tance and a sense of purpose. the simple truth is architecturaly distinctive schools deliver a message to students that their education is valued, that it is important . the school, as i mentioned, like so many others has an incredibly long list of serious problems. students endure rodent and bat infestations, roof leaks and holes, mold and fungus, faulty air system, uneven floors poor lightinging sewer problems and dangerous electrical configurations with wires just crisscrossing all the hallways and the rooms in a dangerous way. . this building is literally in danger of collapse. it has earned the nickname killer hall from local emergency responders. students and faculty throughout the 63 schools in indian country

face similar health and safety risk every day at schools like this. thus perpetuating lower graduation rates and difficulties retaining qualified teachers. in fact, chairman kline -- and i applaud him for it -- himself called for action on tribal school construction in a letter to the bureau of indian education just last week, and again mr. chairman, i applaud you for that. regarding the school, the chairman said, and i quote, this appalling situation not only adversely affects the quality of education these students receive but also their health and their safety. the chairman is right. our children deserve better regardless of where they live. i want to particularly thank congresswoman betty mccollum for her continued support on this issue, as well as congressman ann kirkpatrick of arizona,

congressman ben ray lujan of arizona, and congressman ruiz of california for co-sponsoring this amendment. i'm pleased the administration requests more money for the bureau of indian education, construction funding in its recent budget. but we can do better. we can do more. minnesota's devon henry recently wrote in a story entitled "where republicans and democrats can agree the government can agree to spend more" and that item is funding for ind can education and constructionism ask unanimous consent that that article be included in the record. mr. speaker -- the chair: the request is covered by general leave. mr. nolan: the choice today is simple no child should be expected to endure deteriorating school rooms to get an education. i urge my colleagues to adopt the amendment. thank you, mr. speaker. the chair: does the gentleman

reserve -- the gentleman from minnesota yields back his time. for what purpose does the gentleman seek recognition? >> i seek time in opposition to the gentleman's amendment though i do not oppose it. the chair: without objection the gentleman from minnesota is recognized for five minutes. mr. kline: thank you, mr. chairman. i thank my colleague from the cold north of minnesota for this amendment. it is atalling that sometimes it's taken us 10 years to identify a problem when we can't do anything about it. we're compromising the education of vulnerable children. we're compromising their health and safety. as my friend mr. nolan said. and we're certainly compromising their education and their hopes for better future. that's why we've got to look more closely at this issue. that's why i did write the letter to the director of the b.i.e. to begin a dialogue. that's why we will hold, in the

coming weaks -- weeks, a hearing to look into this. we are badly organized, shall i say, in the government sometimes and in the congress and so one committee is looking at one thing, nobody is looking at another and nobody is paying attention to somebody else and we let this deplorable situation develop. we've got to do better. the gentleman's amendment will help in this regard. i very, very much appreciate that he did it. and i am very, very supportive of this amendment because it make this is bill a better bill. with that, the gentleman has yielded back so i'll yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is on the amendment offered by the jlt from minnesota. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 29 printed in part b of house report 114-29. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california seek recognition 1234

>> i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: amendment number 29 printed in part b of house report 114-29 offered by mrs. davis of california. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 25, the gentlewoman from california mrs. davisand a member opposed each will control fife minutes. the gentlewoman is recognized. mrs. davis: this bipartisan amendment i bring forward with my colleagues mr. dold and mr. polis would clarify the definition of school leader currently contained in section 6101 of h.r. 5. the current definition of school leader contained in this bill is problematic. as currently drafted it fails to make clear to state and local school districts that a school leader is an individual who runs the operations and instructional programs within a school. as opposed to a district administrator who oversees individual schools' programs.

as a result states and local school districts might interpret this definition to apply to an assistant superintendent of click lum -- crim cluck or a subject -- of curriculum or a subject specialist who oversees practices but is not in a school building on a daily basis such as a princal ocuicumr this amendment remove this is ambiguity by making it clear that the definition of school leader should apply as it was originally intended directly and solely to a school principal. if left unchanged it is possi th dtrt minirars couldibltie ii preson delme s currently aimed at improving the quality of our nation's school principals. i urge my colleagues to support this amendment which ensures that title ii funds go to the school leader, the most -- e-- the person who is most responsible for student achievement. with that, mr. speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentlewoman from california reserves. for what purpose does the

gentleman from illinois seek recognition? >> i rise in opposition to the bill even though i'm not opposed to it. the chair: without objection, the gentleman from illinois is recognized for five minutes. mr. dold: thank you mr. speaker. i thank my colleague from california for her leadershipped on this and also my friend from colorado. this is talking about a technical correction and as my friend from california pointed out, what we're looking to try to do is make sure the dollars allocated in this bill for education and other things are actually going to a school leader, which is throughout this bill but the school leader is left largely undefined. we want to make sure we put a little more definition for our local school districts so that they have a better understanding that school leader is actually someone that resides within the school. we think that's absolutely critical in terms of continuing education and some of the other programs to make sure that it is not ambiguous and we want to make sure that we are focusing on the task at hand.

we hope that this is something that again, bipartisan support we hope that we'll be able to go through the process fairly quickly and i yield back the plans of my time. the chair: the gentleman from illinois yields back. the gentlewoman from california is recognized. mrs. davis: thank you, mr. chairman. i want to thank my colleague from illinois and reiterate that this is merely a clarifying amendment but one with real impact as it will return the term school leader to its original intended use. with that, i yield back. the chair: the gentlewoman yields back he plans of her time. -- yields back the plans of her time. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair the ayes have it, the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 30 printed in part b of house report 114-29. for what purpose does the gentleman from new york seek recognition? mr. zeldin: i have an amendment at the desk.

the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment you were in 30 printed in part b of house report 113-29 offered by mr. zeldin of new york. the chair: the gentleman from new york, mr. zeldin, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the gentleman is recognized. mr. zeldin: i rise in support of my amendment that sends a clear message to states. if they choose to withdraw from common core there will be no penalty whatsoever from the federal government. as a new york state senator i introduced legislation with new york state assemblymen al graph and phil roth to stop common core in new york. in new york we have common core standards set nationally. tests made by the state, curriculum set by local school districts and no one is talking to each other. teachers not only teaching to the test but to the wrong test. they're not given the tools they

need to know what the test is going to look like. for any government kool-aid drinking bureaucrat who is listening to this and disagree, you're not listening to parents, educators and student pleading with passion. that's exactly what i'm saying. begging for a positive change that ill im-- that will improve the quality of education in america's classrooms. the most common argument i receive in opposition to my bill is that new york state withdrew from common core, that somehow the government was going to punish new york state with hundreds of millions of dollars lost, some even dade billions of dollars. this amendment is the most important action that this congress can take to defuse those claims and allow states to withdraw without punishment. as for my strong personal opinion, i believe in higher standards, but i don't believe that common core is the answer. this goes way beyond the

complaints of killing morale in the teaching profession. much more importantly it's about killing the morale for that student who is intelligent, pays attention in class, goes home and does their homework, they're going to grow up to be a doctor or a lawyer or successful businessman. and they're being told that they're not proficient in reading, not because they're not proficient in reading but because the rollout of common core has been a disaster. we have 10-year-old special education students taking fifth grade classes. they're taking fifth grade tests. and reading at a first grade reading level. you can go to the engage new york website and read about how first graders, the domain for english language artings, they're learning about ancient world mesopotamia and the strategic advantage of the tigris and euphrates rivers. 6-year-olds.

