Bobby Scott

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I am pleased to offer the Democrat amendment in the nature of a substitute to H.R. 1048. As I have mentioned, universities collaborate with various international entities to advance complex research inquiries that contribute to the advancement of our knowledge of many issues. These international partnerships allow for a diverse range of perspectives and resources that help our Nation make significant strides in health, science, and technology. As I have mentioned before, my Democratic colleagues and I remain committed to ensuring that universities and colleges have the resources to safeguard their work from undue foreign influence. However, I appreciate the majority's interest in addressing this important issue, but I will emphasize, again, that their proposal is far too extreme and would not promote compliance but rather deter universities from conducting collaborative research. Specifically, with such harsh fines and limited opportunities for universities to receive guidance from the Department of Education, I am concerned that these changes to section 117 of the Higher Education Act would discourage universities from collaborating with international entities, including our strong allies, that are essential in solving important global issues. At a time when President Trump is already illegally halting vital research across the country through disruptions to USAID and NIH funding, this international collaboration is now more essential than ever. I am concerned that we still see language that targets individual faculty members for their collaborations with foreign entities, including their own colleagues on campus. This kind of targeting easily leads to hurtful consequences rooted in xenophobia for innocent scholars and students. We have a responsibility to strike a balance between enforcing the law and fostering safe campuses for students, scholars, and faculty. Unlike the DETERRENT Act, our Democratic substitute takes a thoughtful approach to section 117 compliance to support universities as they evaluate and implement their research integrity and foreign influence policies. In addition to requiring the filing of annual reports for gifts and contracts from foreign entities, our amendment would create a robust database at the Department of Education to hold these reports. It establishes commonsense sanctions for noncompliance and allows for room to help universities that need support scaling up their compliance efforts rather than punishing them by pursuing civil penalties. It establishes a single point of contact at the Department, who can't be some unverified DOGE staffer, to coordinate section 117 compliance. The substitute also builds on the robust work done through implementation of the CHIPS and Science Act and the subsequent interagency work of the Biden administration to protect federally funded research and development from foreign influence. Our amendment would align reporting requirements to those of other Federal agencies and require the Secretary of Education to go through negotiated rulemaking to address key implementation aspects of section 117 with relevant higher education and national security stakeholders. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support the Democratic substitute, rather than the underlying bill, to enhance the ability of our Nation's universities to protect against undue foreign influence while supporting international partnerships that enhance groundbreaking scientific research, build relationships across cultures, and increase our national competitiveness. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I think the gentleman from Michigan had the right to close, so I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment and yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, I understand the gentleman has yielded back?

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chairman, by lowering the reporting threshold to $1, universities would be required to report every single gift from any country if the person is not a citizen of the United States. That would mean every cup of coffee, every doughnut, every ride home would have to be reported. This would create an unworkable increase in reporting requirements for universities and individual faculty members, which would undoubtedly lead to a significant backlog at the Department of Education when trying to review the reports and adhering to tight disclosure guidelines and timetables. This doesn't have anything to do with national security. I think it is just an administrative nightmare, and therefore I would ask for a ``no'' vote. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor Sister To Sister on their 30th anniversary. Sister To Sister is a community-based organization that empowers youth and their families in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Ms. Hakima Abdul Samad Muhammad and Dr. Pamela D. Hall founded the organization in 1992 as an organization to support Black women, but over time, the organization grew to support all children in our community. Through the years they have launched many successful initiatives to engage young people in positive activities and support families. This can be seen in their S.U.P.E.R. (Supreme, Unity, Perpetuating, Eternal, Revolution) Saturday program and after-school enrichment programs that help young people focus on leadership, community service, civic engagement and other important social values. Sister To Sister opened their first resource center, ``Each One Teach One,'' in 2018. This center provides female empowerment workshops, computer literacy training for both young people and adults, job training programs for both men and women, parenting classes, supports for anger and substance abuse management, gun violence prevention programs and other assistance programs for homeless people. Mr. Speaker, as Sister To Sister celebrates their 30th anniversary, I want to thank them for all they have done for the Hampton Roads community. I wish them many more years of success.