Tom Petri

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I am pleased to support H.R. 3095. This bill ensures that any new or revised requirements made by the Secretary for the screening, testing, or treatment of commercial motor vehicle drivers for obstructive sleep apnea is adopted through a rulemaking proceeding. H.R. 3095 does not require a rulemaking proceeding to be initiated. It only requires that any future changes to screening, testing, or treatment requirements for obstructive sleep apnea are made through a rulemaking. A rulemaking will help the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, stakeholders and this Congress understand the costs and benefits of the proposed changes and provide stakeholders an opportunity to comment. H.R. 3095 is the most responsible way to move forward with any changes to obstructive sleep apnea screening, testing, or treatment requirements. This bill has over 59 Democratic and Republican cosponsors and shows how effective a bipartisan effort to move practical legislation can be. Senator Blunt from Missouri and Senator Warner from Virginia have introduced S. 1537, the companion bill to that before us, H.R. 3095. This bill has strong bicameral, bipartisan support, and I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 3095. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PETRI. 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 materials on the bill before us.

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3095) to ensure that any new or revised requirement providing for the screening, testing, or treatment of individuals operating commercial motor vehicles for sleep disorders is adopted pursuant to a rulemaking proceeding, and for other purposes.

Mr. PETRI

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

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Chabot).

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

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Massie).

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to our colleague from Kentucky (Mr. Whitfield).

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Wenstrup).

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Just to make sure the record is clear, I'm informed by staff that the bill was noticed in regular order, and no rules were waived concerning its regular consideration by the committee or, in fact, by the House. Mr. Speaker, I yield 30 seconds to our colleague from Ohio (Mr. Chabot).

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to our colleague from the State of Ohio, Steve Chabot.

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1961) to amend title 46, United States Code, to extend the exemption from the fire-retardant materials construction requirement for vessels operating within the Boundary Line.

Mr. PETRI. 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 material on H.R. 1961.