first graders. as a father of twin third grade girls, i believe in higher standards. i believe in challenging our students to excel. and to tame -- and to aim as high as possible. when it comes to all of america's children, there shouldn't be a one size fits all approach. some states embrace common core, not all states' needs are the same. my amendment would allow states currently using common core to opt out without punishment. parents need to be in charge of their children's education, not unelected, faceless bureaucrats making unilateral decisioners in entire nation. a one side fits all solution to education reform intensifies the problem and doesn't address our underlying issues. we want to provide the best possible opportunities for our children. and the people best positioned to make those decisions are our parents and educators. i ask my colleagues to support my amendment, hear the concerns

of our parents and educators, and heed the call to rescue our children. like when they fall into the deep end of a pool, don't have a life jacket, don't yet know how to swim that's what it feels like for many of them. this is a vote for residents in your district who aren't even old enough to vote. fight for them and pass this amendment. i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from virginia. mr. scott: i rise in opposition to the amendment. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. scott: thank you. mr. chairman, this amendment is not necessary because there is no prohibition against people withdrawing from common core. it's not a national -- i think we need to say a few things about common core. it's not a national or federal initiative it's state-led. states developed common core standards through the down soifl chief state school officers for the national governors' association. the u.s. department of education did not participate in that.

the administration does not coerce states into adopting common core. in fact states have received waivers under nclb and not adopted common core like my own state of virginia. virginia, our state system of higher education certified that when a child is proficient under our standards of learning they could enter public universities without the need of remediation those standards were ok. not the common core. frankly, we need those kinds of standards, career and college and -- college and career ready because you want people when they graduate from high school to be able to go to college without remediation. that's not a high bar. we want to make sure, whatever happens with this amendment we're not exempting states from meaningful standards. i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from new york. mr. zeldin: thank you, mr.

speaker. i'll continue to reserve. the chair: the gentleman from new york reserves. the gentleman from virginia. mr. scott: i yield two minutes to the gentleman from colorado, mr. polis. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. polis: thank you. i thank the gentleman from virginia. there's an enormous there is an enormous perception of what the common core standards are. we are elected leaders. i urge my colleagues to take the time to educate themselves about this collaborative efforts between a number of states before they decry it based on misperceptions that unfortunately exist among the american public. a number of states chose to work collaboratively on career-ready standards. we want to see these standards. we mant to make sure that a diploma is meaningful.

if a federal investment is made, we want to make sure states don't disguise achievement gaps and making it look like every child exceeds expectations. how they do that is entirely up to them. many states choose to work together, some states choose to create their own standard. product of the national governors association governors and state educators working together to develop standards. other states have chosen to develop their own standards. there is an appropriate discussion to have at the state level but not in the halls of washington. you won't hear people pushing common core standards here in washington because i don't think any of us feel it's an appropriate discussion. but some people have a particular agenda against what some of their own states are

doing. i suggest they don't run for congress but for governor. this is the wrong place to have a discussion. the federal government does not set standards and does not set curriculum. curriculum and standards are different. curriculum is developed from the standard and depending on what states have adopted, the curriculum is a different matter. i hope we can learn this as a moment. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from new york. mr. zeldin: i think this would be a good learning moment because states were receiving hundreds of millions of dollars into the billions of dollars from the federal government. they had to sign up for common core in order to get the money. mr. polis: would the gentleman yield? mr. zeldin: no.

there were applications that were sent from new york state for example, to the federal government signed by the new york state congressional delegation asking for a waiver from the federal government asking for money from the federal government to new york state that went to our over 700 school districts to sign up for common core and all sorts of other things that came from the federal government. i appreciate this as a learning moment. i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from virginia. mr. scott: how much time do i have? the chair: the gentleman has 1 1/2 minutes. mr. scott: the commonwealth of virginia had received a waiver without accepting -- without being involved in common core. we need to make sure we have meaningful high standards so when someone graduates from high school, their college or career ready without remediation. and that's what we want to make sure -- whatever happens to this

amendment, we want to make sure states are not exempting themselves under reasonable standards. i yield back. the chair: the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from new york. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. mr. zeldin: i request a recorded vote. the chair: under clause 6, rule 18 further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from new york will be postponed. it is now in order to consider amendment number 31 printed in part b of house report 114-29. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. hurd: i have an amendment on the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 31 printed in part b of house report 114-29 offered by mr. hurd of texas.

the chair: the gentleman from texas, mr. hurd, and a member opposed, each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas, mr. hurd. mr. hurd: our children are most precious resource. so protecting their information is important. as a former undercover officer in the c.i.a., i have seen the damage that can be done when personal data falls into the wrong hands. bad actors can use that information and target america's children. it's up to us to protect our children and ensure their information is secure. students' personal information should never be shared with anyone who is not authorized to view it or use it, period. i support the final passage of h.r. and hope this amendment will spur congress to help protect the personal information of our nation's students. i reserve my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his

time. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek recognition? mr. scott: mr. chairman, i ask unanimous consent to ask -- to claim the time in opposition, although i'm not opposed. the chair: without objection the gentleman is recognized. mr. scott: the gentleman from texas has raised good points. the subcommittee on elementary and secondary education held a hearing on data privacy earlier this month and we will be looking at ways to improve it during this congress. that bill was written 40 years ago when data in the classroom was all in a teacher's grade book and technology was not employed anywhere close to where it is today. teachers and parents need to be able to -- parents need to be able to trust their children's personal information as secure and will not be used for marketing or noneducational purposes. teachers need to be given

resources to understand how to best protect the students' data. we need to safeguard students' privacy while supporting technological innovation happening in america's schools. we must researchers diagnose achievement gaps and enable all students to achieve their greatest potential. i support the gentleman's amendment and yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the gentleman from texas. mr. hurd: i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from texas. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to. mr. hurd: i would request a recorded vote. the chair: pursuant to clause 6, rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from texas will be postponed. mr. kline: mr. chairman, i move that the committee do now rise.

the chair: the question on the motion that the committee rise. those in favor say aye. signify by saying aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the motion is adopted. accordingly the committee rises. the chair: mr. speaker, the committee of the whole house on the state of the union having had under consideration h.r. 5, directs me to report that it has come to no resolution thereon. the speaker pro tempore: the chair of the committee of the whole house on the state of the union reports that the committee has under consideration h.r. 5 and has come to no resolution thereon. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? >> i send to the defpk a

privileged report from the committee on rules for filing under the rule. the speaker pro tempore: the clerk will report the title. the clerk: report to accompany house resolution 129, resolution providing for consideration of the joint resolution house joint resolution 35, making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2015 and for other purposes. the speaker pro tempore: referred to the house calendar and ordered printed. resolution 125 and rule 18, the chair declares the house in the committee of the whole house on the state of the union for further consideration h.r. 5. will the gentleman from illinois mr. dold, kindly resume the chair. the chair: the house is under consideration for h.r. 5, which the clerk will report by title. the clerk: a bill to report state accountability for public education, protect state and

local authority and inform parents of the performance of their children's schools and for other purposes. the chair: a request for a recorded vote on amendment number 31 printed in part b of house report 114-29 offered by mr. hurd had been postponed. it is now in order to consider amendment number 32, printed in part b of house report 114-29. for what purpose does the gentleman from florida seek recognition? grace gays i have an amendment at the desk. the clerk: amendment number 32 printed in part b of house report 114-29 offered by mr. grayson of florida. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 125, the gentleman from florida, mr. grayson and member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from florida. mr. grayson: thank you, mr. chair. my amendment would require the secretary of education to conduct an assessment of the

impact of school start times on student health, well-being and performance. it is supported by the national education association, the american academy of pediatrics and national sleep federation. in my district some schools begin the day at 7:00 a.m. and others begin at 9:15. we see similar disparities around the country. as the father of five, i believe that 7:00 a.m. is probably too early to get the best out of our developing minds and bodies of our young people. that being said, i want to make it clear that this amendment does not mandate any change to school start times in the least. it seeks a national study on this topic. maybe that study will prove me right, maybe won't. localities will continue to choose the start times for their children that make the most sense for them, hopefully being better informed by this study.

