[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 118 (Monday, September 13, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H8103-H8106]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CONGRESSIONAL AWARD ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1999

  Mr. TANCREDO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 380) to reauthorize the Congressional Award Act.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                 S. 380

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. CONGRESSIONAL AWARD ACT AMENDMENTS OF 1999.

       (a) Change of Annual Reporting Date.--Section 3(e) of the 
     Congressional Award Act (2 U.S.C. 802(e)) is amended in the 
     first sentence by striking ``April 1'' and inserting ``June 
     1''.
       (b) Membership Requirements.--Section 4(a)(1) of the 
     Congressional Award Act (2 U.S.C. 803(a)(1)) is amended--
       (1) in subparagraphs (A) and (D), by striking ``member of 
     the Congressional Award Association'' and inserting 
     ``recipient of the Congressional Award''; and
       (2) in subparagraphs (B) and (C), by striking 
     ``representative of a local Congressional Award Council'' and 
     inserting ``a local Congressional Award program volunteer''.
       (c) Extension of Requirements Regarding Financial 
     Operations of Congressional Award Program; Noncompliance With 
     Requirements.--Section 5(c)(2)(A) of the Congressional Award 
     Act (2 U.S.C. 804(c)(2)(A)) is amended by striking ``and 
     1998'' and inserting ``1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 
     and 2004''.
       (d) Termination.--Section 9 of the Congressional Award Act 
     (2 U.S.C. 808) is amended by striking ``October 1, 1999'' and 
     inserting ``October 1, 2004''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Tancredo) and the

[[Page H8104]]

gentleman from California (Mr. Martinez) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo).
  Mr. TANCREDO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 380, the Congressional 
Award Act amendments of 1999. Congress established the Congressional 
Award in 1979 to recognize initiative, achievement, and service in our 
young people across the country. Senator Malcolm Wallop, a Republican 
from Wyoming, and Representative James Howard, a Democrat from New 
Jersey, authored the original legislation in a bipartisan effort.
  The original legislation established the Congressional Award as a 
private-public partnership which receives funding from the private 
sector and was originally signed into law by President Jimmy Carter. In 
addition, Presidents Reagan, Bush, and Clinton have signed legislation 
to reauthorize the act.
  The Congressional Award is presented on a noncompetitive individual 
basis to young people in the United States between the ages of 14 and 
23 to recognize their initiative, achievement, and service. Young 
people from all walks of life and levels of ability can work to earn 
the award. Participants range from the academically and physically 
gifted to those with severe physical, mental and socioeconomic 
challenges.
  To earn a Congressional Award, participants work with advisers to set 
individual goals and plan activities to meet these goals in four 
program areas including voluntary public service, personal development, 
physical fitness, and expedition exploration. Participants strive for 
either a bronze, silver, or gold award. At each level 50 percent of the 
required minimum hours to earn the award are in volunteer public 
service, a minimum of 100 hundred hours for the bronze, 200 for the 
silver and 400 for the gold. To date, more than 6,500 Congressional 
Awards have been presented representing more than 1.5 million hours of 
volunteer service from all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and 
Puerto Rico.
  Congress has spent a greater part of the 106th Congress working to 
ensure that tomorrow is a safer and more positive place for our youth. 
We now have an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to America's 
youth for another 5 years. Crime prevention, working with the United 
Way, aiding the elderly, collecting, sorting and distributing food for 
the needy and building a handicap-accessible ramp are just a few of the 
services that individuals perform while working to attain Congressional 
Awards.
  America's youth is crying out for support and encouragement, and this 
award is helping to give them this today.
  Several challenges are currently being implemented to the 
Congressional Award program to give more young people the opportunity 
to participate and earn awards. These changes include the reduction in 
the paperwork necessary to enroll, a lower enrollment fee, a shift of 
authority from national to local control which allows State councils, 
youth service organizations, and other entities to operate the 
Congressional Award and an additional track of awards called the 
Congressional Certificates to recognize individuals in a less demanding 
manner and help instigate interest in earning the Congressional Award. 
In addition, the Congressional Award has made a commitment to America's 
promise, headed by General Colin Powell, to increase the number of 
youth enrolled in the program over the next 2 years.
  S. 380 was introduced in the Senate by Senator Larry Craig on 
February 4, reported out by the Senate Committee on Governmental 
Affairs on March 4. The bill would reauthorize this important 
initiative for 5 years. It also makes minor changes to current law to 
better streamline the annual reporting process and changes the 
membership requirements of the board of directors to allow for more 
participation at the local level enabling communities that do not have 
a Congressional Award Council to participate on the board of directors.

