Buck McKeon

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the House insist on its amendments to the Senate bill, S. 250, and request a conference with the Senate thereon.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, again I want to congratulate my good friend from Ohio for his very eloquent speech on the minimum wage. Let me again remind those who are watching what we are debating today, and that is the reauthorization of the Vocational Education Act, their motion to instruct changes the language about building on the efforts of the States and localities to developing challenging academic and technical standards to assist students in meeting such standards, including preparation for high-scale, high-wage, or high-demand occupations. And they are saying after ``high wage'' insert the language ``in no case less than $7.25 an hour.'' And again, I think that when we are saying high-wage, high-demand jobs we are looking at a lot more than $7.25 an hour. I came from a business background when I came here, and we were in the retail business and we hired a lot of people, and in most cases they would start out at the minimum wage and after a short period of training they moved up quickly to high paying jobs. Minimum wage is not a cap. It is an entry level job. And again, though, we are not here to debate that. We are here to talk about the vocational education bill, and we want to go to conference so we can get this bill finished up with the Senate, get it to the President and move on. This bill enhances the Perkins program by ensuring both secondary and post-secondary students participating in the program will acquire rigorous academic technical skills and have the opportunity to transition into further education and/or successful employment. I meet with lots of people having to do with education around the country. I met with the head of the Association of Truck Drivers school. He says, we could provide 40,000 truck drivers a year if we could get the people. There is lots of demand for high paying jobs, and we can't get people trained. We need to get this bill passed and get it so that the President can sign it into law and move forward. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my good friend from New York (Mr. Boehlert), chairman of the Science Committee. (Mr. BOEHLERT asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for his comments. And as you can see, there are supporters for minimum wage on both sides of the aisle. But that is not what we are talking about today. We are not talking about minimum wage. What the other side is asking that we do is put in a rate, $7.25 an hour, in a Federal bill. We don't usually set wages in a Federal bill. What we do try to do in this bill is encourage the training, vocational educational training for young people so that they can qualify for good, high paying jobs and move on to a successful career. One of the unique attributes of vocational and technical education programs is their ability to show students a path that could end in a certificate, a credential, employment, military service or post- secondary education. It opens up lots of opportunities. The House-passed bill requires States to establish model sequences of courses to emphasize further student academic career and technical achievement. These sequences of courses will incorporate a progression of both secondary and post-secondary elements, which would include academic, career and technical content. Local recipients of both the secondary and post-secondary level would adopt at least one model sequence of courses as developed by the State. I believe this will help drive program improvements by ensuring that States clarify the progression of academic, vocational and technical courses needed for post-secondary education and the training or employment of a student's choice. The House version of S. 250 builds upon reforms made in past reauthorizations and seeks to enhance this popular program to ensure its success in years to come. As a result of changes in the House bill, S. 250 would help States, community colleges and other post-secondary education institutions and local school districts better meet the needs of the students participating in career and technical education. I look forward to working with Members of both sides of the aisle in both Chambers to complete work on this critical legislation. I just want to further emphasize so that everybody listening to this debate understands that this is not a vote on the minimum wage. This is a vote on going to conference on vocational education so that we can get this bill to the President's desk and take care of a lot of work that has been done to this point to make a good bill better. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of a just cause that is facing a critical turning point. The outcome hangs in the balance, and Mr. Speaker, we should not kid ourselves into believing that victory is foreordained. Churchill once said that there would not be war if both sides did not believe that they could win it. The enemy we face in Iraq, and in the broader war against the radical Islamists, is driven by an apocalyptic vision of God. And because such apocalyptic visions are rooted in faith and not facts, they are very hard to dispel. We, therefore, face an opponent who is neither open to reason or compromise. Nor will he necessarily be defeated by calculations of military strategy and prudence. We face the paradox of a perilous time. At the opening of the 21st century we are opposed by an adversary who preaches the savagery and barbarism