my amendment should it be accepted should make those decisions possible than what information is currently available. according to research that is available by the director of the educational improvement at the university of minnesota, later school times have led to increased attendance rates improved graduation rates increased g.p.a.'s. and 11th grade, the mean grade went from a b to almost an a-minus and significantly less depression among our students. a center study found insufficient sfleep leads to increase in risky behavior, like increased tobacco use and increased alcohol consumption and sexual activity. a recent study at the us air force academy even found

significant negative effects that is direct quotes, significant negative effects every single year for those students who enrolled in the air force's early morning courses. a study showed that students with a one-hour later start time gained on state assessment reading and math scores significantly and substantially. analysis of s.a.t.'s in massachusetts showed that a delayed school start resulted in a 31-point increase in s.a.t. scores for those students with no other change in their schedule or in their standards. with all of these localized research results, isn't it time for a national study to see these trends might be republically cabble across the country and give our students a better education. i hope the information gained

from such a study from which i'm proposing would be useful to students and parents and useful to state and local governments and state and local authorities as they determine their appropriate start times. this amendment would have absolutely no impact on direct federal spending. and again i want to reiterate that this amendment is not a mandate in any sense whatsoever. and only requires a deeper level at the effects that school start times. we should be eager to research anything that could possibly benefit our nation's k-12 students. our own children. i urge support for this amendment and i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from sfla reserves. mr. kline: i claim time in opposition to the gentleman's amendment.

the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. kline: i appreciate the gentleman's interest and passion in looking at this issue. i oppose the amendment, because yet it's another example of expanding the federal role that is best left to states and school districts. there are zwates. there are studies out there and lot of opinions on the topic, but i don't believe that the federal government to conduct another national study will be helpful. each state and local school district needs to figure out what works best for their students, whether start times or end times. it's not the role of the federal government. i oppose this amendment and i ask my colleagues to oppose this amendment. . mr. grayson: the congressional budget office said this has no

impact on spending. the reason is that the department of education has a major staff of research on whom we spend millions of dollars of federal money, regardless of whether they're performing this study or not. we're not in any sense expanding the federal role in education, we're simply getting the information from people who would be doing other studies rather than this study and we'd be providing valuable information to people across the country, people in our states, localities and school districts who do make that determination regarding start time. therefore work all due respect the gentleman's criticism is not well taken and i remain passionate in support of this amendment. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from minnesota. mr. kline: thank you, mr. chairman. i'll take a few seconds here. i do appreciate the gentleman's passion. as the gentleman pointed out, the department of education, the government has the ability to

conduct such research, much research has already been done. i think the state and local governments will make decisions as best suited for their districts and so i oppose the gentleman's amendment and yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yield back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from florida. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the noes have it. the amendment is not agreed to. mr. grayson: i ask for a recorded vote. the chair: pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from florida will be postponed. it is now in order to consider amendment number 33 printed in part b of house report 114-29. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from florida seek recognition? mrs. wilson: i have an amendment at the desk, mr. speaker. the chair: the clerk will

designate the amendment. cloim amendment number 33 printed in part b of house report 114-29 offered by mrs. wilson of florida. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 125, the gentlewoman from florida, mrs. wilson, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from florida, mrs. wilson. mrs. wilson: thank you mr. speaker. my amendment to h.r. 5 is simple. it will provide students with the necessary resources to remain in school and graduate. i have witnessed young people who are mentored through quality, in-school mentoring programs make positive choices, discover personal strength and achieve their potential both inside and outside of the classroom. according to the national mentoring partnership youth who have a -- partnership, youth who have a meaningful relationship with an adult are five times more likely to graduate. they're also 46% less likely

than their peers to start using illegal drugs, 27% less likely to start drinking, 52% less likely to skip a day of school and 37% less likely to skip a class. young people who were at risk for not completing high school but who had a mentor were 55% more likely to be enrolled in college, 81% more likely to report participating regularly in sports or extracurricular activity, more than twice as likely to say they held a leadership position in a club or sports team, and 78% more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities. simply put mentoring is a proven, cost-effective investment. in fact, for every $1 invested in mentoring there is a $3 return to society. that is why it is important that we encourage states to establish

and support effective dropout prevention and re-entry programs that will provide necessary assistance to ensure that all of our children graduate. my amendment will provide for school dropout prevention and re-entry by establishing a mechanism to collect systemic data on dropout re-entry and graduation rates while establishing a national clearinghouse to collect information on effective dropout prevention and re-entry programs. my amendment will also provide technical assistance to state and local educational agencies, carry out a national recognition program for state and local educational agencies that raise academic achievement levels and provide grants to local schools and agencies with dropout rates above the state's average to implement effective and sustainable dropout prevention and re-spriintri programs.

that is why i support whole heartedly the amendment to h.r. 5. i urge a yes vote on this amendment. thank you mr. speaker. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentlelady yields back. for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? mr. kline: i seek time in opposition to the gentlelady's amendment. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. kline: i want to start by thanking the gentlelady for the amendment, although i do oppose it and commending her for the outstanding work she has personally done in this area of mentoring and helping kids get through school and off to a live with hope rather than a life of crime and gangs. she has done remarkable work. but as the gentlelady knows, there are currently more than 80 elementary and secondary education programs in current law. this bill, the underlying bill eliminates 65 of these programs as we tried to allow schools

more flexibility to do what they feel is most important with the money that they're getting. the gentlelady's amendment calls for another $125 million of spending in the first year and such sums thereafter. i'm afraid this is yet another federal program that will be chronically underfunding and competing for funding that schools so desperately need system of while i admire her passion and personal hard work in this field i continue to oppose this amendment and ask my colleagues to oppose this amendment and support the underlying bill. i believe the gentlelady yielded back, so i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from florida. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair the noes have it. the amendment is not agreed to. mrs. wilson: i ask for a recorded vote. the chair: pursuant to clause 6 of rule 18, further proceedings

on the amendment offered by the gentlewoman from florida will be postponed. it is now in order to consider amendment number 34 printed in part b of house report 114-29. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. castro: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 34 printed in part b of house report 114-29 offered by mr. castro of texas. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 125, the gentleman from texas, mr. castro, and a member opposed each will control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from texas. mr. castro: thank you mr. speaker. my amendment would require states to provide a blueprint for college and career counseling opportunities for homeless youth. this is a bipartisan amendment in fact, i want to thank very much mr. stivers of ohio and his staff who were very helpful in

drafting this amendment. we know that there are an estimated 1.6 million homeless youth and runaways in this country and we also know that they're especially vulnerable to falling through the cracks of our educational system this would simply ask states to show how they're going to help these youth with career and college readiness. and mr. speaker, i'd like to yield a minute to my league from colorado mr. jared polis. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for one minute. mr. polis: i want to thank mr. castro for his leadership on this important issue. before i came to congress, i co-founded a charter school in denver called the academy of urban learning the focus of this charter school, which serves just over 100 students in denver to this day, about 12 years after it was founded, it serves homeless youth and youth in transitional housing. one of the keys to success of this school is the counseling and wraparound services the students receive. one hofe -- one of the graduation requirements is that

students must apply to two institutions of higher education. now, in a void they need more than just that requirement. they need hands on help for counselors. there's been a remarkable record of students not only apply bug attending four-year colleges and universities. part of the credit sauce that make that work and will make it work for other schools across the country is the career counseling -- career and college counseling. i strongly encourage my colleagues to adopt this amendment and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back. mr. castro: i reserve. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman from ohio seek recognition? mr. stivers: i rise to claim time in opposition to the amendment, although i do not intend to oppose the amendment. the chair: without objection, the gentleman is recognized for five minutes.

