John Kline

Mr. KLINE

Mr. KLINE. Can we get a recorded vote?

Mr. KLINE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for a recorded vote.

Mr. KLINE

Mr. KLINE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and for his dedicated and hard work in combating sex trafficking. Mr. Speaker, each year an estimated 300,000 innocent children fall victim to sex trafficking right here in the United States. The victims can be homeless or runaway youth. Others are simply taken from their parents in the blink of an eye. The victims' families are our neighbors, our friends, and our loved ones. As a father of two and a grandfather of four, for me it is impossible to fathom the pain and suffering they must feel knowing their son or daughter is trapped in a modern-day slave trade filled with darkness and hopelessness. While we will never fully comprehend the grief these families are forced to bear, we can, as a Nation, fight this heinous crime with every tool available. There are heroic efforts underway right now to locate victims of youth sex trafficking and return them to their families. Last week, the Education and Workforce Committee had an opportunity to hear from John Ryan, who is the head of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The center plays a vital role in a national effort to protect vulnerable youth, leading a partnership among law enforcement, government agencies, and private ventures like Honeywell, Google, and Lifetouch. In my home State of Minnesota, the center has helped resolve cases involving 1,699 endangered runaways and 373 family abductions. The center's 24-hour CyberTipline has provided law enforcement more than 2 million leads of child sexual exploitation. The center and its staff provide an invaluable service to families. They stand on the front lines of this critical battle each and every day. Despite these and other achievements, we know more can be done to protect our most vulnerable youth. Right now, many kids are falling through the cracks of child welfare systems. Often, they are not properly identified as sex trafficking victims when they enter the system and are then lost in the shuffle once they are in State custody, and too often, runaway and homeless youth who are victims of sex trafficking do not receive the special help they need. That is why I strongly support this legislation, which will enhance existing services for runaway and homeless youth. I am also proud to support legislation we will consider in just a few moments that will improve how State child welfare systems identify and respond to victims of youth sex trafficking. Finally, we will also consider legislation that ensures victims are properly identified when reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline. Mr. Speaker, we have to do more to address this national crisis. The bills the House is considering today move our country in the right direction. I am humbled to help lead this bipartisan effort and urge my colleagues to support the legislation.

Mr. KLINE

Mr. KLINE. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 803) to reform and strengthen the workforce investment system of the Nation to put Americans back to work and make the United States more competitive in the 21st century.

Mr. KLINE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 803.

Mr. KLINE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Men and women across the country are struggling to make ends meet. Many have lost a job, and others are working more for less. Learning a new skill or trade can open the door to that next opportunity a worker desperately needs, yet, too often, flawed policies stand in the way. Quite frankly, our Nation's job training system is broken. We have too many ineffective programs, too much bureaucracy, and very little accountability. The voices of job creators are stifled, State and local leaders are tied up in red tape, and hard-earned taxpayer dollars are wasted. We have known about these problems for years but have failed to act, until now. We have an opportunity to advance reforms that will help all Americans compete and succeed in today's workforce. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is based on four principles necessary for a modern, efficient, and effective job training system: First, the bill streamlines a confusing maze of Federal programs and mandates. Let's make it easier for workers to access the support they need to get back to work. Second, the bill promotes skills training for in-demand jobs. It is time to prepare workers for the jobs of the future, not the jobs of the past. Third, the bill will reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and administrative costs. We need to stop squandering money on a bloated bureaucracy and start ensuring these limited resources go to workers in need. Fourth and finally, this act provides strong accountability over the use of taxpayer dollars. We will know whether the taxpayer investment is paying off and impose real consequences when a program isn't getting the job done. Last year, the House passed job training reform legislation known as the SKILLS Act. The bill incorporated these principles, and I am pleased they are reflected in the bipartisan, bicameral agreement before us today. Is this a perfect solution? No, it is not. In some areas, I wish we could have done more. But will this agreement protect taxpayers and deliver the kind of employment support workers need to get back on their feet? I believe it will, and I urge my colleagues to support it. Before closing, Madam Speaker, I would like to thank some of my colleagues who helped make this possible. Congresswoman Virginia Foxx, chair of the Workforce Training Subcommittee, is, without a doubt, the leading champion for a stronger, more accountable workforce development system. Mr. George Miller, senior Democrat on the Education and the Workforce Committee, is no stranger to this issue and remains a tireless advocate for America's workers. I am grateful for the leadership of Senators Tom Harkin and Lamar Alexander, the chairman and ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, and hope this is one of many bicameral compromises we reach this year. I would also like to thank Mr. Buck McKeon, former chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee, as well as Representatives Ruben Hinojosa and Joe Heck. And last but not least, Senator Patty Murray and my good friend Senator Johnny Isakson were both instrumental in our work. Finally, Madam Speaker, we wouldn't be here today without the hard work of our staffs. The majority and minority staffs of the relevant House and Senate committees put in more hours than they care to remember. Unfortunately, there isn't time to recognize them all; however, a few stand out on our side of the aisle that merit mention. Juliane Sullivan, the committee's staff director, is a trusted adviser who helped us navigate the choppy waters that arose along the way. Brad Thomas helped ensure the bill addresses the unique needs of Americans with disabilities. James Bergeron, our former director of education policy, left the committee before this compromise was announced, but his knowledge and expertise are present on every page of this agreement. And finally, Rosemary Lahasky, whose passion and dedication kept this effort moving forward when it seemed like it couldn't get done. There simply aren't enough words to describe Rosemary's incredible contribution. We are all grateful for her service. With that, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KLINE. Madam Speaker, now I am very, very pleased to yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx), the principal author of the SKILLS Act, which got this ball rolling.