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this resolution. It is, frankly, hard to take my colleagues on the other side of the aisle seriously when they come up here and give speech after speech complaining about the deficit, and then support this resolution that, what, increases the deficit. Let's start with some facts. Every single Democratic President since Kennedy has left for their Republican successors a better deficit situation than they inherited, and every Republican President since Nixon has left a worse deficit situation than the one they inherited, all without exception. Here we are again. A Republican President following a Democratic President, and the Republicans are set to increase the deficit and national debt, just like clockwork. Democrats have been finding solutions and cleaning up Republican messes for six decades, and thanks to Republican tax cuts for corporations and the top 1 percent, they added over $7 trillion to the national debt during Trump's first term, and here we go again. Help billionaires run up the debt and make everybody else pay. As ranking member of the Committee on Education and Workforce, I am particularly outraged that Republicans want to fund these tax cuts for corporations and billionaires by making cuts to educational and nutritional programs. This could end up cutting things like Meals on Wheels, children's feeding programs, and could jeopardize Head Start, making it harder for students to receive K-12 education and higher education, and it will certainly rip away healthcare for millions of Americans. There is nothing economically responsible about this budget because it increases the deficit. It helps billionaires, but working families and the middle class will pay the price. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to oppose this resolution.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues in honoring Black History Month and uplifting the connection between the Black and Asian community. As a Member of Congress who is part of both the Black and Asian community and the Civil Rights Task Force chair of CAPAC, I want to acknowledge the long history of solidarity between our two communities. For example, American abolitionist Frederick Douglass spoke out against the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1869 in his Our Composite Nation speech. Our communities have shared struggles against systemic racism during the civil rights movement. In the 1960s, for example, Japanese-American civil rights activist, Yuri Kochiyama, worked alongside Malcolm X during the civil rights movement. During Black History Month, we are reminded that the civil rights and Asian-American movements have always gone hand in hand in seeking justice against systemic racism. As we celebrate our progress this Black History Month and fight back against the Trump administration, we must remember that we cannot abandon our commitment to achieving racial equity for all people.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Oscar Smith High School Football Team from Chesapeake, Virginia on becoming the Virginia High School League's Class 6 State Champions. On Saturday, December 14, 2024, the Oscar Smith Tigers won the championship game with a score of 21-20 against the James Madison Warhawks. Including their most recent win in 2021 against James Madison High School, Oscar Smith has now won five state championships since 2008. Led by Coach Chris Scott for the third season, the Tigers won this state title following an accomplished year. Oscar Smith ended the season undefeated, with a record of 15 wins and 0 losses. Throughout the game, the Tigers and Warhawks fought tooth and nail to gain an advantage over the other team. The fourth quarter had the Oscar Smith Tigers down 14-7, with little time left in the game. Following two consecutive touchdowns by the Tigers, the Warhawks scored a touchdown and were trailing at 21-20. After opting to go for the 2- point conversion, James Madison's pass fell incomplete, crowning the Oscar Smith Tigers as the state champions. The determination from the young athletes of Oscar Smith High School is an inspiration to every athlete in our community and a testament to their hard work throughout the season. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to congratulate the Oscar Smith High School Football Team. I would also like to thank Coach Scott, the parents, and the entire Oscar Smith High School community for the support they have shown these athletes throughout an incredible season. I wish them the best in their future pursuits, and I wish their football program continued success.