mr. stivers: thank you, mr. chairman. last month i had the privilege of joining three young adults from my district to reintroduce the homeless children and youth act, a bill that will help young homeless youth get access to housing and better service and better, just count them so we know what the extent of the problem is so we can serve them in the future. the elementary and secondary education act was originally signed into law to help the neediest children among us have a quality education and as we consider the re-authorization we need to not forget about vulnerable students who happen to be homeless. the castro-stivers amendment would require states to develop a plan on how school counsel quors -- counselors can help these students with college readiness. by providing these children with college counseling and encouraging them and giving them hope we can develop a brighter future not only for those children but for america. i want to thank my colleague

from texas mr. castro, for his hard work on this, for joining me in the fight to help serve our homeless youth in this country, and help give them a bright future. i want to thank the chairman and all the staff for their hard work. we worked with the committee on this amendment and that's why nobody else rose in opposition to it because we actually worked out the details and i appreciate their suggestions and willingness to work with us. appreciate the gentleman from texas for being willing to take those suggestions. this amendment is an example of how this house should work. work together to serve the people, to take care of those in need. to make sure we look out for the future of our country. i'm proud to have been involved and appreciate the work of the gentleman from texas and the chairman and those on the committee and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman yields back. the gentleman from texas.

mr. castro: let me just say in conclusion i want to thank che congressman one more time and the committee and their staff who were helpful in drafting this. i yield back. the chair: the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from texas. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 35 printed in part b of house report 114-29. for what purpose does the gentleman from indiana seek recognition? mr. collins: i have an amendment -- mr. carson: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: amendment number 35 printed in house report 114-29, offered by the gentleman from indiana, mr. carson.

the chair: the gentleman from indiana and a member opposed each will control five minutes. mr. carson: thank you, mr. speaker. i yield myself as much time as i may consume. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. carson: mr. speaker, i rise today to present an amendment to help prepare vulnerable and at-risk students for the future. too many children suffer because we effectively do not have the coordinated efforts to research and apply data on student achievement in a way that will really benefit them system of this amendment supports the creation of a national strategy for the collection analysis and assessment of student achievement data. this day that will be used to structure systems that better serve our students. in addition, it will advance teacher professional development, educational administration and international education comparisons.

preparing students for college and careers should be a priority of our system of education. by doing this successfully, it requires evidence-based tools we need to properly assess what is working and what is not working. my amendment mr. speaker, will help ensure that all students leave our elementary and secondary schools prepared to meet the demands of our global society, and with that, i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves. . mr. kline: i claim time in opposition to the gentleman's amendment. i want to thank the gentleman for his offering the amendment even though i'm opposed. i agree the evaluation of federal programs is important and we need to understand what works better. the underlying bill places an emphasis on better evaluation for the programs included in the

bill. we do not yet need another federal program overlaying a new strategy on top of the current evaluations required and allowed. i agree very much with the importance of the issue, i must oppose the amendment as it is unnecessary. so i ask my colleagues to oppose the amendments and support the underlying bill. i reserve. mr. carson: i yield myself such time as i may consume. mr. speaker, i thank the gentleman for his thoughts and quite frankly, i appreciate that this is really a part of our ongoing discussion. however, i respectfully disagree. i understand that some of my colleagues believe that such a strategy should be left to the states. however frequently important that we remember one fact. a child does not learn differently based on what state they live in. a state that fails to hold

schools accountable hurts the students. even if their standards were approved by the general assembly. parents should not have to worry about their child getting an inferior education just because of the states they live in. like states like mine are holding robust debates about assessments, we still do not have a clear strategy to address the needs of our students or our teachers. this amendment merely sets forth a plan to address the problems we are facing across the country and increase the likelihood that our students will receive a quality education. something for us to think about, mr. speaker. i yield back the balance -- i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time.

the gentleman from indiana. >> while i believe that this amendment addresses the very important issue, it will not solve the wide array of programs with the underlying bill. mr. carson: this bill ignores the needs of students living in poverty, students with disabilities and english-language learners. it fails to target those schools that are truly in need and allows portability that will hurt the struggling schools even further and cuts state accountability standards. it blocks grants, critical title 1 funds, effectively chances that funds will not reach their intended targets, mr. speaker. this bill is nowhere near what our students, parents and teachers need. i encounseling my colleagues, mr. support, to support my amendment and vote against the

underlying bill. i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from minnesota. mr. kline: thank you mr. chairman. i disagree a great deal what my friend and colleague what he said this bill does, it is going to the core of the problem that we see with the current law. this bill is designed to give much greater flexibility to supets and local school boards so they can dedicate funds to the areas they are needed most. the gentleman's amendment, as i mentioned earlier, is not helpful in this effort because of the language in the underlying bill. and so while i appreciate he doesn't support the bill, i disagree with his description of the bill. and would urge my colleagues to oppose his amendment and support that underlying bill.

and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from indiana. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair the noes have it. the noes have it and the amendment is not agreed to. mr. carson: i request a recorded vote. the chair: pursuant to clause 6, rule 18, further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from indiana will be postponed. it is now in order to consider amendment number 36 printed in part b of house report 114-29. for what purpose does the gentleman from georgia seek recognition? mr. collins: i have an amendment at the desk. the clerk: amendment number 36 prisonned in house report 114-29 offered by mr. collins of georgia. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 125, the gentleman from georgia, mr. collins and a

member opposed each will control five minutes. mr. collins: i appreciate this opportunity to advocate for my amendment. my amendment is based on the principle that should be the priority including the department of education. i know my colleagues have a strong and varied opinion as has been exhibited on this floor on the merits of this bill and as this amendment comes forward i would ask we look at the accountability factor that is in this amendment. as a husband of an educator, education has been a long priority. my wife's experience has given me a firsthand look that teachers face. some school districts often struggle to make ends meet. they have to hold every member of their staff accountable for the money they spend. we apply the same principle to the department of education. when fiscal responsibility and

oversight are not taken seriously, but when it is a good steward we have more resources that will make a difference in classrooms across the country. my amendment seeks to protect the resources by ensuring grants are aware of their responsibilities. i personally the department of education's role should be continued to reduce and states and locals are the best place to do it. it should be a responsibility and accountability. my amendment requires the secretary of education ensures that grants are aware. first responsibility to comply with the monitoring requirements. the grantees' obligation to supervise any grantee and the schedule for monitoring and compliance reviews to ensure proper funds to making sure they have this information.

my amendment requires the secretary to review and analyze the results and monitor the compliance reviews and identify issues and issue guidance or misuse of taxpayer funding. the secretary would also make public their agency's effort to prevent fraud, waste and abuse. finally, my amendment requires the secretary to work with the agencies inspector general to ensure the employees understand how tomon tar grantees. it is a straightforward amendment to improve transparency and increase transparency and ensure that federal tax dollars are in the federal government ensures good stewardship of those dollars. this amendment will ensure the grants of all size es are used well and will get the most benefit for their buck. educators understand the

importance of protecting the limited resources we have to help kids in and out of the classroom. the left they can do is put policies in place and make sure that the grant recipients know all of the reporting guidelines. it is with that, i hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will support this amendment and on that, i would like to express my thanks to the chairman and the committee for this work on this bill and others. and with that, i yield back. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is on the amendment. offered by the gentleman from georgia. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to.