Mr. KLINE. Madam Speaker, it is now my great pleasure and honor to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor), the majority leader.

Mr. KLINE. Mr. Speaker, I now yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Walberg), the chair of the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.

Mr. KLINE. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to the time remaining on each side?

Mr. KLINE. Madam Speaker, now, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Tennessee, Dr. Roe, the chair of the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.

Mr. KLINE. Madam Speaker, I now yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Nevada, Dr. Heck, another key member of the committee.

Mr. KLINE. Madam Speaker, now, I would like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Guthrie), another member of the committee.

Mr. KLINE. Madam Speaker, now, I would like to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly), a member of the committee.

Mr. KLINE. Madam Speaker, I now yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks), another member of the committee.

Mr. KLINE. Madam Speaker, I now yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Rokita), the chair of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

Mr. KLINE. Madam Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time remains on each side?

Mr. KLINE. Madam Speaker, I have two speakers who will apparently not make it to the floor, so I reserve the balance of my time to close.

Mr. KLINE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. We have heard a lot of conversation today about the bipartisan and bicameral nature of this, and it certainly is. I want to take a couple of minutes to clear up a couple of misinformation items that are out there. One, it was suggested that this paid no attention to sequestration; it was sort of a runaway spending. The funds authorized in this bill are entirely consistent with the Budget Control Act, I would like to reassure my colleagues on both sides. And then someone said this was a conference report, and I understand where they might have that understanding because we are treating it much as a conference report. The technical facts are that the House passed a bill, the SKILLS Act. The Senate committee moved a bill, but it didn't move to the Senate floor. Even despite that, we were able to step forward and treat this in a very bipartisan, bicameral way, working towards a compromise so that we could pass it in the Senate. Again, I want to thank all of my Senate colleagues on both sides of the aisle for working very, very hard to get this through the Senate and its quite interesting processes and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle here for taking it up right away when it has come back from the Senate so that we can pass this bill and get it to the President for signature and help those 4.5 million Americans get back to work, help the employers get the employees they need, and we can help the American taxpayer, as my friend Mr. Kelly said, by making the system more accountable and more responsible. With that, Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. KLINE. Madam Speaker, I submit the following explanation of Manager's Views for H.R. 803. The entire Statement of Managers to Accompany the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act can be found in the Congressional Record on June 25, 2014 (beginning on S3982) and on the Committee on Education and the Workforce website at www.edworkforce.house.gov. IV. Explanation of the Bill and Managers' Views Sections 1, 2, and 3. Sections 1, 2, and 3 describe the short title for the bill, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act; include the purposes of the Act; and state the definitions for the Act, which are intended to have the same meaning under each program authorized under the Act unless otherwise stated. The definitions identify the ``core programs'' under the Act, which consist of title I State grant programs; title II adult education programs; the employment service under title III amendments to the Wagner- Peyser Act; and State vocational rehabilitation programs under title IV. Title I--Workforce Development Activities; Providers; Job Corps; National Programs; and Administration Title I of the underlying bill includes the primary components of State and local area workforce development systems as well as several national programs for youth and special populations. In order to strengthen and streamline the workforce system, the title focuses on changes to governance, including reducing the number of required board members at the State and local level; requiring one, unified State plan; and promoting local workforce areas more closely aligned to labor markets and economic development regions while preserving a locally driven workforce system. The bill also promotes the themes of providing employment services and workforce development along a career pathway for participants, and education training in line with in-demand industry sectors and occupations for a region. Workforce Boards In order for boards to be more strategic, the bill reduces the number of required board members at both the State and local level. The boards remain a business majority with a business chairperson, while the representation for the workforce is increased. At the local level, with the exception of the core programs under the Act, the one-stop partners are no longer required members. Workforce Plans To support a strategic, comprehensive, and streamlined system, the bill requires one, unified State plan, covering four years, to meet the requirements for each of the core programs The plan also requires a description of the State's overall strategy for workforce development and how the strategy will help meet identified skill needs for workers, job seekers and employers in the State. This unified plan will improve service delivery to individuals as well as reduce administrative costs and reporting requirements at the State level. In order to promote a one-stop system that accommodates the needs of individuals with disabilities, the State and local plans must include a description of how the one-stop system in the State will comply with the applicable requirements of section 188 and the Americans with Disabilities Act regarding the accessibility of programs and facilities for people with disabilities. Workforce Development Areas In order to maintain the balance between governors and local elected officials, the bill requires States to consult with local boards and chief elected officials in order to identify local areas and planning regions that are in alignment with labor markets and regional economic development areas. The bill allows for initial and subsequent designations based on performance, fiscal integrity, and participation in regional coordination activities, including regional planning, information sharing, pooling of administrative costs, and coordination of service delivery. Performance Accountability In order to promote increased transparency about the outcomes of Federal workforce programs, the bill includes six primary indicators of performance for adults served under programs authorized under the Act, and six primary indicators for youth served under the Act. Commonality among the indicators will allow policymakers, program users, and consumers to better understand the value and effectiveness of the services. The managers recognize that for those participants who have low levels of literacy skills, or who are English language learners, the acquisition