward to further bipartisan efforts to draw attention to support this very important issue. Mentors give their time and energy to improve the lives of American young people who are increasingly spending less time with concerned adult role models. Young people with mentors are less likely to drop out of school, use illegal drugs, or engage in criminal behavior. The positive effects of mentoring include higher self-esteem, higher graduation rates, and higher academic achievement. I have personally seen the positive impacts of mentoring firsthand. As a young boy, I benefited from having a mentor from the Big Brother Big Sisters program. As I became an adult, I then became a mentor to two high school students at my alma mater, Boone High School, who were at risk of dropping out of high school, but fortunately stayed in school and graduated. I then became chairman of the board of the COMPACT mentoring program, which is the largest mentoring program in central Florida and it is targeted at at-risk students in high schools and middle schools who possibly may drop out of school. I am pleased to report that we were able to recruit 700 new mentors and the COMPACT program has a 95 percent success rate of kids staying in school and going on to graduate. In fact, one of the mentors for the COMPACT program itself is none other than Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who has spent a great deal of time with the leaders of the COMPACT program and the children themselves every year. When I was elected to Congress in 2000, one of the first things I did was join together with then-Congressman Tom Osborne, the famous coach of the Nebraska Cornhuskers, to author the Mentoring for Success Act which Coach Osborne and I were able to successfully include in No Child Left Behind to provide substantial funding for mentoring programs. As we move forward with the No Child Left Behind reauthorization, we will work again to make sure that this language is included and stays in existing law. One of the big benefits of a mentoring program is in the area of crime prevention. Roughly eight out of 10 inmates in Florida's jails and prisons are high school dropouts. We see mentoring programs like the COMPACT program in Orlando having a 95 percent success rate of keeping kids in school. That's making a difference in these children's lives and also helping us as taxpayers because we pay $20,000 a year for people in State prisons and $25,000 a year for folks in Federal prison. President Bush himself has praised the importance of mentoring programs. On December 19, 2007, President Bush proclaimed January 2008 as National Mentoring Month, giving public recognition to mentors who serve as role models. Specifically the President stated, ``By sharing their knowledge and experiences, mentors serve as examples for young people and help teach them the skills they need to succeed in life.'' By honoring mentors and mentoring programs, we recognize the importance of mentoring programs implemented in our local schools and communities. We also draw attention to the components of a quality program, including appropriate screening of potential mentors and careful matching of youth with adults who have a genuine interest in providing guidance and being exemplary role models. Mentoring programs are varied and unique. They can be school-based or faith-based. They may be established through community organizations or corporate initiatives. I encourage people across the country to take time to discover what mentoring programs exist in their communities and see what they can do to help. Many volunteers are needed to meet the growing demand for mentors. Again, I am pleased to cosponsor House Resolution 908, recognizing the important work of mentors and quality mentoring programs, and I urge Members to support this resolution. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLER of Florida

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 4154. This is going to help many worthy historically black colleges to rebuild and renovate after the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, and it is worthy of support of colleagues on both sides of the aisle. I urge them to vote ``yes'' on this legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4154, a bill to increase the limit placed on the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Capital Financing Program. This worthy program provides Federal insurance for bonds issued to support capital financing projects at HBCUs. Generally, the funds are used for repair and renovation. This program includes important safeguards to protect taxpayers while making funds available to HBCUs. Under current law, the total outstanding principal and interest payments on loans made under this program cannot exceed $375 million. During fiscal year 2006, the Department of Education made 24 loans from this program. Since the last Congress, at least four institutions have submitted applications to the Department of Education to obtain funds from this program. Another seven schools have expressed an interest in the program, according to the Department. Without expanding this cap, none of these schools would have access to these critical funds. Historically black colleges and universities are integral to the fabric of our Nation's higher education system. HBCUs serve many low- income and first-generation college students that would not otherwise have the opportunity to attend college. Students attending these institutions should have access to safe, up-to-date facilities. With so many institutions in need of assistance, this bill will increase the overall limit on this program from $375 million to $1.1 billion. With this new cap, the Department of Education will be able to make over $400 million in loans to deserving public and private institutions. Through the HBCU Capital Financing Program, we can help these institutions to help themselves. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and vote ``yes'' on H.R. 4154. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KELLER of Florida

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

Mr. KELLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, as the former chairman of the Higher Education Subcommittee, and now the ranking member, I rise in support of H.R. 4153, a bill which provides for technical changes to the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007. I was honored to be with President Bush on September 27, 2007, at the White House when he signed this important legislation into law. Joining me at that time was Chairman George Miller of the Education Committee, and the budget chairman, John Spratt. It was a special time to be there as the only Republican in Congress at that time seeing this historic legislation signed into law. It has been referred to by my colleagues as the most important piece of higher education legislation since the GI Bill in 1944. That legislation dramatically increased Pell Grant funding and cut student loan interest rates in half. For example, Pell Grant funding went from $4,310 up to $5,400 over a period of years. And the student loan interest rate for undergraduates was cut from 6.8 percent to 3.4 percent. Well, what are we doing here today? As a follow-up to that important legislation, today we are making some necessary technical clarifications and corrections to ensure that the act is implemented just as Congress intended. For example, this piece of technical legislation will clarify that members of the Armed Forces reserves are eligible for student loan deferments when they return home after serving abroad. This legislation will ensure that students whose loan applications were submitted prior to the law's effective date are not unnecessarily subjected to higher rates or deprived of important student loan benefits. This package of technical corrections will improve our financial aid programs by clarifying the intent of the recently enacted College Cost Reduction and Access Act. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join us today in supporting this important measure and voting ``yes'' on H.R. 4153.