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Phoebus High School Football Team from Hampton, Virginia on becoming the Virginia High School League's Class 4 State Champions. The Phoebus Phantoms won the Class 4 state championship game against the Varina High School Blue Devils with a score of 23-6. This is the fourth year in a row Phoebus High School has claimed a state championship title following two consecutive victories in the Class 3 division. Led by Coach Jeremy Blunt, the championship makes the Phoebus Class of 2025 the second to win four state titles in a row, or ``4 peat,'' and its 49 consecutive wins are only three short of the 2012 class, which also won four state crowns from 2008 to 2011. Phoebus High School closed the season undefeated, with a record of 14 wins and 0 losses. The Phantoms scored first with a field goal, but the Blue Devils scored the first touchdown, taking a 6-3 lead. The Phantoms had not trailed their opponents for much of the 2024 season, but sophomore Quarterback Maurikus Banks ended the Blue Devils' lead when he threw a 54-yard touchdown pass to Romeir Smith for a 9-6 halftime lead. The Phantoms defense shut out Varina for the rest of the game. Offensive Lineman Markus Hopson recovered a fumble into the end zone and gave the Phantoms a 16-6 lead and then Banks added a rushing touchdown for the final score of 23-6. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to congratulate the Phoebus High School Football Team and thank Coach Blunt, the parents, and the entire Phoebus High School community for supporting these students throughout this remarkable season and now a second ``4 peat'' in school history with their state championship win. They have made all of us incredibly proud. I wish them the best in their future endeavors, and I wish the program continued success.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the members of the Maury High School Football Team from Norfolk, Virginia, on claiming their second straight Class 5 State Championship, and their first back-to-back state crown in program history. On Saturday, December 14, 2024, the Maury Commodores won the championship game against the Briar Woods High School Falcons of Loudoun County by a score of 46-0. Led by Coach Dyrri McCain, the Commodores closed their season undefeated, recording 15 wins, including six shutouts, and maintained a 30-game winning streak extending back to last season. Going into the championship, Maury faced a significant disadvantage after losing one of their star players in their previous game. Ari Watford, a defensive end committed to Clemson University, suffered a season ending injury in the semifinal game against Green Run High School on December 7. Without Watford, the team realized they would need to step up to win the state championship and did. Throughout the championship game, the Commodores led on offense. Quarterback Au'Tori Newkirk scored on the first drive of the game with a 49-yard touchdown pass to receiver Lebron Bond. In the second quarter, Newkirk passed to receiver Jahvon Wiggins, who ran the ball into the end zone for another touchdown and widened the Commodores' lead to 14-0 at halftime. In the third quarter, they scored 32 points in less than seven minutes. Newkirk threw four touchdown passes to Elijah Moss, Tayshawn Branche, Damon McDaniel, and another to Bond. These young athletes made everyone in the community proud and demonstrated their ability to overcome adversity. Mr. Speaker, in closing, I want to congratulate the Maury High School Football Team and thank Coach McCain, the parents, and the entire Maury High School community for supporting these students throughout this remarkable season. I wish them the best in their future endeavors, and I wish the program continued success.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 3448, Never Again Education Reauthorization Act of 2023. This bill reauthorizes the bipartisan Never Again Education Act through 2030 to continue providing educators with resources and training to teach important lessons pertaining to the Holocaust. While Congress should not dictate school curriculum, this legislation maintains the balance of promoting important education while allowing school districts to govern themselves. The bill reauthorizes the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to support Holocaust education programs across the country that educators can, if they desire, access to better serve their classrooms. Anti-Semitism is not a new problem, and we have seen such a disturbing rise in anti-Semitism that it must be addressed for the safety and dignity of all Americans. Congress must continue to take steps to ensure that Americans are educated on the dangers of anti- Semitism and the lessons of the Holocaust. Passing this bill is critically important to combating anti-Semitism and ensuring schools maintain safe, productive spaces for all students. As the ranking member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, I have worked with the majority to ensure that the curricula introduced are appropriate for students according to their grade level and following the guidance from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Manning), a distinguished Member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume for the purpose of closing. Mr. Speaker, in 2024, there are very few individuals who remember firsthand the horrors of the Holocaust. It is our duty to remember and to educate our children so that lessons learned will never be forgotten. By reauthorizing the Holocaust education resources for teachers and students, the Never Again Education Reauthorization Act of 2023 is a vital step in fighting back against anti-Semitism and acts of hate that remain far too pervasive in our society. By prioritizing, we can invest in a younger generation of critical thinkers who can learn from history and use it to benefit the world around them with empathy and insight. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 1147, the Jenna Quinn Law. The Jenna Quinn Law considers only one small part of the much broader Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, or CAPTA. Through the reauthorization of CAPTA, Congress could take meaningful steps in preventing and addressing child abuse and neglect through providing States with the necessary resources to strengthen community- based child abuse prevention services. Despite CAPTA reauthorization passing in the House on a bipartisan basis in two previous Congresses, the bill did not become law, so we find ourselves here today considering the very narrowly drafted Jenna Quinn Law, which specifies that the HHS Secretary can award projects aimed at preventing child sexual abuse. It must be said that the Jenna Quinn Law regrettably does not authorize any new funding for such projects. Reauthorizing CAPTA would have been a much better route and is a top priority, but another priority would be to address the communication holes in State child welfare systems. Specifically, the inability to communicate the threat of child endangerment across State lines can have devastating consequences. In particular, one of my constituents, Heaven Watkins, fell victim to the lack of communication between State welfare agencies. In her case, the system allowed her to remain with an abusive parent who moved her from Minnesota to Virginia. Her past abuse was not communicated with Virginia officials, and the move resulted in her tragic death. I am frustrated that this bill did not come to us under regular order. As a result, I am not able to offer the amendment that I offered at markup and the language that had been included in previous House- passed CAPTA reauthorization bills. My amendment would have required the creation of a nationwide interstate data exchange system to provide caseworkers with appropriate background and information on a family's interaction with the child welfare system in another State. If we had that State database in place, then it could have prevented further abuse or even death at the hands of abusive caregivers whose actions are not monitored across State lines, as was the case for Heaven Watkins and countless children. While, ultimately, I will support the Jenna Quinn Law as far as it goes, the issue of child abuse prevention and treatment requires a more comprehensive approach. We can and should do more to reduce child abuse and neglect. Despite the lack of a more comprehensive approach and no additional funding, this bill is still a step in the right direction. As a result, I will vote ``yes'' on the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Wild), a distinguished member of the Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close. Mr. Speaker, while this legislation would be a step to improve prevention, awareness, and reporting of child sexual abuse in schools, it woefully falls short of a comprehensive reauthorization of the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, or CAPTA. CAPTA was last reauthorized over a decade ago in 2010, and a timely reauthorization is an appropriate solution to prevent child abuse and neglect from happening in the first place and provide better evidence- based treatments to address child maltreatment. In both the 116th and the 117th Congresses, when I was chairman of the committee, the House passed a bipartisan CAPTA reauthorization bill called Stronger CAPTA. Regrettably, a CAPTA reauthorization has not yet become law despite a mutual understanding that Congress must do more to support children and families. If the bipartisan Stronger CAPTA bill had been signed into law, it would have already provided States with necessary resources to expand locally driven prevention strategies, which strengthen families and invest in child protective services agencies. Unfortunately, the bill we are considering today does not provide any additional funding to implement its proposed grant program on child sexual abuse prevention and awareness. In contrast, Stronger CAPTA would actually provide States with the resources to strengthen prevention programs. Research shows that the best way to support families is to provide a targeted prevention to families of at-risk children when they are at risk of maltreatment, and primary prevention services need to be provided so that families can be served before they become vulnerable to factors associated with maltreatment. Additionally, Stronger CAPTA would have streamlined communications between child protective services agencies across the country so that critical information is not lost across State lines. Such a system would likely have saved the life of Heaven Watkins, the 11-year-old who I mentioned before, who tragically died because local child protective services had no way of knowing that her parents had a history of child abuse in another State. If the reforms in Stronger CAPTA had been in place, Heaven's death would likely have been prevented. By investing in prevention strategies and improving the collection and sharing of vital information, we can keep children like Heaven from slipping through the cracks. There is no doubt that Congress has a vital role in helping States protect children from immediate injury and lifelong emotional trauma associated with child abuse and neglect. Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working in a bipartisan manner in the next Congress to reauthorize CAPTA. Meanwhile, I urge my colleagues to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation, which ensures that presidents of Tribal colleges and universities, TCUs, will have a direct voice on the National Advisory Council on Indian Education. This bill is a necessary step to guarantee that TCUs, institutions that serve as educational hubs for Native-American communities, always have a voice in Federal funding discussions that directly impact their colleges. As many of my colleagues know, the Federal Government holds a unique trust responsibility to the Native and Tribal communities, a responsibility that is not just a legal obligation, but a moral one. This trust is rooted in both the U.S. Constitution and centuries of commitments to Native communities. Tribal colleges and universities pursue a unique mission. Not only do they educate Native communities, but they also preserve and advance Native-American culture and traditions. TCUs are central to the survival of Native languages, history, and cultural practices, all while providing access to higher education and advancing economic opportunities for Native students. Having TCU representation will help to advise the NACIE as they fulfill one of their duties in advising the Education, Health, and Labor Secretaries in ways to strengthen TCUs and increase TCU participation in Federal agency programs. While congressional Democrats and the Biden administration made critical investments to address the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Native-American communities, including through COVID relief funds totaling over $360 million, much work still remains. Congress must make stronger, sustained investments in TCUs to address decades of systemic underfunding that these institutions have faced. This bill is about more than just adding a voice to the commission. It is about ensuring that the leaders of these vital institutions, who are on the front lines of education, have the opportunity to advocate for the unique needs of their students. By including TCU presidents in NACIE, we ensure that Native leaders across the educational pipeline always have a guaranteed seat at the table. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, which will help honor our trust responsibility to Indian Tribes and support Native-American students and communities across the country. Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time. Mr. Speaker, on the legislation, I will emphasize the fact that this bill is more than just adding a voice on the National Advisory Council on Indian Education; it is about honoring our Nation's commitment to Native-American communities and ensuring that Tribal colleges and universities are properly represented to discuss the effective legislation and executive action on their future and the students they serve. We must include TCUs in conversations on Federal funding and educational policy. This bill is a step toward ensuring Native-American students and the institutions they serve will have the resources and support they need to thrive. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation as a demonstration of our commitment to empowering the Native-American communities through education. Mr. Speaker, before I yield back, I will comment on the fact that this will be the last bill brought by Dr. Foxx in her capacity as chair of the committee. I just point out that when we became chair and ranking member--we switched back and forth--we agreed that we would try to be the most dignified committee on Capitol Hill. Regrettably, that is a mighty low bar around here, but I think we did as she has indicated. I think we demonstrated how you can disagree without being disagreeable. There were a lot of things we didn't agree on, but there were a lot of things we did. There was a lot of job training legislation that we were able to agree on, retirement savings, child abuse and prevention that we just considered, several healthcare bills, surprise billing, and things like that that took a lot of work. We showed that it is possible to enact meaningful legislation on a bipartisan basis when you are willing to work together in a constructive way. Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Dr. Foxx on her chairmanship and understand that there may be other leadership positions in her future, but I thank her for being able to conduct the committee as we were able to do it. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Barbara Lee for yielding. This is not about me. This is about you, your legislative legacy. You have done a great job here as a legislator, and you will leave a great legacy. There are two parts of that legacy that I wanted to emphasize. They have been mentioned already tonight, but the first is the advocacy that you had to create the poverty task force. We raised a lot of money to try to get elected, and poverty is rarely mentioned as an issue. You not only created the task force, but you have also used that task force to create targeted, effective ways to actually address the issue of poverty. The other is the issue of global AIDS, the global AIDS crisis. Your work with the Bush administration has been phenomenal. To paraphrase Martin Luther King, AIDS anywhere is a threat of AIDS everywhere, and if we don't address it everywhere, it threatens the rest of the world. Your work convinced the George W. Bush administration to actually allocate the order of magnitude of resources needed. There were discussions of a little here and a little there, but you kept on them until they actually put in the kind of money that was necessary. It is not an exaggeration to say that tens of millions of people are alive today because of your work. So, I thank you, Barbara Lee, for all of your work, especially the work for those who would not have a voice without you.