Buck McKeon

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, this amendment allows grantees to negotiate a reduced enrollment level with the Secretary of HHS if the amounts appropriated for Head Start do not exceed the prior year's appropriation or include an increase commensurate with the cost-of-living allowance. In effect, this amendment allows grantees to cut services for children and kick children out of the Head Start program if Congress does not appropriate ever-higher funding amounts for Head Start. I think all of us want to service as many children as we can, and we want to have as high an appropriation level as we can, but if we fail to appropriate higher numbers, I don't think we should take it out on the children. I ask my colleagues, is Head Start an early education program or a jobs program? We believe the purpose of Head Start is to help our Nation's most vulnerable youngsters lay the foundation for a very successful academic future. This misguided amendment has the potential for denying these children Head Start services, and I therefore urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, because of a flaw in the Federal Head Start law, faith-based institutions have been forced to relinquish their civil liberties if they choose to participate in the Federal early childhood program we are poised to reauthorize today. A sham of an amendment adopted earlier today applauded these organizations but did nothing to protect faith-based providers' civil rights. This motion to recommit does. We have had this debate many times before here on the House floor, and each time we have had this debate, opponents of faith-based groups' federally protected right to maintain their religious nature and character through those they hire have equated these civil liberties as ``discrimination.'' The 1964 Civil Rights Act makes clear that faith-based groups may serve their communities without being forced to give up the right to employ individuals who share the tenets and practices of their faith. Mr. Speaker, were the authors of the Civil Rights Act pro- discrimination? No. The United States Supreme Court in 1987 unanimously reaffirmed the hiring rights for faith-based organizations. Was the Supreme Court pro- discrimination? No. Former President Clinton signed four laws explicitly allowing faith- based groups to staff on a religious basis when they receive Federal funds. Was he pro-discrimination? No. The motion to recommit we are considering today is offered in the same spirit as the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the 1987 Supreme Court decision, and President Clinton's signature on those four bills. I commend the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Fortuno) for offering this as an amendment before the Rules Committee yesterday. Mr. Speaker, I now yield the balance of my time to Mr. Fortuno.

Mr. McKEON. I am in its present form.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I offer a motion to recommit.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I think that this amendment makes it a stronger bill. Rural grantees are more likely to rely on home visits due to problems associated with staffing and transportation. Head Start in-home programs are required to make a minimum of 32 visits per year, or one per week. In addition, there must be a minimum of 16 group socialization activities per year. For this reason, I rise in support of this amendment to provide additional training and support to rural Head Start programs facing these challenges to ensure that all children can access the skills necessary to succeed in school. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition, though I am not opposed to the gentleman's amendment.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition, even though I support the gentleman's amendment.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, let me start by commending my friends, Chairman Miller, Chairman Kildee and Mr. Castle, for their hard work on this good bill, which I am so pleased we were able to pass with an overwhelming bipartisan majority in committee 2 months ago. While the resources to fund Head Start are significant, more work is needed to achieve the ultimate program goal on closing the readiness gap between Head Start children and their more advantaged peers as they enter kindergarten. Some studies indicate that children enrolled in Head Start do make some progress, but at the same time we need to understand that we still have some work ahead of us in closing the readiness gap. With this in mind, the bill before us today will strengthen Head Start's academic standards by emphasizing cognitive development and the results of scientifically based research in topics critical to children's school readiness. The measure also aims to improve teacher quality by ensuring a greater number of Head Start teachers have degrees and are adequately trained in early childhood development, particularly in teaching the fundamentals. That's great news for those children who will be participating in the Head Start program years down the road. I have also been disappointed that in recent years we have heard many stories that have marred Head Start's good name. In various communities we found that financial abuse within Head Start centers is far too commonplace. In fact, a March 2005 report from the Government