of basic English literacy and numeracy skills are critical steps to obtaining employment and success in postsecondary education and training. Therefore, the term ``measurable skill gains'' referred to under indicator V in this section for adults and youth, is intended to encourage eligible providers under title II to serve all undereducated, low-level, and under prepared adults. The managers agree that reporting and evaluation requirements are important tools in measuring effectiveness, especially for the core programs. Therefore, the legislation includes performance reports to be provided at the State, local and eligible training provider levels, as well as evaluations of the core programs by States. One-Stop Infrastructure To improve the quality of the one-stop delivery system, the bill requires the State board, in consultation with chief local elected officials and local boards, to establish criteria for use by the local board in assessing the effectiveness, physical and programmatic accessibility, and continuous improvement of one-stop centers and delivery systems at least every three years. Regarding infrastructure funding for one-stop centers, the bill maintains requirements for the mandatory one-stop partners in a local area to reach a voluntary agreement, in the form of a memorandum of understanding, to fund the costs of infrastructure, other shared costs, and how the partners will deliver services under the system. If local areas fail to come to an agreement regarding sufficient funding of one-stop infrastructure costs, a State one-stop infrastructure funding mechanism can be imposed for those local areas. Mandatory partner program contributions, pursuant to the State one-stop infrastructure funding mechanism, are based on the proportionate use of the one-stop centers and subject to specified caps. Employment and Training Activities For youth, the bill utilizes the existing formula to allot funds to States for youth services. It improves upon existing youth services by placing a priority on out-of-school youth (75 percent of funding at the State and local level), and focusing on career pathways for youth, drop-out recovery efforts, and education and training that lead to the attainment of a high school diploma and a recognized postsecondary credential. A priority is also included for work-based learning activities. For adults and dislocated workers, the bill utilizes the existing formulas with the inclusion of a minimum and maximum allotment percentage for the dislocated worker formula beginning in fiscal year 2016. The managers believe the addition of the minimum and maximum percentages will help bring stability to the only formula that currently does not include such mechanisms, and will reduce funding volatility for States year to year. The bill preserves the governor's 15 percent set aside for statewide activities. To eliminate the perceived ``sequence of services'' under current law, requiring an individual to proceed through core and intensive services before training eligibility can be determined, the bill consolidates core and intensive services into a new ``career services'' category. While the services remain similar to those under current law, the structure is intended to provide more flexibility to one-stop staff in determining a participant's need for training. Local boards are required to convene, use, or implement industry or sector partnerships. The bill also improves upon the mechanisms for local boards to provide education and training to eligible participants by adding the following optional methods, under certain guidelines, for training--contracting for classes of training for multiple participants or on a pay-for performance basis; incumbent worker training; and transitional jobs strategies. Finally, the title includes authorization levels for appropriations for the State grant programs Job Corps The bill improves upon the current Job Corps program by strengthening the contracting requirements for centers, requiring the program use the performance accountability indicators for youth described in section 116 and strengthening reporting requirements, and allowing the Department of Labor to provide technical assistance to centers. The bill includes requirements for a financial report and a third party review of the program every five years. The bill also includes a provision allowing operators of a high-performing center, defined by performance criteria, to be eligible to compete in any procurement process for that center. Where there is not sufficient performance information for the time period required under section 147(b)(2)(B) or section 147(b)(3) due to the effects of a natural disaster or the participation of the center in a performance pilot program, it is the intent of the managers the Secretary apply the provisions of that section to any performance information that is available to the Secretary from the relevant period preceding the time the determination under that provision is made. This would allow entities operating the center to have an opportunity to meet performance requirements allowing them to compete where the absence of complete information is not the fault of the operating entity. National Programs The bill reauthorizes the Native American program; the Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker program; and YouthBuild. It also includes provisions for National Dislocated Worker Grants; technical assistance under title I; and evaluations, research, studies and multistate projects conducted by the Secretary of Labor. The bill requires the Secretary of Labor to conduct a multistate study on strategies for placing individuals in jobs and education and training programs that lead to equivalent pay for men and women, including the participation of women in high-wage, high-demand occupations in which women are underrepresented. We believe this is important because a key element of raising women's wages is to provide access to occupations that are predominantly held by men, pay well, and are in demand in the economy. Many occupations today are still dominated by one gender, with more than 75 percent of the jobs in that occupation held by men or by women. Jobs that are predominantly held by men--in industries like transportation, manufacturing, or construction trades--often pay considerably more than jobs traditionally held by women, such as child care workers, health care workers, clerical workers, or workers in retail or other service sectors industries. The managers expect the Secretary to review existing programs and research, State laws and initiatives, and any other relevant project, to determine successful strategies for placement and retention of women in relevant training or jobs and to provide States and localities with the information, tools, and assistance they need to develop programs and activities that will replicate such strategies. We request completion of this project within eighteen months of enactment. The bill requires an independent evaluation of the activities under title I at least once every four years for the purpose of improving the management and effectiveness of programs and activities. In recognition of the changing demands of the economy, the bill allows the YouthBuild program to expand into additional in-demand industry sectors or occupations in the region. The bill includes authorization of appropriations for the programs under subtitle D. Administration The bill adds restrictions against lobbying activities with funds under this title. The managers do not intend for these provisions to restrict awareness or