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. H.R. 1961 renews the exemption for the Delta Queen from certain Coast Guard requirements adopted decades after the vessel was built. The Delta Queen, a paddle-wheel riverboat, was built in 1926. It operated in California until 1947 and then carried tourists up and down the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers for more than 60 years. Forty years after the vessel was built, Congress set new rules prohibiting wooden ships from carrying 50 or more overnight passengers. The vessel has a steel hull, but a wooden superstructure. Between 1968 and 2008, the Delta Queen operated under an exemption from the restriction on wooden passenger vessels, which was renewed nine times by Congress. H.R. 1961 reinstates the Delta Queen exemption. The vessel will still be subject to all other Coast Guard passenger vessel safety requirements. It must undergo required inspections and receive a certificate of inspection, like any other passenger vessel. I commend my colleague from Ohio, Steve Chabot, and the bill's bipartisan cosponsors for introducing this bill. Permitting the Delta Queen to return to the river is estimated to create 170 jobs and produce economic activity of $9.3 million annually. The bill before us was reported favorably from the Transportation Committee on a voice vote. I urge my colleagues to support this bill and allow this historic vessel to return to the river. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I want to applaud the work of the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, CULCON (U.S,-Japan Conference on Educational and Cultural Interchange) and the United States-Japan Bridging Foundation on the occasion of their upcoming meetings in Washington, D.C., and for their ongoing work in support of a strong U.S.-Japan relationship. I am especially honored to recognize the outstanding leadership of Mr. Thierry Porte, who has served the American people for six years as Chairman of the Japan-United States Friendship Commission and CULCON, and as Vice Chairman of the United States-Japan Bridging Foundation. The Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, a Federal agency established in 1975, awards grants supporting Japanese studies and educational, artistic, cultural and intellectual exchanges between the two nations. CULCON, established in 1962, is a bi-national advisory panel to the U.S. and Japanese governments ensuring that the best of new ideas are implemented as operational programs. CULCON also facilitates collaborations and partnership with other U.S.-Japan organizations. The United States-Japan Bridging Foundation was established in 1999 as a byproduct of the efforts of CULCON and the Commission. The Bridging Foundation is a self-sustaining 501(c)(3) nonprofit promoting educational and cultural exchanges. Collectively, these three organizations have been advancing and strengthening the vital educational and cultural foundations of the U.S.-Japan relationship. Mr. Porte's enthusiastic and dedicated leadership has been instrumental in the success of all three organizations. In the field of art and culture, Mr. Porte has been a staunch supporter of the Japan- U.S. Friendship Commission's U.S.-Japan Creative Artists' Fellowship program that sends American artists to Japan for three months to collaborate with colleagues in their field. In spite of challenging financial circumstances, the Commission supported the continuation of this 30 year-old program whose impact reverberates as the artists continue their work with knowledge gained in Japan and working with their Japanese collaborators. Mr. Porte has also been a strong supporter of Japanese studies in the United States. He has helped sustain funding for this field with support for projects such as the North American Coordinating Council of Japanese Library Resources (NCC). The NCC creates programs and online services to support the research needs of the field of Japanese studies and for users with any interest in Japan, anywhere. The bedrock of the U.S.-Japan partnership is the close bond between our people, which remains the greatest resource for our Alliance. Student exchanges have been an important vehicle for nurturing the bonds between Japan and the United States. In this context, educational and cultural exchanges between Japan and the United States have been vital in building the strong partnership that exists today. At the same time, student exchanges help Japan and the United States to address the global challenges as partners with shared values, and enhance the global competitiveness of both countries. To jointly address these issues, Mr. Porte, as Chairman of CULCON, spearheaded the work of a bi-national Education Task Force to examine trends in bilateral student exchanges and to make recommendations to leaders in both nations towards an ambitious goal: Double the number of U.S. and Japanese students studying in each other's country by 2020. The Educational Task Force, which is made up of government, private sector (nonprofit and for profit), and academic leaders from each country, has examined trends in bilateral student exchanges, and made recommendations to leaders in both nations on ways to revitalize and invigorate U.S.-Japan educational exchanges. Through Mr. Porte's leadership, the Task Force is making great strides in improving the quality and quantity of student exchanges. Throughout his tenure as Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Porte has worked with the leaders of several professional organizations to support educational needs in Japan. In this regard, Mr. Porte supported efforts by Teach for Japan to help train Japan's most promising leaders to have an immediate impact on student achievement and develop these leaders into a national movement for educational change. Mr. Porte has also been a staunch supporter of the United States- Japan Bridging Foundation as it expands opportunities for American undergraduate students to study in Japan. I applaud the Bridging Foundation for its work as a public-private partnership to raise over $4 million and award over 1,000 scholarships to American students since its inception. In short, the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission, CULCON and the U.S.- Japan Bridging Foundation have made great strides in promoting a strong and healthy U.S.-Japan relationship through the inspired leadership of Mr. Thierry Porte. On behalf of the Congressional Members serving as Commissioners of the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission--Senator Lisa Murkowski, Senator Jay Rockefeller, Congressman Jim McDermott, and myself--I would like to express our deepest gratitude for these contributions and assure Mr. Porte and his colleagues that the positive results of their hard work will be felt for years to come.

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, during rollcall 418 on final passage of H.R. 2218, the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act of 2013, I incorrectly recorded my vote as ``no.'' I intended to vote ``yes.'' Personal Explanation

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2353) to amend title 23, United States Code, with respect to the operation of vehicles on certain Wisconsin highways, and for other purposes.

Mr. PETRI. Yes.

Mr. PETRI. 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 material on the bill before us.