Accountability Office warned that the financial control system in the Head Start program is flawed in failing to prevent multi-million-dollar financial abuses that cheat poor children, taxpayers and law-abiding Head Start operators. In the 109th Congress, Republicans led the House in passing a Head Start reauthorization bill that addressed these weaknesses in the Head Start financial control system. I believe the bill before us moves in that direction as well. It will require Head Start operators to meet a range of financial disclosure requirements as a condition of receiving and keeping their Federal Head Start grants. Furthermore, under this bill, grantees would have to be overseen by a local governance board that provides direction and actively oversees program activities. These are positive steps to ensure abuses are minimized, and that taxpayers' funds and the children those funds are meant to serve are protected. Mr. Chairman, while this bill does represent overall progress for Head Start, I would be remiss if I did not note that there are some significant flaws in it, flaws that I hope we can correct before this measure is sent to the President. For example, under this measure the majority has decided to expand Head Start eligibility to those who the program was not designed to serve. Ultimately I believe this policy change may have the impact of leaving many children who live in poverty underserved by Head Start programs. This runs contrary to what we all believe to be the mission of this program and will do nothing to strengthen Head Start services; if anything, it will weaken them. I am also disappointed that the House will not have an opportunity today to vote on an amendment offered yesterday at the Rules Committee by Mr. Fortuno, to protect the civil liberties of faith-based providers by clarifying that these institutions are not required to relinquish their Civil Rights Act hiring protections when they participate in the Federal Head Start program. These protections are already the law of the land with regard to various Federal programs, including those impacting welfare reform and Community Service Block Grants. In fact, President Clinton himself signed such language into the law. The Fortuno amendment also would have ensured religious organizations would not be forced to remove art, icons, Scripture or other symbols in order to receive Federal Head Start grants. Barring these providers from fully participating in Head Start is not only a disservice to the faith-based providers, but also to the children who depend on the Head Start program and the taxpayers who should know that Federal dollars are granted to the best available service providers, faith-based or otherwise. Instead, the majority thrust upon us an amendment that praises the work of faith-based organizations, but does not protect their civil rights. It's literally all talk and no action. Indeed, the only people protected by this amendment are certain members of the majority party seeking political cover. Faith-based providers are left to fend for themselves. Mr. Chairman, in spite of these flaws, which I hope we can correct in time, the Improving Head Start Act remains a solid reauthorization measure. Head Start is a good program that is capable of achieving even greater results, and the bill before us will help us get there. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes at this time to the senior Republican on the subcommittee. I am proud of all the work that he has done to bring this bill to the floor last Congress and this Congress, the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle).

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, we have no further speakers, and we reserve the balance of our time.

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

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I thank my colleagues for a productive debate on the Improving Head Start Act. As many of us have noted throughout the day, Head Start is a good program that can be made even better, and that is why we are here. I hope everybody listened carefully to Mr. Castle as he talked about the importance of the upcoming amendments we are going to discuss because they can make the bill better. This program serves nearly 1 million underprivileged children and eases the divide between the haves and the have-nots when it comes to preparing them for kindergarten, which will give them a good start for their life. The bipartisan support we have seen for the bill today should lend all of us confidence that the program will remain on a solid foundation for generations to come. By reauthorizing Head Start, we are voting to build upon improvements that were made by the House Republicans in past Congresses by strengthening academic standards by emphasizing cognitive development using scientifically-based research; improving teacher quality by ensuring more Head Start teachers have bachelor degrees and are adequately trained in early childhood development; increasing financial disclosure requirements by Head Start operators as custodians of Federal Head Start grants; and requiring local governance boards to actively oversee grantees. These are common-sense reforms that I wholeheartedly support. That said, this bill remains flawed, and soon, we will turn to a number of amendments that highlight those flaws. One such