                              {time}  1415

  The bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent on April 13, 1999.
  It is important to continue the authorization of the Congressional 
Award for several reasons. The Congressional Research Service submitted 
a memorandum to committee staff regarding the potential consequences to 
the Congressional Award program if it were not reauthorized. CRS 
concluded that if the board were not reauthorized, questions may arise 
as to the propriety of its continued use of the Congressional Award 
program name; an alternative mechanism for appointment of board members 
would be required because members of the board are currently appointed 
by Congressional leadership. Alternative means of financing the 
Congressional Award medals would be required because the U.S. Mint is 
currently directed to strike the medals used for the Congressional 
Award; I might add, at no direct expense to the taxpayers, and an in-
kind congressional support, primarily office space at the Ford 
Building, could be terminated because of questions as to the propriety 
of the use of official resources to support an activity that did not 
seem to have the support of Congress.
  There are currently around 2,000 young people from across the country 
pursuing the Congressional Award, with more entering the program each 
day. Each of these young people exemplifies the qualities of commitment 
to service and citizenship that our country embodies and which we 
promote through our own service in Congress.
  I believe that this program, which is a private-public partnership 
that receives nearly all of its funding from the private sector should 
be supported by each and every Member.
  Congress should support our Nation's youth in their efforts and 
recognize their achievements through the Congressional Award program.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill and ask them to encourage 
the youth of their States to begin a quest to earn the Congressional 
Award by enrolling on-line at www.congressionalaward.org.
 Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 380, a bill to reauthorize the 
Congressional Award Act. As has been said by the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Tancredo), first passed by Congress and signed into law 
by President Carter in 1979, the Congressional Award Act recognizes 
young Americans for their commitment to self-and community-improvement.
  Program participants ages 14 to 23 set individual goals in the areas 
of voluntary community service, personal development, physical fitness, 
and exploration. Once these goals are achieved, they earn bronze, 
silver, or gold medals which are presented to them during a special 
ceremony by their Member of Congress.
  Because a Congressional Award is noncompetitive and individuals earn 
rather than win awards, any young person, regardless of his or her life 
circumstances or physical or mental abilities, can participate.
  The benefits of the Congressional Award program are numerous and 
lasting. While young people work to earn awards, they develop a sense 
of self-worth, self-confidence, and responsibility. They also learn 
important life skills such as initiative, organization, teamwork and 
problem solving.
  In addition, the communities in which these young people reside 
benefit from their volunteerism and hard work. Since the program's 
inception in 1979, 8,204 young Americans have received Congressional 
Awards, and over 2 million hours of volunteer service have been 
completed.
  While programs are administered at the local level by Congressional 
Award Councils, national activities and program oversight are carried 
out by the Congressional Award Foundation and the board of directors. 
Currently serving on the board are Senators Max Baucus and Larry Craig, 
and the gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin) and the gentleman from 
New Jersey (Mr. Payne) and the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Romero-
Barcelo).
  Although the Congressional Award program is a private-public 
partnership that receives no Federal funding, the Congressional Award 
Act has been reauthorized twice, once during the Reagan administration 
and once during the Bush administration, and it is once again due for 
reauthorization.