now in order to consider amendment number 37. for what purpose does the gentleman from illinois seek recognition? mr. dold: mr. chairman, i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 37 printed in house report b offered by mr. dold of illinois. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 125 the gentleman from illinois, mr. dold, and a member opposed will each control five minutes. the chair recognizes the gentleman from illinois. mr. dold: i rise in support of my amendment to h.r. 5 the students success act. the amendment ensures that the federal education dollars will go to students and schools that need them most and that the federal education funds are not redirected into state pension

programs that pay off the state's unfunded liabilities. it requires school districts that choose to pay teachers using federal fund to make a contribution to a teacher's pension plan that covers not only the normal cost but the unfunded liabilities that that pension plan may have occurred. it will prevent the states from forcing school districts to bail out state pension plans and will leave school districts free to make the best decisions for their needs. mr. chairman it's important to recognize that the amendment does not ban school districts from making pension contributions to cover the costs in that pension plan. it prevents states from dollars to pay off unfunded liabilities and use the federal funds for their intended purposes. improving our schools, hiring more teachers and giving

children the opportunity to receive a better education. i think it's important, mr. chairman, as we look at what's happening certainly in my state the state of illinois there are times where actually almost 33% of title 1 dollars, of dollars that go to idea go into the teacher's pension. it is actually a penalty. what we find is we find school districts that are in desperate need of hiring additional teachers that are using those dollars not to go to teachers but to pay for other things because they refuse to take a 33% in essence haircut, on funds that are desperately needed. again, i want to emphasize, mr. chairman, to my colleagues that this is not something that happens in many states. our research shows that until illinois may be fairly unique in this regard. what i did find just last week,

mr. chairman, i had an educational advisory board meeting with teachers administrators and principals and what they said is please, can you do something about this problem that we have. one school district that is in desperate need of teachers said if we are able to solve this problem, they would be able to solve six additional teachers to help out to have a better student-teacher ratio. that is something of a problem in the state of illinois and something we can actually solve here. my hope is that my colleagues will support this amendment and we'll be able to allow those dollars to go to those students who are desperate need of help. and with that, i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from illinois reserves. for what purpose does the gentleman from virginia seek

recognition? mr. scott: i claim time to seek opposition. this will amendment would require that the money that's appropriated under esea go to the purpose which it was appropriated and that is education. this amendment focuses money and therefore i support the amendment and i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from virginia yields back. the gentleman from illinois. mr. dold: i appreciate that. we have a bipartisan solution that allows federal education dollars to be able to go into local school districts that are going to be able to hire more teachers. this is the way i hope it is supposed to work to actually help our children. i want to thank the gentleman from virginia. and i yield back. the chair: the question is on the amount offered by the gentleman from illinois. those in favor say aye.

those opposed, no. the ayes have it and the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 38 printed in part b of house report 114-29. for what purpose does the gentleman from texas seek recognition? mr. flores: i rise to offer my amendment. the chair: the clerk will designate the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 38 printed in the house report 114-29 offered by mr. flores of texas. the chair: the gentleman from texas, mr. flores, and a member opposed will each control five minutes. mr. flores: i rise to offer my amendment which reaffirms the first amendment rights of students, teachers and school administrators to exercise religious beliefs. the founders of our nation recognized the singular importance of religious freedom. one only need to look back at the first clause of the first amendment to know that the james madison, the founder of the bill of rights saw freedom of

religion as central to our liberty and our freedom as human beings. since ratification of the bill of rights americans have been protected from religious oppression. as a result in present day, for many, religious freedom may seem like a given a right that has always existed and will always exist. we know we can't be so cavalier. just look around the world and see that the religious protections enjoyed by americans are not union vertally embraced. every christmas we hear stories of elementary children being forbidden from handing out candy canes with traditional christmas wishes or being forbidden saying christmas in the schools. i rise to ensure religious freedom is preserved in our schools. no one should tell students and teachers they have to check their fundamental freedoms at

the school house door. this is not what our founding fathers envisioned or intended. i urge my colleagues to support passage of this commonsense reminder that as members of congress and representatives of the people we have the first line of defense against coercive government behavior. we bear the responsibility of protecting and upholding our traditional religious freedom and as a -- ands a espoused in the first amendment of the bill of rights of our constitution. i reserve my time. the chair: for what purpose does the gentleman seek recognition? >> i rise in opposition to the amendment the chair: the gentleman is recognized for fife minutes. mr. scott: first i note that the amendment gives great weight to the free exercise of religion without acknowledging the other half of the first amendment that is,s the the establishment clause. i'm also concerned the amendment is duplicative of previous amendments under esca and no

child left behind issues guidance on the constitutionality of protected public and elementary schools. this was develop twhed office of counsel and the department of education, the office of legal counsel in the department of justice. mr. chairman, i'm also concerned that the amendment implies that teachers can participate in religious activities with their students. the constitution prohibits teachers from participating in religious activities with students, public school employees simply do not have the right to make promotion of religion a part of their job that was the supreme court in 2007, a sense of congress provision in this bill will not override the constitution. i remind my colleagues that the religious freedom means not only that students teachers and scood administrators are able to

exercise their right to religion, but also that students should be able to attend public schools free of unwarranted prosslyityization and coercion in in religious activities. i reserve the plans of my time. the chair: the gentleman is recognized. mr. flores: i appreciate the gentleman's response. our amendment is not intended to cause any establishment of any real downor encourage proselytizing in school. our amendment is to protect the rights of students and teachers and school administrators to practice their individual beliefs and not have to check their religious freedom at the door. it does nothing to establish any religion. we need to recognize dollar too often, too many times that somebody wears a religious necklace to school and the school administrator violates their rights of religious

freedom by telling them they have to remove that. or if they wear a t-shirt that has a biblical phrase or biblical verse, they have to remove that shirt or be banned from wearing that shirt in the future from school because of an administrator that doesn't understand the protections offered by the first amendment. this sense of congress is purely to protect the rights that we have as students and as administrators and teachers under the first amendment. i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from texas reserves. the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. scott: could the chair advise how much time is available on each side. the chair: the gentleman from virginia has 3 1/2 minutes, the gentleman from texas has two. mr. scott: i yield two minutes to the gentleman from colorado. the chair: the gentleman is -- is recognized for two minutes. mr. polis: the problem that mr.

flores is seeking to address is a real problem in our country. teachers, students and administrators of faith, particularly those of minority faiths, are frequently under peer pressure, at times perhaps coupled with pressure through official channels, not to exercise their free religion in schools. there's been instances in this country of muslim teachers, muslim women being told not to wear their hijab at schools. the situation could arise where a man of the sikh faith who would carry a ceremonial knife with them might be told they cannot carry a ceremonial knife because it violates a policy. so too, many who are atheists and humanists are often intimidated and afraid to proudly proclaim their lack of faith on their clothing or through their words and deeds. correctly done, amendment would

allow muslims and atheists and other members of minority faiths to proudly proclaim their faiths in our schools and give them the opportunity to talk with others while on the school grounds during the school day. there should be no discrimination against students, teachers, or school administrators based on their faith and you don't park your first amendment rights at the door to the school house. now there are different rules with regard to students, as we know. student lockers can be checked in a different way. other than unreasonable search and seizures. and of course students have particular dress codes which have been sustained over time as well. and they are minors, of course, acting with their parents' permission. but by and large new york a manner consistent with our constitution, which recognizes we are a nation of many faiths and a nation of those who have no faith, people should not be afraid to proudly proclaim their christianity to proclaim their

atheism, to proclaim they are muslim at our schools and correctly done i think this amendment can accomplish this. i praise the efforts that led -- the chair: the gentleman's time has expired. mr. polis: i yield back. the chair: the gentleman from virginia. reserves. the gentleman from texas. mr. flores: i appreciate the comments from the gentleman from colorado. i think he goes right to the core of the reason that my amendment is perfectly appropriate. that it is there to protect religious freedom, to protect our rights under the first amendment. i think he makes the case to support my amendment actually when you work through the, what he said, so i continue to encourage the other side to work with us to protect religious freedom and adopt my amendment. i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from virginia is recognized. mr. scott: mr. chairman, i yield myself such time as i may consume to remind people that students ought to be able to attend public schools free from

unwarranted proselytization or coercion. we have the establishment clause as well as the freedom clause and public employees exercise their rights they should not violate people's right to go to school and not be faced with a phalanx of people all coercing them into joining in prayer. the teachers and administrators ought not be guiding the prayer in suggesting that the state has a particular religion. we have an establishment clause as well as a free exercise clause. i reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from texas. mr. flores: i appreciate the comments of the gentleman from virginia and also the gentleman from colorado. there is nothing in my amendment that says anything that coercion is ok, that religious prossly --