of the 12th century. We face in Iraq an enemy that will show us absolutely no quarter. And Mr. Speaker, I am bound to say that I think we in this Chamber, and indeed even in the country at large, have been slow to grasp that fact. However, the difficulty of the fight should not dissuade us from waging it if the cause is just--and the cause IS just. Mr. Speaker, I have had the sad duty to attend the funerals of several of the servicemen killed in Iraq who came from my district. There are those who say that we should not withdraw from Iraq because to do so would mean that they died in vain. This is not correct. Nothing that we have done or will do, will ever subtract one ounce from the valor and nobility of those who have died in the service of their country. As Lincoln said in the Gettysburg Address, ``We can not dedicate--we can not consecrate--we can not hallow--this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.'' However, we should pause to note that our servicemen and women are fighting--and sometimes dying--because they know the terrible price that will be paid if our adversaries prevail. They have seen, as I have seen when I traveled to Iraq, what a world our enemies would have us live in. It is a world filled by a grotesque and distorted vision of God. It is a world of slavery and submission where the Almighty is not a benevolent and loving Creator of His Children. But rather is a pagan idol that demands blood sacrifice and glories in the murder of the innocent. You need look no farther than the carnage in Baghdad, or Kabul, or Mogadishu or, let us never forget, the Twin Towers, to see the truth in that axiom. That is what our enemy, for all his talk of God, seeks to do. He seeks to kill God by destroying God's children and God's creation. And we are all that stands between our adversary and the realization of his nihilistic vision. Mr. Speaker, there are those in this House who are far better versed than I in the strategic and military calculations that are the essence of this conflict. There are those who say that we mistakenly entered the war in Iraq on the basis of flawed intelligence. This, I think, underestimates the nature of our adversary. Given the expansiveness of our enemy's nightmare vision, I think it is safe to say that there would have been war in Iraq no matter what we did. That, of course, will be for the historians to decide. But this much I do know, Mr. Speaker. We stand for hope. We fight for peace and a world that is free. We sacrifice now so that the little children that I met when I was in Iraq might live in a better world tomorrow. And because they will have a better world, we Americans will live in a safer one. To quote DeGualle, ``Behind the terrible cloud of our blood and tears here is the sun of our grandeur shining out once again.'' Mr. Speaker, I do have one concern. I think that we in this Congress have allowed too wide a gap to develop between the society we help to govern and the war we have been compelled to wage. We have to correct this, because we will not win this war--in Iraq or beyond--unless we as a Nation come to grips with what we face and begin to act accordingly. We must never forget that, to quote Lincoln again, ``Public sentiment is everything. With public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it nothing can succeed.'' Right now I look around me and I see a Congress and a country distracted, and nothing could be deadlier to our security and our hopes for a better future. To some extent this is understandable. America is, and has every right to be, tired of conflict. In 1917, for the first time, we went ``over there'' to make the world safe for democracy. In 1941, in Churchill's evocative phrase, the new world stepped forth, yet again, to the rescue and liberation of the old. Then after 1945 we stayed on to wage the long twilight struggle that came to be called the cold war. Then, in 1989, a miracle. We stopped holding our breaths. The Berlin Wall came down and the Soviet Union disappeared. The hair trigger nightmare of the nuclear armed world seemed to recede. We came off of the figurative tip-toes on which we had been standing for nearly 50 years. We had grown so accustomed to it that when the Cold War ended, we scarcely realized just how nerve wracking, and what a strain, it had all been. Now here we are again. More war, more sacrifice, more death. It is not a pleasant picture--but it offers this. It offers hope. It offers an alternative to yet another in a long line of obscene and perverted visions that seem to be forever conjured in the minds of men. Mr. Speaker, I have dared to say today something that very few of us seem willing to say. We could lose this war. There is nothing in the stars that says we must prevail. In history, freedom is the exception, not the rule. So I say to my colleagues, we must press on in Iraq. We must fight wisely, but we must not falter. Most of all we must stand together. That way, when our children and grandchildren look back at this moment in history, they will say that at the threatened nightfall the blood of their fathers ran strong.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield at this time 1\1/2\ minutes to Mr. Keller, the chairman of the 21st Century Subcommittee.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous information on H.R. 5293.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I am happy to yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Tiberi), the subcommittee chairman who has provided the leadership to get this bill to the floor.