[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 106 (Thursday, July 24, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1505-E1506]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


 CARL D. PERKINS VOCATIONAL TECHNICAL EDUCATION ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1997

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                           HON. DOUG BEREUTER

                              of nebraska

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 22, 1997

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1853) to 
     amend the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Applied Technology 
     Education Act:

  Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Chairman, this Member would like to express his 
concern about the Mink amendment offered to H.R. 1853, the Carl D. 
Perkins Vocational--Technical Education Act amendments and to make it 
clear why this Member felt compelled to vote against it on principle 
and in order to provide the necessary flexibility to the States to 
better meet the diverse requirements and conditions of their 
populations.
  This Member supports the direction incorporated in H.R. 1853, which 
is to move away from Federal setasides and toward giving authority to 
States, local school districts, and post-secondary institutions to 
determine their own priorities for reform and funding. In addition to 
allowing for greater decisionmaking at the local level, this bill 
includes enforcement mechanisms that are necessary to ensure that 
special populations are accommodated under H.R. 1853. This bill 
requires States to provide vocational education opportunities for 
special populations including, specifically, displaced homemakers, 
single parents, and single pregnant women. If the State application 
fails to show how the State will ensure that the special populations 
meet or exceed State benchmarks, then enforcement mechanisms in H.R. 
1853 require the Secretary of Education to reject the application. 
Further, if a State fails to meet its own benchmark for these special 
populations, then the Secretary and the U.S. Department of Education 
has the authority to intervene to bring the State up to a minimum 
adequate level of performance.
  Mr. Chairman, H.R. 1852 already allows States and local communities 
to continue to fund programs for special populations such as displaced 
homemakers, single parents, and single pregnant women to ensure that 
they have the opportunity to participate in vocational education 
programs. States should have the flexibility to choose and set 
priorities for themselves and protect their own citizens without being 
given a Federal mandate.
  This Member strongly believes that there is no reason to suspect that 
a State or local official will not make the right decision. This bill 
ensures that special populations will continue to receive vocational 
and technical education.
  In addition, Mr. Chairman, this Member has a record of support for 
assisting displaced homemakers, single parents, and single pregnant 
women, to ensure that they have access to educational opportunities. 
For example, during the previous sessions of Congress, this Member 
supported an amendment offered by the gentlelady from Hawaii [Mrs. 
Mink] to the CAREERS Act to require States to include in their work 
force development and literacy plans a description of how the State 
will maintain programs for single parents, displaced homemakers, and 
single pregnant women, as well as programs designed to promote the 
elimination of sex bias.
  Mr. Chairman, in closing, this Member would like to reiterate that 
States must have the flexibility to set priorities for themselves and 
protect their own citizens. This Member will continue to monitor the 
progress of this important legislation to reform the Carl D. Perkins 
Vocational-Technical Education Act. Further, this Member pledges his 
commitment to an effort to have his home State of Nebraska comply with 
this legislation and to continue to

[[Page E1506]]

provide needed educational assistance to displaced homemakers, single 
parents, and single pregnant women.

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