proselytizing is ok, what we're doing is protecting the religious freedoms of the first amendment. i urge all my colleagues to vote for this commonsense, simple amendment that protects our religious freedoms on the first amendment. it's very simple and with that, i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from texas yields back his time. the gentleman from virginia. mr. scott: just in closing, i yield myself such time as i may consume. it's a great sense of congress on the free exercise but it fore-- but it ignores the establishment clause. i yield back the plans of my time. the chair: the gentleman yield back. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from texas. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the ayes have it. the amendment is agreed to. it is now in order to consider amendment number 39 printed in house report 114-29. for what purpose does the gentlewoman from california

rise? ms. brownlee: i have an amendment at the desk. the chair: the clerk will report the amendment. the clerk: amendment number 39, printed in house report 114-29, offered by ms. brownlee of california. the chair: the gentlewoman from california, ms. brownlee: ms. brownlee: i ask -- the chair: each will control five minutes, the chair recognizes the gentlewoman from california. ms. brownlee: thank you, mr. chairman. my amendment by literacy education seal and teaching act would amend h.r. 5 to encourage and incentivize bilingual education for our students across the country. specifically, my amendment would establish a grant program at the department of education to provide resources for states to create or expand state biliteralcy cl programs to recognize high school seniors who achieve a high level of proficiency in writing, reading, and speaking and enge -- in

english and a second language. students who speak more than one language have a competitive edge in the american job market. as businesses look to expand and to over-- into overseas markets and serve a wider range of customers, and as the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the demand for students with valuable language skills is increasing and it is not only the private sector that needs young people with language skills. the federal government also has a direct and compelling interest in ensuring that our young people become proficient in foreign languages. our military our diplomats, and our intelligence agencies are increasingly seeking to recruit young people with proficiency in a foreign language. however there are few state or national standards for bilingual certification for high school

students and many students who could qualify for the seal are not enrolled in a.p. or baccalaureate classes either because they cannot afford the costs of the test or their school does not offer advanced courses. whereas states that have or are in the process of implementing state seals do so free of charge for every student. and i must add that eight students have already approved a bilingual seal and three more are considering it as we speak. a biliteracy seal is a very special marker on a student's high school diploma. it serves as certification by the state that the student is fluent and literate in a language other than english. under my amendment, these seals would be available to students that are proficient in any spoken language, arabic,

mandarin, spanish, my amendment also makes nonspoken languages like american sign and braille also eligible. to receive a seal a high school senior must have a strong academic record in both english and the second language and must be on track to graduate. my amendment establishes a voluntary grant program which would not impose any new mandate on states. it is also budget neutral. the congressional budget office estimates that it would not increase direct spending. i urge members to vote for my amendment and reserve the balance of my time. the chair: the gentlewoman from california reserves. for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? mr. kline: thank you, mr. chairman. i rise to seek time in opposition to the gentlewoman's amendment. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes in opposition. mr. kline: thank you, mr. chairman. i want to thank the gentlewoman for offering this amendment even though i am opposed to it.

being bilingual, multilingual, is clearly a helpful skill and much sought in the private sector and in government. i think back to my days in school and at one time i was converse ant if not fluent new york both spanish and german and now i can barely read the menu having let that lapse. we don't need another federal program and it authorizes another $10 million for this program to get a government seal of approval. i think the students can speak, read, write for themselves and should be encouraged to read those languages, but the last thing they need is the federal government creating another program to certify them as bi

ling wall. as i agree with the importance of being lingual and i reserve the balance of my time. ms. brownley: as chairwoman of the assembly california education i sponsored a committee that had a committee in california and since that time, i have seen firsthand how successful this program has been. in 2014, over 24,000 high school seniors and 219 school districts across california participated in this program. they earned their seals of achievement in 40 different languages. when i introduced this language

in the 113th congress, it was supported by many education and civil rights organizations including the national education association california association for bilingual families and schools, california school board association, asian americans advancing justice and california action network. i have crafted the amendment to give states the flexibility to shape their own seal programs while ensuring the programs guarantee equal access for all students. the best act celebrates diversity and also recognizes that flewensy in a second language helps students compete in an increasingly marketplace and helps colleges and universities distinguish

talented applicants with valuable skills. if you support that, this is an amendment to support that. the chair: the gentlelady's time has expired. mr. kline: i continue to oppose the gentlelady's amendment. the chair: the gentleman yields back the balance of his time. the question is on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from california. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair, the noes have it. the amendment is not agreed to. broum ms. brownley: i request a recorded vote. the chair: further amendments on the amendment offered by the gentlelady from california will be postponed. it is now in order to consider amendment number 40 for what purpose does the gentleman from iowa seek recognition? mr. loebsack: i have an amendment at the desk.

the clerk: amendment number 40 offered by mr. loebsack of iowa. the chair: pursuant to house resolution 125 the gentleman from iowa mr. loebsack each will control five minutes. the gentleman from iowa is recognized. mr. loebsack: i recognize myself for such time as i might consume. there is no child left behind needs to be replaced and a lot of folks have the same concerns i have about the students' success act many of the provisions in that act. one of my major concerns and i think a number of this body share these concerns is that the bill lacks focus on or support for rural school districts. that's a big issue. i was raised in iowa, myself by a single mother and i

represented rural parts of iowa for the last eight years that i have been in congress. i served for eight years on the education and work force committee and i miss my time there from time to time, although i'm enjoying my time on a new committee, but this is an issue that is overlooked. i think a lot of folks in this body really through no fault of their own and month malice on their part don't recognize or understand the needs of rural parts of our country, not just in iowa but around the country and the need of rural students. and i think -- i find myself as a former educator educating my colleagues to some extent because they don't seem to understand that sometimes folks on both sides of the aisle that poverty is not just an urban problem but a rural problem as well. and i don't think we should deny

the fact that fewer students from yurel areas complete college. in fact, this gap is growing wider by the year. again, these are issues that if we think just a little bit, we understand exist out there in our society. and a large part of the problem is that rural students face unique challenges and barriers to access to resources. many rural students may not have a proper internet connection, if any at all or a computer at home. it's even more important that they are exposed to technology in school. we know about how powerful it is and vastly expanding the opportunities available to students in rural areas. providing these students with the 21st education regardless of gee oggra if i. and technology tools have them the power to transform and

provide teachers with feedback so they can address the needs of struggling students. and also, many rural schools have a smaller work force to draw from and struggle to find teachers. . they would benefit tremendously from the use of technology to deliver and supplement and personalize instruction and provide opportunities to students they may not have otherwise. this amendment i'm offering is a simple one and supported by the national education association, by the school superintendents association, by the alliance for excellent education. it would simply support the expansion of the use of digital learning through competitive grants, to partnerships to implement and evaluate the results of technology learning, tools and programs at rural

schools. mr. chair it's time for congress to start paying attention to rural demuents. that's the bottom line. as kee chair i encourage my colleagues to vote for this amendment and provide students in rural communities with the same resources and i hope that we can vote for this amendment and i yield back the balance of my time. the chair: the gentleman from iowa yields back. mr. kline: i rise to claim time in opposition to the gentleman's amendment. the chair: the gentleman is recognized in opposition of the amendment for five minutes. mr. kline: thank you mr. chairman. and i thank the gentleman for offering this amendment, even though i must oppose the amendment and we do miss him on the committee. and i would say that in my district, like his, we certainly have rural schools. i was thinking about rural schools the other day and my

wife went to country school bus it was a one-room school house and how heart broken she was when she was forced to go to the big city school, population 1,000 for the city. so we do know something about rural schools. and the bill, the underlying bill, the student's success act does maintain the rural education programs and under the local academic act, they can support it if they believe it's the best way to use those funds. the bill already allows every district to determine what they need for their students and not abide by parties set in washington. while i greatly appreciate the gentleman's passion for rural schools, i just firmly believe we don't need another new federal program. we are working to provide