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5293) to amend the Older Americans Act of 1965 to authorize appropriations for fiscal years 2007 through 2011, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Tiberi), and ask unanimous consent that he be able to control that time.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 5293, the Senior Independence Act of 2006, and I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this critical measure. Today supporting the needs of older Americans is more important than ever. More than 49 million people in the United States are over the age of 60, making it the fastest-growing age group in the country. By the year 2050, that number will reach nearly 90 million and comprise almost a quarter of our population. This trend requires substantial reforms to ensure the quality and effectiveness of Federal programs aimed at assisting the elderly. Last month the Education and the Workforce Committee approved the bipartisan bill before us, legislation that will make those additional reforms by reauthorizing and strengthening the Older Americans Act. Initially established in 1965, the Older Americans Act has transformed into the first stop for seniors to identify home- and community-based long-term care options, as well as other supportive services that can help prevent or delay expensive institutional care and generate significant savings in Federal entitlement programs. And H.R. 5293 builds on that progress. Specifically, the bipartisan Senior Independence Act will, number one, promote measures such as nutrition programs and health screens that reduce seniors' risk of injury, disease or disability; two, improve access to health care by supporting resource centers in every community where older Americans and their families can go for reliable information about long-term care options, community support services and important health benefits such as Medicare, prescription drug coverage; and number three, encourage States and communities to plan for an increasing number of older Americans. This bill also reauthorizes the Senior Community Service Employment Program to provide older individuals with temporary employment-based training opportunities. These opportunities can help seniors obtain the skills they need to obtain a full- or part-time unsubsidized job. This program is a means to an end and should not be considered permanent employment. Therefore, this legislation requires national grantees selected through a full and open competition and States to place 30 percent of their participants into unsubsidized employment by the year 2011. The bill also encourages grantees to establish partnerships with private sector businesses that can provide participants on-the-job training and help individuals achieve their goal of obtaining employment. At the same time, H.R. 5293 does not lose sight of the valuable community services of this program and requires at least half of all subsidized employment-based training to provide a community service. My colleagues may recall that in the past, reauthorizing the Older Americans Act was often a very partisan process. However, this year that has not been the case. Both Democrats and Republicans on the Education and the Workforce Committee pulled together to make the reforms necessary to meet the challenges of an aging population. In fact, the bill passed our committee without any opposition whatsoever. I want to commend the chairman of the subcommittee, Mr. Tiberi from Ohio; and his ranking member, Mr. Hinojosa from Texas; and Mr. George Miller, the ranking member of the full committee for their great work and leadership in helping to craft this bill in such a thoughtful, bipartisan manner. During this political season that is quite a rare feat. I close by thanking all Americans who work or volunteer to support our country's aging network. This strong and vital network is made possible because of a cadre of selfless volunteers who deliver meals to homebound seniors, offer companionship, assist with activities of daily living, and provide many other necessary supports that help older Americans remain healthy and fulfilled. This legislation is designed to support you, and I hope it is a positive reflection of your good work. Mr. Speaker, Senior Independence Act aims to make the most of the Federal investment in programs to assist older Americans. It is a good bill worthy of our support. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to remove my name as cosponsor from the bill, H.R. 4755.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the subcommittee chairman for his works on bringing this bill to the floor, and thank Mr. Kildee for his work in supporting the bill. It is important that we extend this act and give the Senate time to act on the bill, so I would encourage all of our colleagues to support the bill to help our young people get the education they need to realize the American dream. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5603, the Second Higher Education Extension Act of 2006. I thank the Chairman of the 21st Century Competitiveness Subcommittee, Mr. Keller, for his work on this bill, as well as his consistent efforts on behalf of our Nation's college students and their families. Discretionary programs under the Higher Education Act will expire on June 30, 2006, and this legislation before us simply extends the programs for an additional three months. Earlier this year, when the Deficit Reduction Act was signed into law, we authorized the Act's mandatory spending programs. In the process, we reduced lender subsidies; increased loan limits for students; simplified the financial aid process; and provided additional resources for needy students studying math, science, and critical foreign languages in college. And we managed to achieve all that while also making certain that student aid programs operate more efficiently, saving U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars. In March, the House backed H.R. 609, the College Access & Opportunity Act, which would reauthorize the remaining programs under the Higher Education Act. This bill would strengthen the Pell Grant program, empower parents and students through ``sunshine'' and transparency in college costs and accreditation, improve college access programs, and much more. I am hopeful that our friends on the other side of the Capitol will act on these reforms soon so these extensions will become a thing of the past. In the meantime, however, Congress again must act to extend the Higher Education Act, which we have done previously on several occasions and with bipartisan support. The Second Higher Education Extension Act will ensure that vital Federal college access and student aid programs continue to serve those students who depend upon them. At the same time, the bill also gives our Senate colleagues additional time to complete a renewal of the Higher Education Act. Mr. Speaker, we are facing new realities in an increasingly competitive global economy. U.S. workers of today are no longer just competing with one another for jobs, but also against counterparts across the globe. One avenue we have for tackling today's new climate is through education in general, but more significantly through higher education. That's why the Federal investment in the Higher Education Act is so vital. Our Nation has millions of low and middle income students aspiring to go to college. They not only deserve an opportunity to educate themselves, but we personally depend on their having that opportunity. I encourage my colleagues to support the bill before us today and continue to work toward a fundamental reform package so that we can better serve American students pursuing the dream of a college education.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4894, the School Safety Acquiring Faculty Excellence Act, a measure to provide school districts with the ability to ensure the safety of their classrooms. I thank Mr. Porter for leading the charge in making certain that children in our schools are learning in the safest environment possible. America's teachers are at the very heart of our education system and play a vital role in the lives of children. Their daily one- on-one interaction with the children in their classrooms cannot easily be matched. It is for those reasons that we want to be certain that our teachers are of no threat to our children. The School Safety Acquiring Faculty Excellence Act is a logical and realistic approach to providing school administrators the tools necessary to help ensure their schools are safe. Mr. Speaker, teachers deserve our utmost appreciation for their service and lifelong dedication to education. It is through this legislation, however, that we also address the realities of today and provide reassurance that we are keeping predators out of our classrooms. The safety and protection of our schoolchildren is imperative. Again, I would like to thank Mr. Porter for his continued efforts to help guarantee the safety of our schools, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of H. Res. 318 to encourage responsible fatherhood. As we recognize fathers across the country and in celebration of Father's Day, we honor caring, involved fathers and hearten other men to also hold their children and the family unit in the highest regard. Numerous studies conducted throughout the years have continued to underscore the fundamental role fathers play in a family and highlight the positive effects they have on children. I want to encourage men who are not already doing so to take the responsibility of fatherhood seriously and to understand that there are considerable consequences to broken-families where there is no male role model for the children. Children in father-absent homes have a tendency to live in poverty, use drugs, commit crimes, drop out of school, and in the case of young women--become pregnant as teenagers. Conversely, children in homes with fathers who are dependable and active tend to do better in school, are less prone to depression and demonstrate the ability to form more successful relationships. The role of a father is one to be celebrated. A father provides safety, security, love, and support. Children inherently covet and require these qualities as they mature into young adults, and they deserve the opportunity to prosper and learn in a stable home. Fathers who dedicate their time, energy, and resources to their children harvest the rewards of their efforts as they watch their children become productive citizens. A father or male-guardian who is committed and dependable acts also as a mentor--leading by example and demonstrating the standards by which we expect young people to live. Mr. Speaker, as we approach Father's Day, I would like to commend the millions of fathers who already serve as wonderful parents for their children, and I ask my colleagues to also support this resolution for the improvement and encouragement of other men nationwide.