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. U.S. Highway 41 between Milwaukee and Green Bay is slated to become part of the U.S. interstate system early next year. H.R. 2353 would simply allow trucks that exceed Federal weight limits but are currently authorized to operate on this road to continue to operate after the interstate designation. This primarily involves agricultural crops during harvest season, milk, timber, scrap metal, and garbage. No new trucks in excess of Federal weight limits would be allowed on the new I-41. This would just maintain the status quo and not disrupt the current flow of commerce. This is not unprecedented, as other roads which have become part of the interstate system have received this grandfather, including I-39 in Wisconsin, with no ill effect. In fact, the Wisconsin State Patrol, which is responsible for truck safety enforcement, has issued a statement in support of this bill, and is noting the safety benefits of not forcing these trucks off the safer interstate and onto State and local roads which are not designated to carry such traffic. The bill before us is also supported by Republican and Democratic members of the Wisconsin House delegation, our two U.S. Senators, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, and many State and local officials and organizations. I ask my House colleagues to approve this bill, which is so important to my State. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PETRI. It is without an amendment.

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to my colleague from Wisconsin (Mr. Ribble).

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation before us, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of this amendment and am pleased to be a cosponsor. Charter schools are a critical component of our Nation's public school system and are helping to foster an array of high-quality public school options for parents and their children. Today, more than 6,000 public charter schools serve a diverse student body of more than 2.3 million students in 40 States and the District of Columbia. Unfortunately, however, almost one million students find themselves on charter school waiting lists, unable to attend the school of their choice. We must do more to expand access to these high-quality public school options. One recent study conducted by the Stanford Center for Research on Education Outcomes found that schools that have a strong start tend to remain highly successful schools in the future. The federal Charter Schools Program has been a crucial tool in helping many charter schools get this strong start. Unfortunately, however, many schools aren't able to use the funds provided through this program in ways that would be most effective for their students. This amendment would simply expand the ways in which charter schools can use the startup funds provided through this program, including for professional development, teacher training, instructional materials, and minor facilities improvements. The amendment would also give priority to States that allow funding provided to charter schools to be shared when a student is enrolled in multiple schools. This flexibility will help support the growth of a wide array of high-quality virtual schools and other expanded learning opportunities provided through partner organizations. Lastly, the amendment simply ensures that charter schools receiving funds under the federal Charter Schools Program are doing outreach to low-income and underserved populations. While charter schools often serve a disproportionate number of low-income students, this amendment will simply ensure that they continue to lead the way in providing access to high-quality public school options. I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. PETRI

Mr. PETRI. I thank my colleague. Mr. Speaker, I would like to express my support for the rule and the underlying bill, H.R. 5. I am in frequent contact with educators in my district in Wisconsin. One of the concerns I hear the most is that Federal money comes to local schools and districts in a variety of funding streams, each with its own restrictions and reporting requirements. I am constantly asked if there's a way that we can consolidate some of these funding pots so that schools can better apply the funds to those areas where they will have the most effect. These feelings are strongest in smaller or more rural schools, where funding tends to be the most limited. H.R. 5 would give them that much- needed local flexibility. Wisconsin schools are doing a lot of innovative things to prepare their students for success in the 21st-century economy. They know that the nature of work is changing: jobs in manufacturing, where Wisconsin is a leader, require critical thinking, the ability to be innovative and to work with people of varying skill levels, and the ability to communicate effectively. These skills were favorably noted in a 2012 National Research Council report and in a recent Gallup Poll that found that those who have those skills are twice as likely to have higher work quality than those who don't. Wisconsin is a member of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, a coalition of States, education groups, and employers that's working to ensure that students have these critical skills. I hear from educators that these innovative programs help to bring to life the subjects that students are studying in school, oftentimes renewing their focus on core academics. Again, I also hear that schools and districts are hamstrung by their inability to put Federal funds to use in these innovative ways. So I'm pleased that the Student Success Act, through its Local Academic Flexible Grant and in other ways, gives educators the flexibility to pursue these innovative initiatives at the local level. I would also like to mention the subject of geography, which is a core academic subject under No Child Left Behind, but has never received the same level of support as other core academic subjects. The National Geographic Society has invested millions of its own dollars to help invest in the future of geographic education--a critical investment, given the importance of geography to our national and international well-being. It's critical that geography be on a level playing field with other core academic subjects. This bill accomplishes that goal by letting geography compete equally for funds to enhance the professional development of teachers in this critical subject. I, again, want to emphasize my support for the rule and the underlying bill.