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for organizing this Special Order hour and giving us an opportunity to say some nice things about our good friend Jennifer Wexton. She is retiring after many years of dedicated service to the Commonwealth of Virginia and our Nation. Since joining the House in 2019, Jennifer has been a relentless advocate for her constituents and a champion for equality, justice, and fairness. Before serving in Congress, she was a leader in the Virginia State Senate where she led gun safety initiatives, expanded access to healthcare, and supported public education. Her legal background as both a prosecutor and an advocate for survivors of domestic violence still provides an important perspective to her service. During her time here in Congress, she has fought for working families, reproductive rights, and transportation improvements. She has worked to expand broadband access, protect voting rights, and advance climate initiatives. During a time of bitter partisanship, Jennifer has also focused on bipartisan cooperation in working across the aisle to bring people together. Beyond her legislative accomplishments, her courage and resilience in facing her personal health challenges while continuing to serve her constituents exemplifies her strength, character, and grace. She is an inspiration to everyone who serves in this Chamber and many others across the country. She has also placed a much-needed spotlight on the need for Congress to invest more resources in combating Parkinson's and other related neurodegenerative diseases. As the dean of the delegation, I know as the gentlewoman from Virginia (Mrs. Kiggans) has just said, I know we will all miss her here in Congress, and I join a chorus of voices thanking her for her service, determination, and dedication to the Commonwealth of Virginia and to our Nation. Thank you, Jennifer, for your dedication.

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia

Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise on H.R. 5349, the so-called Crucial Communist Teaching Act. Let me start by acknowledging that there is value in educating our students about the dangers of totalitarianism and the atrocities committed under communist regimes, but the truth is we are debating a bill that skirts around key historical lessons and only risks further politicizing education. Rather than bringing forward substantive legislation to address challenges that our children face in the classroom, Republicans want us to focus on this narrowly tailored bill that leaves out important issues that we should be discussing about communism. We should be taking action to address the actual challenges that our children are facing, like legislation to increase investments in early childhood education, closing achievement gaps in our schools, tackling the mental health crisis among our youth, increasing graduation rates, and making college more affordable. These are the challenges that people are actually facing, but this bill--in fact, this entire session--has been silent on those issues. Furthermore, the bill fails to provide a complete and comprehensive approach to teaching students about the full history of communism. If we truly want to educate students about the dangers of extremism, we should be teaching them about all forms, not just communism, but about fascism and other ideologies that have sought to strip people of their rights and freedoms. Even with communism, the bill neglects to mention the long history of using the label ``communism'' to inflame, scare, and pit Americans against each other. The bill remains silent when it comes to specifics, such as the discussion about the history of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Many fear that this approach will not only oversimplify this complex issue but also distort our students' understanding of history. What is more troubling is that while we are debating this bill, Republicans are ignoring the actual efforts to invest in education and ensure that all children have the opportunities to succeed. We should be passing legislation that prioritizes their future, not creating distractions on divisive partisan messaging. I urge my colleagues to come together to support legislation that would truly make a difference in the lives of American students. This legislation only directs an organization to create a limited curriculum on communism that public schools can adopt or not at the discretion of the local school system. Let's focus instead on policies that improve academic achievement, close achievement gaps, increase graduation rates, and make higher education more affordable, issues that demand our immediate attention. Mr. Speaker, I advise my colleague that I have no further speakers, and I am prepared to close when the gentleman is prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.