Buck McKeon

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. My thoughts and sympathies go to those who have lost family members and loved ones to this dastardly deed. Yesterday morning, while I prepared to come to the hill, I watched in horror on the television as the World Trade Center burned. Then a second plane I saw fly deliberately into the second tower. And as I was watching that, I heard of the third plane crashing into the Pentagon. I, along with the rest of the Nation, was riveted to the news for the rest of the day. Words cannot describe the feelings I had as I saw those towers crumble. Through the immense devastation, I saw the efforts of many Americans to save and help those victims who were suffering so tremendously. Many of those heroes became victims themselves. Mr. Speaker, I have heard a lot of talk since then about what we are going to do; but in the last few years that I have been here in Congress, we have suffered other terrorist attacks and all we have done is talk. This has to stop. This time, we have to retaliate; and we have to do so so strongly that no one will dare attack us on our homeland again.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Access to Students Loans Act. This legislation permanently extends the McKeon-Kildee student loan fix. The overall goal is to see that students are able to obtain student loans whether they attend Stanford or a career college in the inner city of Los Angeles. In order to achieve this goal, a stable and strong FFELP program is key to making sure these students are able to obtain loans each year without having to worry about whether one will be available. During the 1998 Higher Education Act reauthorization, Representative Dale Kildee and I Hammered out the current interest rate fix after numerous meetings and plenty of negotiations. The end result was the lowest interest rate for borrowers in the history of the program, with current rates in repayment at 5.99 percent. These loans, however, are only as good as their availability. Banks won't make loans unless they are making a profit. Therefore only those students attending universities with low default rates will get served. Fixing this interest rate problem will be a direct benefit to those students who are usually underserved, and the most at risk of dropping out of college. This is why I want to see this problem fixed now. Additionally, if we are able to solve this problem now we have a much better chance, with the necessary resources, to work on other challenges facing higher education in the 2003 reauthorization. Specifically, increasing funding for Pell grants and campus-based aid would be at the top of my priority list. Included in the budget resolution under the leadership of Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle is a technical reserve fund specifically set up to make the current student loan interest rate formulas permanent. However, we must take action to make the fix permanent before the current budget resolution expires. I hope my colleagues will support me in this endeavor and cosponsor this important legislation which will ensure access to loans for all of America's students.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a wonderful program in the city of Santa Clarita called ``Hero of the Week'' as well as those individuals who have been honored in the program. The program is sponsored jointly by the City of Santa Clarita Anti- Gang Task Force and Mad About Rising Crime Santa Clarita Chapter under the direction of Mr. Gary Popejoy. Started by Maria Fulkerson and Lorraine Grimaldo of the Santa Clarita Anti-Gang Task Force, the ``Hero of the Week'' program focuses on the positive actions of our youth rather than the negative. The program honors students for the constructive choices they have demonstrated. The students from the Santa Clarita Valley Junior and Senior High Schools are recommended by teachers and principals based on their observations of the student exhibiting positive behavior. The students that are selected exhibit the qualities that we are looking for in future leaders of our nation. These students, many of whom have experienced difficult times in their own lives, have made remarkable improvements through this program. I am pleased to honor these students today here on the House floor. On May 24th, 2001, the ``Hero of the Week'' program honored 44 members of my community for their outstanding activities that truly made them heroes in our neighborhood. These students have faced serious obstacles and, in many cases, faltered in the face of adversity. However, none of these students gave up. Their hard work and determination have truly earned them the title ``Hero'' in our community. Mr. Speaker, I would like to conclude these remarks by listing the students honored by the city. I congratulate them and the sponsoring organizations for such a worthwhile and beneficial program.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of the resolution to honor the Thirtymile Firefighters who lost their lives fighting the fire in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State. Additionally, I would like to pay special tribute to a courageous young woman from Lancaster, CA, in my congressional district. Her selflessness and heroic actions are to be recognized and celebrated. On July 10, 2001, less than a month after completing her firefighter training, Rebecca Welch's bravery, strength, and skill were tested to the utmost degree. As part of a United States Forest Service fire crew, she, along with fourteen other firefighters, was called upon to help fight a smoldering 25-acre fire that ultimately turned into a raging inferno that consumed more than 8,000 acres in a little more than a week. After recently receiving her degree in communications broadcast journalism from the University of Sioux Falls in South Dakota, Ms. Welch considered the idea of being a firefighter after taking to heart her father's suggestion to do so. I am sure Bruce and Paula Hagemeyer, hikers who were caught