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge the outstanding civilian support of our Armed Services that was embodied by the Triple Crown winning-horse, Whirlaway, during the beginning of World War II. As a direct result of the fundraising enabled by the popularity and talent of Whirlaway, many USO Clubs around the country were established. As a congressionally chartered, nonprofit organization, that support U.S. troops and their families wherever they serve, the USO has also recognized the contribution that Whirlaway aided in the early 1940s. Whirlaway accomplished some impressive feats as a sports figure, including the still-unbroken record for the fastest furlong ever run in the Kentucky Derby. As a war hero, Whirlaway was an irreplaceable symbol of unity and mutual support between our civilian population and the men and women who serve our country. As we remember the brave soldiers who have served our country in uniform this Memorial Day, we should also remember the inspiring stories of those civilians who have demonstrated extraordinary support in the past. May God bless our men and women in uniform and all civilians who remember them on this Memorial Day.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, listening to the gentleman from Pennsylvania reminded me, my grandfather and my great-grandfather came over from Ireland. They settled in Pennsylvania, and some of his brothers died from black lung disease, and my great-grandfather came out to Utah and was able to survive that. You know, I think it is great that we are able to work today on a bipartisan basis to get this bill done. It's unfortunate that it takes tragedies such as we have seen to draw us together. I remember after 9/ 11 how we all gathered on the steps out here, and we really were united as Americans. I understand there is some opposition to this bill, but mostly, I think we are working together to try to move correctly further safety to the miners. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill (S. 2803) to amend the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 to improve the safety of mines and mining.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), the subcommittee chairman on the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Mollohan).

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Holden). MR. HOLDEN. I thank the chairman and the ranking member for yielding me the time. I rise in support of this bill, but I agree with the ranking member that this bill is not perfect. One of the ways that this bill could have been improved is if we would have addressed the way MSHA deals with anthracite coal mining versus bituminous coal mining, two very different forms of coal, hard coal versus soft coal, irregular veins versus consistent veins. They are mined differently and they should be regulated differently. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania recognizes that. They have two separate laws. They have two separate divisions that deal with regulation and enforcement of the safety laws. In northeastern Pennsylvania and the anthracite fields that I represent, along with Mr. Kanjorski and Mr. Sherwood, there is a division in western Pennsylvania in the bituminous field; there is another one with two separate laws. MSHA has consistently said that one-size-fits-all is what they will do in regulation. Mr. Speaker, that does not work. The Inspector General from the Department of Labor issued a report on March 31 of this year that I would like to read in the Record: ``MSHA has not fully addressed the possibility that current regulations do not adequately reflect operating methods and conditions unique to anthracite coal mining. We recommend,'' meaning the Inspector General, ``that MSHA evaluate whether the existing petitions for the modification process efficiently address the applicability of existing regulations to varying mining techniques or whether any existing regulations require revisions for anthracite mining methods.'' Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation today, but I ask the chairman and ranking member to work with me as we try to convince MSHA that there is an Inspector General's report, there is a precedent in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania realizing the difference in anthracite mining and bituminous mining. And we can protect our miners and we can do it in a fair way.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, how much time remains on each side?

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. I propose that we take this bill and we pass it today. We continue to work to improve miner safety. We do not wait another 30 years plus to have this issue addressed. I would like to place into the Record the letter from the National Mining Association supporting rapid action on this bill and others. House of Representatives, Committee on Education and the Workforce, Washington, DC, June 6, 2006. Hon. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Sensenbrenner: Thank you for your recent letter regarding the consideration of S. 2803, the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act of 2006, I agree that my committee shares jurisdiction over the provisions of the bill related to limited liability for rescue operation, penalties, and fine collection with the Committee on the Judiciary. I appreciate your willingness to forgo consideration of S. 2803 by your committee. I agree that waiving consideration of S. 2803 in no way diminishes or alters the jurisdictional interest of the Committee on the Judiciary. I will include your letter and this response in the Congressional Record during the bill's consideration on the House floor. Sincerely, Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon, Chairman.