flexibilities so schools can put the resources where they need the most. so i most oppose the gentleman's amendment and ask my colleagues to oppose and i yield back. the chair: the question is on the amendment offered by the gentleman from iowa. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair the noes it. >> i ask for a recorded vote. it is now in order to consider amendment number 41 printed in part b house report of 114-29. for what purpose does the gentleman from colorado seek recognition? the clerk: amendment number 41 printed in part b of house report number 114-29 offered by mr. pole h polis of cole. the chair: the chair now recognizes the gentleman from

from colorado. mr. polis: as the father of a young boy that you had the opportunity to meet the other day in our rules committee, i have a particular interest in early childhood education. he is going to enter pre-school this fall. i support it and every child has the same kinds of opportunities that your child and my child does. the friends on the other side of the aisle does recognize that. i also understand that they don't necessarily support democratic approach of a comprehensive federal program for universal pre-school. this amendment represents a modest steps to have authorizing, not appropriating money for by authorizing the department of education to set up a grant program to incentivize state investments in

quality, early childhood education. i hope this is something we can get behind. i urge my colleagues to see this is a modest compromised approach. investment in early childhood education is the most important investment we can make in the life of a child. i remember many years ago, i chaired a commission in the state of cole and one of the first thing we concluded about how to improve the performance of high schools in our state was to improve the performance and make pre-school available and wait 12 years and the schools would look a lot better. there is a lot of truth. we can lower the grade repetition rate. the most inexpensive place to address the achievement gaps is in early childhood education and only gets harder to succeed and more as they they are across

race as the child ages. we need to invest in high quality pre-school programs and this amendment provides the right incentives for the state to do it not by a federal approach mandating a pre-school but saying we are here to be your partners and work with states to expand access to high quality pre-school programs. i urge my colleagues to support this amendment. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his time. the gentleman from minnesota is recognized. mr. kline: i rise in opposition to this amendment. the chair: the gentleman is recognized for five minutes. mr. kline: thank you, mr. chairman. and i thank the gentlelady and the gentleman and i do oppose it. i think most of us agree that there is great value to early childhood education. that's why the underlying bill would allow states to use funds

through the flexible grant and under title 1. and as i know the gentleman knows, we already spend the federal government over $13 billion a year in pre-k programs and head start which spends over $8 billion a year and we should concentrate on getting those right instead of creating another massive new program that would compete with other programs for scarce taxpayer resources. while this is somewhat duplicative another large program, i appreciate the gentleman's passion for pre--k learning but unfortunately because we don't yet need another new program i oppose this amendment and urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment and reserve. the chair: the gentleman reserves the balance of his

time. the gentleman from colorado is recognized. mr. scott: thank you, mr. chairman. i thank the gentleman for yielding, early childhood education programs have been studied and high quality programs increase achievement, increase the graduation rates, increase future employment, decrease crime decrease pregnancy and saven more money than they cost. this amendment will help improve early childhood education and therefore is a meaningful improvement in the bill and i would hope we adopt this. it provides for professional improvement. a great improvement in early childhood education. and i would hope we would adopt the amendment and i yield back. .

chip the gentleman from colorado. mr. poeless: studies have shown for every dollar invested in quality early childhood education, it can save $7 to $9 of taxpayer money over the life tivepl that child in schools over the next 12 years. that's an actual savings. if we were to score this in an accurate way on a 10-year basis the investment in quality preschool would save money. like the gentleman from minnesota, of course i'm interested in improving head start and building on it but this is a different, broader approach than head start this program impacts middle class communities who also stand to benefit from early childhood education that often they can't afford on their own dime. what we need is a targeted approach. that's the crucial difference between this bill and -- this amendment and the existing program. the need for unique approach to preschool has been recognized across the nation. it's time for the federal government to recognize what states and districts are crying out for. it's time to address the need

for high quality early childhood education and a dedicated and comp -- in a dedicated and comprehensive way. that's what this amendment does. by investing in early childhood we can prevent learning gaps from arising before they arise. we can reduce the immediate for special education and idea. and we can save money by reducing youth adjudication rates, grade repetition rates and other costly interventions that are necessary, that children don't have that opportunity when they're 3 or 4 years old. i urge my colleagues to vote yes on the amendment and yield back. the chair: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from minnesota. mr. kline: thank you mr. chairman. listening to my friend from colorado talking about how great this program will be i was thinking about hover over the years, how do you get to 80 programs in the federal k-12 program and get multiple pre-k programs for child care and education?

because year after year members of congress have stood up -- stood up and talked about how wonderful things would be, how much money we'd save how much bright they are kids would be if we had this one more programmed on so it grows. and so it grows. again the thrust of this legislation is to look at the programs we already have, make the most of them and in the underlying bill, the student success act, to get maximum amount of flexibility to local school superintendents and school boards so they can put the resources where they need them so i must continue to oppose the gentleman or the gentlelady's amendment, i think you were subbing for ms. mention, perhaps, i'm not sure. and ask my colleagues to oppose it. the chair: those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. in the opinion of the chair the noes have it. mr. polis: i request a recorded vote. the chair: purr -- further proceedings on the amendment offered by the gentleman from colorado will be postponed.

the gentleman from -- for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota rise? mr. kline: i move that the committee do rise. the chair: the question is on the motion that the committee rise. those in favor say aye. those opposed, no. the ayes have it. the motion is adopted. accordingly the committee rises. the speaker pro tempore: mr. chairman. the chair: mr. speaker, the committee of the whole house on the state of the union having had under consideration h r. 5 directs me to report it has come to no resolution thereon. the speaker pro tempore: the chair of the committee of the whole house on the state of the union reports the committee has had under consideration h.r. 5 and has come to no resolution thereon. the chair lays before the house a communication. the clerk: the honorable the speaker house of representatives sir, on february 12 2015, pursuant to section 3307 of title 40 united

states code, the committee on transportation and infrastructure met in open session to consider resolutions to authorize 12 prospectuses including three alteration projects and nine leases included in the general services administration's f.y. 2015 capitol investment and leasing program. our committee continues to cut waste and cost to federal property and leases. the resolutions include projects that will reduce space, support consolidation into government-owned facilities and address life safety deficiency. it will result in $11 million -- in $111 million in avoided lease costs. all amounts are included in the relevant appropriations bills. i have enclosed copies of the measures adopted on february 12, 2015. signed, sincerely bill shuster chairman. the chair: referred to the

committee on appropriations. for what purpose does the gentleman from minnesota seek recognition? mr. kline: i move that the house adjourn. the chair: the question is on the motion to adjourn. those in favor say aye.

>> good morning everybody. the committee meets today to talk about the global threat faced by the united eight and allies. i want to welcome james clapper and the newly confirmed the

director of the intelligence agency, thank you for being with us. the committee recently conducted several hearings with our national security leaders to ask or strategic thinking to address the threats that we face. in the course of those hearings, the military and former -- they all agree that the current national environment is more dangerous. at any time, -- on the terrorism front isil continues to threaten in its effort to become the dominant islamic extremist group in the world. at the same time, the risk of attacks by foreign fighters returning to the battlefield or lone wolf threats, inspired by their successes, only increases the danger in the west, afghanistan, and the al qaeda groups continue to take advantage and take interest in

attacks on the united states. we are leading a generational fight against brutal enemies and in defeating the enemy's, it requires

thoughts on each of these major issues who look to the intelligence community to provide timely and accurate information about the nature of the threats we face, the intentions of our adver tears and the likely effect of certain actions we can take. the need for act i have inteblings about the plans and intentions of global actors, again i want to thank director clapper and general stewart for

testifying today. i want to -- i look forward to your assessments and how the intelligence community prioritizes and approaches these many threats and which of these issues concern you the most. senator reid. we face a complex range of security challenges from across the globe. our witnesses views and assessments of challenges are critical to the work of the committee. last week i traveled to pakistan afghanistan, and iraq and had the opportunity to meet with the leaders in those countries but also with civilians and uniformed personnel who are so ably and courageously serving the united states. in iraq, our military command stressed that despite the setbacks that extremists have suffered, isis remains capable militarily to son sol date its