outreach activities regarding services and activities under title I. Title II--The Adult Education and Family Literacy Act In reauthorizing title II, the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, the bill places an emphasis on ensuring States and local providers offer basic skills, adult education, literacy activities, and English language acquisition concurrently or integrated with occupational skills training to accelerate attainment of secondary school diplomas and postsecondary credentials. Making sure these skills are solidly in place for all students is a priority. The bill also emphasizes utilization of a career pathway approach for adult learners to support transitions to postsecondary education or training and employment opportunities. The bill requires all adult basic education and literacy programs to use the same set of primary indicators of performance accountability outlined for all employment and training activities authorized under this Act. Individuals receiving these services should be able to use these skills in obtaining a regular secondary school diploma or its recognized equivalent, obtaining full time employment, increasing their median earnings, and enrolling in postsecondary education or training, or earning a recognized postsecondary credential. It is essential for adult educators to work closely with workforce development stakeholders in the State, including State and local workforce boards. To help in achieving a seamless statewide workforce development system, the bill requires title II programs to submit a unified State plan with the other core programs within this Act. The bill also provides funds for States to use in offering eligible providers of adult education technical assistance, providing professional development training to improve the instruction and outcomes for adult learners, and conducting evaluations. It encourages State and local leaders to provide activities contextually and concurrently with workforce preparation and training activities for a specific occupation or occupational cluster for the purpose of educational and career advancement. The bill authorizes national activities to assist States and local providers in developing valid, measurable, and reliable performance data, and in using such performance information for the improvement of adult education and family literacy education programs. The bill also includes provisions to support research and evaluation of adult education activities at the national level. Finally, the bill places an emphasis on integrating English literacy with civics education, as well as adult education and occupational training activities. Title III--Amendments to the Wagner-Peyser Act Title III of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act makes amendments to the Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933, which authorizes the public employment services and the employment statistics system. Amendments to the Wagner-Peyser Act generally maintain current law but also reflect the need to align the statute with the other changes in the bill such as including the State employment services in the unified State plan; aligning performance accountability indicators with those indicators used for core programs--as described in section 116 of title I; renaming ``employment statistics'' to the ``workforce and labor market information system'' and updating the Workforce Information Council; and providing for staff professional development in order to strengthen the quality of services. Authorization of appropriations for the workforce and labor market information system and the workforce information council is provided for each of the fiscal years of 2015 through 2020. Title IV--Amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 Title IV of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act amends and reauthorizes the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The Rehabilitation Act was last reauthorized in 1998. The Rehabilitation Act is an important law for individuals with disabilities, particularly those with significant disabilities. It authorizes programs that affect the daily lives of many individuals with disabilities, including the vocational rehabilitation program (training, services, and supports for employment); the independent living program; and research and information on new technology to assist individuals with disabilities. There remains a critical need for employment and training services for individuals with disabilities. Almost 25 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, it is still difficult for many individuals with significant disabilities to find full time employment that is commensurate with their skills, interests, and goals. Yet State vocational rehabilitation programs can play a significant role in meeting this need by providing training, services and supports for individuals with disabilities. It is especially important to provide young people with disabilities more opportunities to practice and improve their workplace skills, to consider their career interests, and to get real world work experience. Those activities are prioritized in the amendments to the Act. For example, the bill requires State vocational rehabilitation agencies to make ``pre-employment transition services'' available to all students with disabilities, and to coordinate those services with transition services provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. State vocational rehabilitation programs will set aside at least 15 percent of their Federal program funds to help young people with disabilities transition from secondary school to postsecondary education programs and employment. In addition, these amendments establish a framework to ensure every young person with a disability, regardless of their level of disability, has the opportunity to experience competitive, integrated employment. These requirements will provide young people with disabilities with the opportunity to develop their skills and to use supports, available through State vocational rehabilitation programs, to experience competitive, integrated employment as they leave school and enter the workforce. In order to better align the Independent Living program that serves individuals with significant disabilities living in the community with other similar efforts, the amendments transition the administration of the Independent Living program from the Department of Education to the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living. The transition moves the program to an agency with a lifespan and community focus and will better allow the program to fulfill its goal to support ``independent living . . . and the integration and full inclusion of individuals with disabilities into the mainstream of American society.'' The amendments also incorporate ``independent living'' into the name and mission of the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and similarly move that program's administration from the Department of Education to the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living in order to better align the program priorities with agency goals and priorities. Title V--General Provisions The bill repeals the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 in its entirety, replacing it with reforms to better serve unemployed and underemployed workers as well as employers. In doing so, authority is provided to the Secretaries of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services to establish a smooth and orderly transition period to implement this Act.