in the fire, are grateful for that decision. Finding themselves trapped and surrounded by flames, the crew and civilians were forced to deploy fire shelters and endure the furious fire. Ms. Welch courageously and selflessly covered the Hagemeyers with her shelter and maintained a calm and controlled haven while flames roared relentlessly outside. While undergoing several minutes of suffocating heat, Ms. Welch provided a reassuring hope and protection that saved the Hagemeyers' lives. As we consider this resolution to honor these firefighters who lost their lives (H. Res. 201), let us be grateful for their bravery and sacrifice in service to the Nation. Let us extend our sympathies to the families and fellow firefighters of these heroes. Finally, Madam Speaker, I would like to express my deepest appreciation and admiration to my constituent, Rebecca Welch, for her sacrifice, valor, and heroic act of kindness.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I rise in strong support of this motion to go to conference on H.R. 1. In January, when the President presented his No Child Left Behind education reform proposal, he said, ``Bipartisan education reform will be the cornerstone of my administration.'' He called on Congress to work together across party lines to craft legislation; and as a member of the House drafting team, I am proud of the work we have done so far under the leadership of the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Miller) in getting us to this point. The gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), the chairman of the committee, and the gentleman from California (Mr. Miller), the ranking member, and all of the Members of the House are to be commended for their commitment to bipartisanship but, more importantly, for their commitment to our Nation's children. The bill we are sending to conference is a good bill and reflects most of the President's proposals. This bill was a long time in coming. We started the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in the last Congress under the previous administration. After 2 years of debate and several pieces of legislation, we were unable to put a package together. So today we will send H.R. 1 to conference to continue the process of instituting historic changes to our schools and new opportunities for our Nation's children. Throughout the legislation, H.R. 1 maintains the four pillars of President Bush's education reform plan: accountability, flexibility and local control, research-based reform, and expanded parental options. Specifically, as chairman of the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness, I would like to talk about two issues which fall under my jurisdiction: teacher training and education technology. First, the teacher title builds upon legislation that I, along with the gentleman from California (Mr. Miller), the ranking member, authored in the last Congress, the Teacher Empowerment Act. It is based upon three principles: teacher excellence, smaller classes, and local choices. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1 does this by consolidating and streamlining the Eisenhower Professional Development Program and the Class Size Reduction Program into a single program to provide States and local schools additional flexibility in the use of these funds in exchange for increased accountability and demonstrated student achievement. This will provide a major boost to schools in their efforts to establish and support a high quality teaching force. Second, in regards to technology, the House bill consolidates a number of technology programs into a single performance-based grant program. According to the General Accounting Office, there are 35 Federal programs spread across eight Federal agencies that may be used as a source of support for telecommunications and information technology in schools and libraries. By eliminating duplicative programs under the Elementary and Secondary Act, the bill is a good first step to ensure that schools will not have to submit multiple grant applications that waste precious dollars on administrative expenses. Additionally, under H.R. 1, technology funds will go to those areas where help is needed the most. According to the Department of Education's most recent study, schools in the highest poverty areas are still far less likely to have computers connected to the Internet in every classroom. This targeting of funds is a departure from the current practices under the two major ESEA technology grant programs. A recent GAO study reported that of 20 current grants under the Technology Innovation Challenge grant program, none had been reported as being awarded to grantees with greater than 51 percent poverty. The Enhancing Education Through Technology initiative will ensure more funds get to the schools that are most in need of obtaining and using education technology. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to encourage all of the Members of the House to support this motion so that we can take the final step in this process and send the President an education bill that reflects his principles and begin making an immediate impact for students and schools and turn the promise of not leaving one child behind into reality.