power in the regions. coalition air strikes have enabled local security forces including kurdish peshmerga and newly established militias to gain ground from isis. concerns remain about when iraq security forces are ready to launch counteroffenses to maintain mosul. so afghanistan does not once again become a haven for al qaeda and other terrorists. we would be interested in our witnesses' views for the 2015 fighting season, the

possibility of pakistan reconciliation talks with the taliban and government of afghanistan and the significant reports of growing presence in afghanistan and pakistan. on iran the diplomatic efforts to prevent acquisition of knew cler weapons is ongoing and that's the time we'll assess iran's intent. i hope the witnesses will provide us with abupdate on the intelligence community's thinking with regard to negotiations and iran's success in the region under two possible scenarios, deal or no deal. in syria, coalition air strikes of the naval -- have enabled kurdish fighters to regain control and expand outward but isis remains a formidable force. the u.s. defense conference

signed a key agreement to training forces in turkey once recruits are identified. the syrian training initiative and challenges we face. in europe, the post cold war is under threat from a force that seeks to threaten ukraine. the per petchuation of conflicts and aggressive military activities. this could be of interest to the committee. we face a different but >> the recent attack on sony by north korea was unpredictable. it demonstrates that even a week rogue nation can take advantage of our electronic networks and can reach across the oceans and caused extensive damage to the united states based economic

power. while cyber attacks are not as public, they continue to pose a security challenge to the united states. we will be interested to know whether we can expect more attacks of this nature and what we can do to make our nation more resilient in the future. finally, a very close to home. it is a threat that jeopardizes not only our national security but our safety, health transportation, education and environmental resources. as we look at the current threats to our national security, we must be mindful of the necessity to find a balance and bipartisan solutions and in sequestration. >> general. >> general mccain, and members of the committee, it is a great pleasure and honor for me to be here with mr. steward and we are

here to update you on some, but not all pressing intelligent -- intelligence and security issues facing our nation. they were classified issues that we discussed on tuesday, that we will not be able to discuss as wholesomely in this hearing. in the interest of time, i will only cover some of the wave tops on both of us -- one unpredictable and is the new normal. the year 2014 saw the highest rate of political instability since 1992. the most deaths as a result of state-sponsored mass killings since the early 1990's. and the highest number of refugees and displaced persons since world war ii. roughly half of the world's stable countries are at a risk of instability in the next two years.

the second overall is that is pervasive uncertainty makes it harder to predict the future. 2014 and 2015 saw a number of events that illustrate these difficulties. the north korean attack on sony, the most serious cyber attack against the u.s. today, the ebola epidemic and the small-scale and dramatic terrorist attacks in australia, denmark, france, and the u.s. again, i will start with the cyber threats. attacks against us are increasing in frequency, scale sophistication and severity of impact. although, we must be prepared for a catastrophic large scale strike a cyber armageddon, the reality is that we have been living with a constant barrage of cyberattacks for some time. the trend i believe will continue. cyber poses a very complex set

of threats because private motivated criminals and hackers, or extremist and it variously capable nationstates, like russia china, north korea and iran, our potential adversaries, who can do great harm. the message of the attack, the systems targeted, and the vic adams are expanding on a daily basis. 2014 saw, for the first time, this directive cyberattacks carried out on u.s. entities marked by the iranian attack a year ago, and the north korea attacked on sony in november. while both of these nations have lesser technical capabilities and can care since you -- in comparison to russia and china this demonstrates that iran and north korea are unpredictable cyber actors. they continue to develop cyber

programs, and i cannot go into detail here, but the russian cyber threat is it more severe than we had previously assessed. chinese economic espionage against u.s. companies remains a threat despite reports stating that public indictments and -- with respect to non-entities -- expressing support for isil have demonstrated capabilities by hacking several social media accounts. the so-called -- successfully hacked twitter and a youtube page in january. the most pervasive cyber threat to the u.s. financial sector is from cyber criminals. criminals who are responsible for cyber intrusions into dozen 14 into jpmorgan, target, neiman marcus and anthem.

in the future, we will probably see cyber operations that change or manipulate electronic information to compromise its integrity. instead of simply deleting the access to it. in the end, the cyber threat cannot be completely eliminated but we must be vigilant in our efforts to detect, manage, and if -- decided against it. in 2013, just over 11,000 terrorist attacks killed people. data for the first few months of 2015 nearly 13,000 attacks that killed -- when the final counting is done, 2014 will have been the most lethal year for global terrorism in the 45 years such data has been compiled. about half of all attacks, as well as fatalities in 2014 occurred in iraq, afghanistan --

i am trying this data -- and where credit is due, i am dryness from the -- drawing this from information gathered from the university of maryland. the threat posed by small number of extremist is a radicalized by those in iraq. the global attention and widespread support of extreme circles for these attacks are bubbly will inspire additional extremist to conduct similar tax. in al qaeda and isil and al shabab are calling on lone wolves to perform attacks. last may, 12 are conducted by extremist. since the conflict began, more than 20,000 sunni fighters have

come to fight the assad regime. at least 13,000 of them died. hundreds have returned to europe. about 180 americans have been involved in travel to syria. i should point out that the -- those who attempted to go, and some who thought there, and some number have come back. a very small number have it returned and we will not if i -- and we will not identify any of those involved in the plotting. homegrown extremist continues to pose a threat to the homeland. loan actors -- loan actors -- lone actors will likely grab -- gravitate to similar plots. a small but persistent number of

sunni terrorist groups remain intent on strike in the u.s. and the west. some of them still see commercial aviation as an appealing target. in the midis, isil is increasing influence outside of iraq and syria. seeking to expand its grasp into the peninsula and south asia. they are planning terrorist attacks against western shared interest. this represents the greater shift in the sunni ballot extremist landscape since al qaeda affiliates began forming. and it is the first to assume characteristics of a nationstate. spill over from the syrian conflict is raising the prospect of instability and live the -- lebanon, and saudi arabia. it is growing, and it will undermine progress of isil.

resistance from sheet allies and leaders will limit progress to our political environment. isil and their ability to conduct large-scale offenses in iraq and other allies, stiffen defenses against iraqi forces, sheet militants and tribal allies. not to mention the iranians. however i still -- isil remains a brutal threat. moving to syria, and parts of western syria, the way regime has made gains in 2014, but it will require years to reassert significant control of the country as a whole. the regime has a clear advantage over the opposition, which is plagued by logistical

shortfalls. right now, they are incapable of militarily hosting a saudi and will probably remain so in 2015. assad is confident and thinks the war is winnable. the conflict will continue to threaten the stability of regional neighbors and foster the rise of regional sectarianism and extremism. as well, it will strain of regions economic balance as many flee. over 52% of the prewar population has been displaced. iran is exerting its influence and syria -- and syria. it has provide a robust military support to damascus and baghdad in the form of arms, i divided funding, intelligence collections, and cyber support. more broadly, iran will phase

many decision points in 2015 as it did in 2014. he wants sanctions released, by the same time, to preserve options on new clerk of abilities. in libya to rival governments emerged. the country has no clear legitimate political authority and is embroiled in a civil war. strong support on both sides by countries in the region has further stoked the balance. extreme terrorist groups affiliated with ipad -- affiliate with al qaeda is it using the country to train and plot. isil's beheadings and the growing threat of them is in libya. and, for now, the effectiveness has been reduced to terrorism efforts. after the president resignation the humans -- yemens future is

uncertain. iran has provided support to the who these -- to the houthis four years. --for year.s. moscow sees itself in direct confrontation with the west over ukraine and will be very prone to react over u.s. actions. putin's goals are to keep the u.s. -- to keep ukraine out of nato. he wants moscow to retain leverage over kiev, and crimea, in his view, is not negotiable. russian dominance over the