Mr. KLINE. Madam Speaker, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act maintains without change from the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 a nondiscrimination requirement. The requirement not only prohibits participating organizations from discriminating against those who need job training assistance, but it also requires faith-based organizations to stop considering religion when hiring staff as the price of partnering with the federal government to help these job seekers. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) prohibits the government from substantially burdening religious exercise. RFRA applies to every federal law, and it protects the right of religious hiring, notwithstanding the restrictive language we just affirmed. This specific use of RFRA is explained in an extensive Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) memorandum dated June 29, 2007. This use of RFRA to protect religious hiring by religious organizations even when a federal grant program prohibits it was recently reaffirmed by the Office on Violence Against Women (OVAW) of the Department of Justice. In reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) last year, Congress inserted into the law a broad nondiscrimination requirement such as the one we maintain in today's workforce bill. On April 9, 2014, OVAW issued ``Frequently Asked Questions'' about [this new--should this read ``the VAWA''] nondiscrimination requirement. In Q and A 6, OVAW explained the OLC memorandum on RFRA's applicability and set out the way a religious organization that engaged in religious hiring may take part in VAWA- funded services despite the addition of the nondiscrimination requirement. Q and A 6 further includes a link to a longstanding Department of Justice form, the Certificate of Exemption for Hiring Practices on the Basis of Religion, used by religious organizations to appeal under RFRA to participate in DOJ programs. The religious hiring freedom is a vital freedom for religious organizations. Therefore I am pleased to stress this important protection found in the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Mr. KLINE