amendment that we will not be able to discuss unfortunately is one offered to the Rules Committee by Mr. Fortuno yesterday. The Fortuno amendment is a principled one. It clearly protects the hiring privileges of faith- based providers and protects their civil rights to display religious symbols, rights that are sheltered under the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Yet, we will not be able to debate and vote on it today, a major statement about the real priorities of this purportedly fair, open and honest Congress. Nonetheless, Mr. Chairman, I still believe the Improving Head Start Act is a worthy piece of legislation, deserving of the same bipartisan support it received from the Education and Labor Committee just 2 months ago. Before I conclude, I would like to thank a number of current and former members of my staff who have made this bill possible. First, to Kate Houston, who no longer works on Capitol Hill, let alone on our committee staff. Years ago, Kate helped craft legislation that closely tracks the bill we are poised to pass today. Stephanie Milburn, who left our staff earlier this year to join Mr. Boehner's team, played an integral role in bringing this bill to where it is today, and I thank her as well. Finally, I thank Susan Ross and James Bergeron for their work in helping to bring this bill across the finish line. I have already mentioned thanks to Mr. Miller, Mr. Kildee, Mr. Castle, and I would like to thank their staff also for working with us so closely on this bill. The team effort that we have demonstrated on this issue, and our ability to work closely with our Democratic counterparts, yielded the product we are poised to vote on this afternoon. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the gentlewoman's amendment.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I believe that the amendment will improve the underlying bill. Let me just give one example that can come from her amendment. Delaware State University is an example of a Head Start HBCU partnership that nurtures a continual goal of providing high quality educational experiences to Head Start participants by enhancing the competence of teachers and teachers' aids; improving parental confidence and life management skills to ensure that the work of Head Start is continued in the home; and improving the administrative, managerial and leadership skills of centers directly so the Head Start resources, including personnel, are used as efficiently as possible. We think that her amendment will further this help, and we think it improves the bill. We would be happy to support the amendment. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, before I came to Washington, I served in local government on the school board, on the city council. I have great respect for local leadership. I don't know what we're afraid of. Sometimes I get the feeling that people here in Washington feel that all wisdom resides within the Beltway. I just think that to give the opportunity to a maximum of eight States to try to expand and bring creativity to a program that's good, to make it better, I think is nothing but a good thing, and it's on the upside. I commend the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Price) for this amendment. I encourage all to support it.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, while I support the intent of the amendment, which I think is good and which we included in last year's bill that we passed, the higher ed reauthorization bill, that I think is a better vehicle for this particular amendment. I would encourage the Member to withdraw it and put this in the higher ed bill when we move later this year to reauthorize that. It fits better there. We did a study, and we found that most of the education programs don't come under the Department of Education, they come under 39 other bureaucracies throughout this town. And it would be, I think, moving to try to have things more organized. It fits better under the Higher Ed Act, and I would encourage that the gentleman put it under that. Otherwise, I would oppose this amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I rise to claim the time in opposition to the amendment, even though I support the gentlelady's amendment.

Mr. McKEON. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the gentlelady's amendment, which revises the training and technical assistance program for Early Head Start by ensuring that training and technical assistance are provided by entities with specific expertise in infant and toddler development. I believe that that makes a stronger bill, and I thank her for her amendment. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this rule and appreciate the gentleman yielding time. To be blunt, the rule before us is not worthy of the bill we will be debating in just a short while. Let me be clear at the outset. I support the improving Head Start Act and will vote for its final passage later today. However, the rule before us restricts debate and provides very little opportunity to improve this bill. While I appreciate the Rules Committee making in order a few Republican amendments, including ones offered by my Education and Labor Committee colleague, Mr. Price of Georgia; my former committee colleague, Mr. Porter of Nevada; and my friend, Mr. Putnam, this rule is defined more by what it does not include than what it does include. Yesterday, Mr. Fortuno submitted to the Rules Committee an amendment to protect the civil rights of faith-based organizations wishing to provide services to Head Start children. In the aftermath of September 11, Hurricane Katrina or any other tragedy, faith-based organizations have been among the first to reach out a hand in service to those impacted by the event. It does not take a large-scale catastrophe to rally faith-based organizations into action, however. These groups are working to assist their fellow Americans each and every day, focusing on issues from job training to child care and everything in between. Too often the Federal Government has ignored or impeded the efforts of faith-based organizations willing to lend a helping hand in providing critical services to the neediest in our communities. Mr. Fortuno's amendment would have protected the rights of faith-based groups to fully participate in serving Head Start children without relinquishing their religious identities. And the majority turned it away. Mr. Speaker, they turned it away even though the 1964 Civil Rights Act made clear when faith-based groups hire employees on a religious basis, it is an exercise of the group's civil liberties. They turned it away even though in 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld this right. And they turned it away even though former President Bill Clinton signed four laws explicitly allowing faith-based groups to staff on a religious basis when they receive Federal funds. In its place, they allowed us to debate an amendment that applauds the work of faith-based providers but fails to protect their civil rights. This hollow amendment may provide certain Members of the majority political cover, but in reality, it does nothing to protect the constitutional rights of faith-based organizations seeking to serve Head Start students. This is just one example, the most significant of all, of how this rule is not worthy of the bill we will be debating later today, and so I urge my colleagues to oppose this rule.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Madam Speaker, before the school term ends this year in the Santa Clarita Valley, I wish to recognize the coaches and athletes of Canyon High School's football program for their outstanding performance during the 2006 high school football season. Canyon High School's varsity football team completed their season by defeating the De la Salle Spartans of Concord, the No. 1-ranked high school team in the Nation, with a score of 27-13 to clinch the first California State Division I championship in 79 years. MaxPreps, a California-based national high school sports information web site, lauded Canyon High School's football program and ranked Canyon High School's football program as the 10th best in the Nation. This ranking was achieved amongst a field of over 15,000 schools nation-wide. The ethos of this tightly knit team should serve as an example to all those aspiring to greatness. The level of devotion and resolve displayed by coaches and players of Canyon High School's football program is exemplary. I would like to commend the coaching staff, including Harry Welch, Dave Ends, Chris Rzewuski, Monterio Witherspoon, Bryan Wilson, Tim Hollinger, Ken Wheeler, Mike Civita, Rod Baltau, Robert Hendricks, Billy Omahen, and John DiLuigi, for their energy, enthusiasm and expertise. Congratulations are also due to Coach Harry Welch for winning the California Coaches Association's 2007 State of California Football Coach of the Year award. I would like to recognize the individual members of Canyon High School's champion football team. Chad Adams, Britt Briscoe, Joshua Carvalho, Brandon Chandler, Sean Crane, Chris Duncan, Eric Ernenputsch, Jordan Ferguson, Sean Gavin, Jonathan Hammock, Garret Hernandez, Joshua Hickman, Michael Hollinger, Eric James, Jesse Kelley, Mario Mestizo, Ryan Nichols, Brandon Reeves, Brice Reiner, Danny Robinson, Kenny Shanahan, Mike Spagnola, Danny Valdez, Justin Wallace, Adam Woodard, and Trevor Yslas. In addition, congratulations are due to returning players for their second year of championship play. They are: Fares Albichara, Ben Armbruster, Anthony Arriaga, Michael Blanco, Christopher Chapman, Michael Cooper, John DiLuigi, Mike Harker, Nic Jurado, Anthony King, Christopher Kingsbury, Randy Lemus, Ben Longshore, Michael Loucks, Nick Madia, Cipriano Maldonado, Andrew Martinez, Blake McMartin, Julian Murillo, Nick Peterson, Michael Pyne, Dillon Schelske, Kenny Suber, Mark Urbina, Marc Valdez, AJ Wallerstein, Sean Ward, and Stephen Wirthlin. Their hard work and perseverance has taught them to balance academics and athletics and I applaud their efforts. Coach Joe Paterno, current Head Coach of Pennsylvania State University, once said, ``When a team outgrows individual performance and learns team confidence, excellence becomes a reality.'' Exemplifying all that is right with team spirit, the Canyon High School Football team is a stellar example of fortitude, courage, and tenacity. They have proven that by doing what is necessary, then going on to what is possible, they were able to accomplish what many thought would be impossible. Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the Canyon High School football team for their triumphant season and to wish them best of luck in all their future endeavors.