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the Law Enforcement Officers' Training Act, a bill to establish a program within the Department of Labor to provide grants for training of law enforcement officers. Nearly every major study of police and law enforcement agencies conducted over the last forty years, from the Kerner Commission report in 1968 through the recent scandals in Los Angeles, has identified individual training as an essential element of police reform. My proposal takes advantage of the Department of Labor's expertise in designing, implementing and administering effective programs to improve skills and to promote professional development of our workforce. While the Justice Department makes grants available to governmental entities for projects to fight crime and improve public safety, there has been a failure to focus on individual professional development as a factor in improving the delivery of law enforcement and public safety services. My bill directs the Labor Department to focus on training and development in six specific areas: community policing, development of policing skills in a multi-cultural environment, officer survival and defense, the application of technology in law enforcement, supervision and mid-level management skills and techniques, and identification and management of officer fatigue and sleep deprivation. These grants could be awarded to training institutions, educational institutions, and classrooms of law enforcement officers. Funds could be used for seminars, classes, workshops, conferences or other training sessions in accordance with guidelines developed by the Department of Labor. The Law Enforcement Officers' Training Act will result in better relationships between police officers and the public, improved public safety, more efficient delivery of protective services, and enhanced sensitivity to our multi-cultural environment. In developing this legislation I have had the opportunity to work with the leadership of the International Union of Police Associations, AFL-CIO. I sincerely appreciate their efforts on this proposal. I urge my colleagues to join me in sponsoring this legislation which will improve the security of all of our constituents.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, today I join Representative Isakson in introducing the Internet Equity and Education Act of 2001. The proposed amendments to the Higher Education Act are modest, but will provide an immediate benefit to students and improve the ability of postsecondary institutions to offer instruction over the Internet. I will focus my comments on the issue of incentive compensation. There has been widespread acknowledgment within the higher education community and at the Department of Education that this provision and the implementing regulation that mimics the statute are unclear and the cause of much confusion with respect to allowable activities. The language included in this legislation attempts to clarify the intent of Congress, while recognizing that this particular provision needs to be regulated in a clear and concise manner with input from all interested parties. For example, the reference to ``other incentive, non-salary payment'' in this bill clarifies that the statutory prohibition on certain monetary compensations extends only to bonuses, commissions, and similar payments. It does not prohibit setting or prospectively adjusting salary from time to time, based on performance of legitimate job functions. The reference to payments ``based directly on success'' in securing enrollments clarifies that institutions may compensate admissions personnel based on their performance of legitimate recruiting activities and are commonly undertaken by recruiters on behalf of institutions of higher education prior to enrollment and the start of classes. Such activities and practices include, but are not limited to, recruiting visits to high schools; telephone calls and similar communications (including written letters and e-mail) aimed at recruiting prospective students; personal interviews of prospective students; tours for prospective students; providing various academic and general, school-related information to prospective students; and obtaining certain information from prospective students, including but not limited to applications, transcripts, high school diplomas, and other documentation needed to complete an application to enroll at an institution of higher education. In addition, the change in language is intended to clarify that employee and owner participation in the profits of an institution is permitted. The reference to persons or entities ``directly engaged'' in recruiting or awarding financial aid clarifies that the statutory prohibition applies only to those whose primary function is to recruit students or award financial aid. It is not intended to apply to supervisors or higher-level executives who, although they may supervise such persons or be above them in the institution's organizational chart, do not recruit prospective students or award financial aid. In addition, this change clarifies that the statutory prohibition is not intended to apply to contractual arrangements with third parties, such as web services providers marketing companies, or other service providers that have no control or authority over admissions or enrollments at the contracting institution. Finally, this provision is being deleted from Section 487 and placed in a new Section 484C. It was never the intent of Congress that this provision should be deemed an element or condition of institutional, programmatic, or student eligibility. In changing the placement of the provision, it will give the Secretary the discretion to levy appropriate sanctions, in the event an institution is found to have violated the statutory ban. I believe this clarification of the incentive compensation provision, along with the provisions addressing the 12-hour rule and correspondence education limitations, will provide postsecondary institutions with much needed relief from ``outdated regulations that impede innovation,'' and will allow the institutions to provide students with approaches to education ``that embrace anytime, anywhere, any pace learning.'' It will do so within the context of maintaining the integrity of our student financial aid programs. I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1, the President's number one priority, the Leave No Child Behind Act, because we cannot let this opportunity pass us by. This bill was a long time coming. We started the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in the last Congress under the previous administration. After 2 years of debate and several pieces of legislation, we were unable to put a package together. So today, under the leadership of President