Mr. KLINE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 35th Anniversary of Minnesota's own Fort Snelling Memorial Rifle Squad. Thirty-five years ago this June, six Minnesota veterans volunteered to provide the Memorial Rifle Squad's inaugural burial honors for a fellow Minnesotan at Fort Snelling Memorial Cemetery. Inspired by these six men, 20 more veterans answered the call to duty in 1979 and became the Rifle Squads' charter members. Over the last 35 years, the Memorial Rifle Squad has seen its ranks swell to a roster of 123 active members, 114 retired members, and 156 eternal members. Among its active members are veterans of World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, and Peacetime Veterans. Mr. Speaker, volunteer members of the Memorial Rifle Squad selflessly brave Minnesota's frigid winter blasts and scorching summer heat to provide burial honors for as many as sixteen veterans a day. Since its inception, members of the Memorial Rifle Squad have provided burial honors for more than 64,000 deceased veterans without missing a single scheduled funeral for 34 years. As a former Marine Colonel, and fellow veteran, I have been proud to support the efforts of the Memorial Rifle Squad. In 2012, the Department of the Army announced it would reduce the availability of ceremonial rifles to Memorial Rifle Squads. This action would have greatly reduced the ability of Memorial Rifle Squads to honor our veterans being laid to rest. I was proud to introduce bipartisan legislation--now law--that stopped the Army from moving forward with this misguided policy and allowed ceremonial units in Minnesota and across the country to continue to perform burial honors. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the United States Congress, I want to recognize the dedicated service of all those who have served and continue to serve on the Fort Snelling Memorial Rifle Squad. I congratulate them on 35 years of selfless dedication to their fellow veterans.

Mr. KLINE

Mr. KLINE. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. KLINE. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the manager's amendment which makes important changes to the bill to support the growth of high-performing charter schools. Charter schools epitomize choice and flexibility in education. Reform-minded States and school districts all across the country have embraced this innovative educational model to transform underperforming traditional public schools. The manager's amendment improves the existing charter school program and the underlying bill by clarifying the grant award language, ensuring charter school funding is used for the intended purposes. Additionally, the manager's amendment adds quality authorizing provisions, to include looking at school attrition rates, and asks States to assist schools in developing fair discipline practices that will help promote student retention. Mr. Chairman, the act is an important piece of legislation that will streamline and modernize the charter school program to support the startup, replication, and expansion of high-quality charter schools. The manager's amendment includes commonsense changes to improve the underlying legislation. I urge my colleagues to support the manager's amendment and the Success and Opportunity through Quality Charter Schools Act. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. KLINE. Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment and the underlying bill. I yield back the balance of my time.