Bush, the gentleman from Ohio (Chairman Boehner); the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), ranking member; the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle), the subcommittee chairman; the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Kildee), the ranking member; and several other members of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, we bring H.R. 1 to the floor to begin the process of instituting historic changes to our schools and new opportunities for our Nation's children. Throughout the legislation, H.R. 1 maintains the four pillars of President Bush's education reform plan: accountability, flexibility and local control, research-based reform, and expanded parental options. Specifically, I would like to talk about two issues which fall under my jurisdiction as chairman of the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness, teacher training and education technology. First, the teacher title builds upon legislation that I, along with the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), current ranking member, authored in the last Congress, the Teacher Empowerment Act. This title provides school districts with the flexibility to decide whether to spend funds on hiring new teachers or improving the skills of the teachers already in the classroom. In my home State of California, they have already reduced class sizes in the early grades, which is good news. The bad news is that, as a result, there are over 35,000 uncertified teachers now serving in the classroom. Under H.R. 1, we leave it up to the local school districts to decide what their needs are, while at the same time, calling on them to work towards ensuring that there is a fully qualified teaching force in our classrooms. Second, in regards to technology, the bill consolidates a number of technology programs into a single stream of funding to our local school districts. This is another important element of expanded local control and flexibility. Further, we call on recipients to work to fully integrate technology into the curriculum by increasing access to the highest quality teachers and courses possible, regardless of where in the State the students live. One of my local school districts is already doing this. The Los Angeles County Office of Education has instituted the NCITE program, which stands for National Center for the Improvement of Tools for Educators, California. NCITE is a Web-based learning environment which helps children meet or exceed grade level standards in reading and mathematics. It also assists teachers in the use of research-based assessments, media resources and technology tools. We need to encourage other communities to use these type of tools to educate their children. I believe H.R. 1 does just that. I wish I had more time to talk about the many other provisions in this bill that will make a real difference in our education system and the work that has gone into making this happen. But in closing, I would like to say to all of my colleagues that this bill gives us an opportunity; an opportunity to support our President, an opportunity to show bipartisanship, and, most importantly, an opportunity to improve the lives of our Nation's schoolchildren.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time, and I rise in strong opposition to this amendment offered by the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Hoekstra) and the gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Frank) to remove the annual testing provisions in H.R. 1. The gentleman who spoke just before me is right, we do test. We test in the third grade and we test in the eighth grade. But what happens in those years in between is why the President's proposal for annual testing is truly the centerpiece of his education reform plan. His reasoning is very simple. If you do not test, you cannot measure. I was an animal husbandry student in college, and I learned that they did weigh hogs before they took them to market. You have to test to find out how things are doing, and you had to weigh the hogs to find out if what you were feeding them was appropriate. With annual testing and appropriate reports to parents and teachers, problems can be found before it is too late to fix them. In other words, without assessments, schools cannot be held accountable for improving student performance. And without assessment information, parents are powerless to choose a better performing school. With assessments, there will be improvements in instruction and in learning by focusing on outputs; year-to-year progress, and student achievement, instead of inputs, such as dollars, teachers or textbooks. In closing, I urge all of my colleagues to oppose this amendment, and instead support our President, and more importantly, the children of this country.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, as the chairman of the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness, which has authority over the Perkins Act, I, too, want to express my support for restoring section 117 of the act to its original purpose. I understand the importance of these funds to these schools and appreciate the gentleman bringing it to our attention.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Chairman, will the gentleman yield?

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. There would be no education votes, but there is a possibility that we would have the general debate begin.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 1 will be Tuesday and Wednesday and hopefully H.R. 1836 on Thursday.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, those will be Monday under suspension and voted on after 6 o'clock.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, we hope to finish it Tuesday, but it could spill over into Wednesday.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, we may start the general debate on the education bill.

Mr. McKEON. Our goal is to finish that up on Thursday, and we cannot guarantee that, but that is our goal.

Mr. McKEON. If the gentleman will continue to yield, we hope to get the tax conference report back by Thursday so that we can get that passed Thursday, but we do not have a guarantee of that.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that there will be no further votes in the House for the week. The House will next meet for legislative business on Monday, May 21 at 12:30 p.m. for morning hour and 2 p.m. for legislative business. The House will consider a number of measures under suspension of the rules, including the following bills: H.R. 1831, the Small Business Liability Protection Act; and H.R. 1885, the 245(i) Extension Act of 2001. A complete list of suspensions will be distributed to Members' offices tomorrow. On Monday, no recorded votes are expected before 6 p.m. On Tuesday through Thursday, the House will consider the following measures: H.R. 1, the No Child Left Behind Act; and H.R. 1836, the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act Conference Report. On Friday, the House will not be in session for the start of the Memorial Day district work period.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud cosponsor of this legislation. First, I would like to thank the committee chairman, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and the subcommittee chairman, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Johnson), for their work in bringing this bill to the floor. I would also like to thank the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Portman) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cardin) for their tireless efforts in seeking pension reform. Mr. Speaker, this bill provides $52 billion in tax relief to help hard-working Americans save for their retirement and their own security. Furthermore, H.R. 10 encourages small businesses to propose pension plans for its workers. As a former small businessman, I recognize the need to encourage small businesses to offer pension plans. H.R. 10 does just that. This bill streamlines pension laws and repeals and modifies a wide range of unnecessary and outdated rules and regulations. Specifically, it treats business owners like other pension plan participants by allowing them to take out loans from their retirement plans. This will go a long way in encouraging small businesses to establish benefit plans. For those companies that offer plans already, it will allow them to include a loan feature which will help persuade lower-income individuals to contribute to the plan. Additionally, several studies show that one of the many reasons small business employers do not establish pension plans is the administrative costs associated with maintaining the plans. H.R. 10 would modify this problem by lowering the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation premiums for the new small business defined benefit plans. Mr. Speaker, the small business education communities believe this reform is vital to encourage greater income security for all Americans. Therefore, I urge all my colleagues to support H.R. 10.

Mr. McKEON

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks on H. Res. 113.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 113) urging the House of Representatives to support events such as the ``Increase the Peace Day.''

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to ask my colleagues to support H. Res. 113, which is an important resolution that urges the House of Representatives to support ``Increase the Peace Day'' events throughout the country. Just last Friday, on April 20, students, teachers, parents and community leaders from the Antelope Valley in my congressional district held an ``Increase the Peace Day.'' This was the second ``Increase the Peace Day'' and coincides with the anniversary of the Columbine High School tragedy. The program featured the formation of a human peace sign, presentations by representatives of the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Museum of Tolerance and the granting of ``Increase the Peace'' awards to youths who have prevented violence at their schools. One of the highlights of the day was when the students signed an ``Increase the Peace'' pledge, outlining how they could avoid similar acts of violence on their campuses. Among the promises in the pledge were to find a peaceful solution to conflicts, to not hit another person, to not threaten another person, to report all rumors of violence to an adult, to celebrate diversity, and to seek help when feeling lonely or confused. I was proud to join the other supporters of ``Increase the Peace Day'' and be a part of this incredible event. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize the outstanding efforts of teacher Bruce Galler at Challenger Middle School, who came up with the original idea for ``Increase the Peace Day'' because he believes that something can and should be done. Bruce uses a quote by Edward Everett Hale on literature to promote the event, and I believe it illustrates what was accomplished on ``Increase the Peace Day.'' The quote is as follows: ``I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.'' At the first ``Increase the Peace Day'' last year, I promised to introduce a resolution in order to show that as one Member of Congress, I can do something to highlight this important event, to encourage all Americans to reject anger and hate, and to instead promote peace and community. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate Bruce and his students for hosting last week's events. The first event that they held last year was at Challenger Middle School and included the students from Challenger. This year they expanded it to include the whole community, and students were bused from many schools around the area. It was an exciting event. At the end of the event, when the different resolutions had been presented, the students all came onto the field and formed this large peace symbol, and we had a helicopter from the local Marine base that flew over and took pictures of the event. It was exciting and a great thing to be part of. It was wonderful to see what the youth did do of a positive nature. We hear so often of the negative things and we do not hear of the positive events, and there are many great wonderful, positive events happening around this country. In closing, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution and to encourage their own local communities to institute a similar program. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues for their comments and for their support on this issue. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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