[[Page H8105]]

  On April 13, S. 380 passed the Senate by unanimous consent, and I 
urge my House colleagues to follow that body's example and pass S. 380 
today.
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in support of 
reauthorization of the Congressional Award Program. This year marks the 
20th anniversary of the award program and I believe that it is 
appropriate to consider and review the origins and meaning of the award 
and our expectations for the board that serves to administer it on our 
behalf.
  I take special pride in the fact that the Congressional Award was 
started by our late distinguished colleague Representative James J. 
Howard from central New Jersey. The award was enacted 20 years ago this 
November by Representative Howard who began laying the groundwork in 
1969 for the program with the help of a young and future physician, 
Frank H. Arlinghaus, Jr., of Rumson, NJ, to fashion this uniquely 
American program. With the help of former Senator Malcolm Wallop, a 
bipartisan program was enacted in 1979. At the time of this sponsorship 
in the Senate, Senator Wallop and Representative Howard noted that 
Congress recognized a responsibility and opportunity to elevate and 
encourage the pursuit of excellence and to focus the creative energies 
of America's young people on positive ends. Congress, they said, wished 
to offer young people an opportunity and a challenge to new endeavors 
and achievement.
  Representative Howard noted at that time that, although there were 
many programs for young people throughout the world, the Congressional 
Award Program was ours, it was unique and was to be independent of any 
other organization or association. Indeed the senior leadership of 
Congress gave explicit guidance to the National Director in 1982 that 
while the mandate of the Congressional Award is to make the program 
available to all interested young Americans, the autonomy of the 
Congressional Award as an independent program must be preserved at all 
times as it bore the imprimatur of Congress. Any relationship with any 
organization wither domestic or international is subject to that 
proviso.
  My distinguished colleagues on both sides of the aisle from New 
Jersey take special pride in the fact that the Congressional Award in 
New Jersey operates under the most successful council in the country. 
That council has recently surpassed 1,300 awards earned in New Jersey 
alone and is now embarked on a record setting year of participation. 
There are hundreds of young people participating in the program, 
equally as many advisors and validators, and a host of supporting 
voluntary agencies and corporate supporters. This year alone there may 
be as many as four ceremonies to recognize these special young 
Americans.
  The Congressional Award is Congress's special message to young people 
about national aspirations, values and goals. This award is a special 
message to young people and is a way of our communicating to them and 
to provide an avenue of communication with the young people who will 
comprise the leadership of America in the future.
  This program is not necessarily easy nor is it difficult, but it 
takes character, persistence, initiative, service and achievement. At 
the Bronze Award level 100 hours of public service, 50 hours of 
personal development and 50 hours of physical fitness endeavors with a 
one night expedition is a beginning test for a young person over 14 
years old. It requires 7 months but not more that 12 to complete. The 
Silver Award requires 200 hours of public service, 100 hours of 
personal development effort, and 100 hours of physical fitness endeavor 
with a 2-night expedition. This requires over a 12-month commitment but 
not over 24 months. The Gold Congressional Award requires 400 hours of 
public service, 200 hours of personal achievement effort, 200 hours of 
physical fitness with a 4-night expedition. This supreme effort 
requires a 24-month commitment but not more than 36 months. A young 
person must be at least 16 to begin and be over 18 to earn and receive 
the Gold Award which our leaders present in a special ceremony in the 
Capitol. Each of these awards are earned separately and work done on 
one level is not counted for work on another level.
  Indeed the special and rigorous nature of the award as achieved by 
those outstanding future leaders was cited by our distinguished Senate 
colleagues Senator Lott and Senator Daschle as a requisite hallmark of 
the Congressional Award in their remarks at the Gold Award ceremony on 
June.
  How do young people meet this challenge and earn this distinction? As 
was provided for in prior legislation, a state council is formed and 
appointed with consultation among our colleagues. The many adult 
volunteers and advisors who assist these young people are recruited, 
educated, and trained to administer the program. Each applicant 
registers, proposes their program, and it is evaluated and 
modifications made where appropriate. At the conclusion of that initial 
process their work begins. At the conclusion of demonstrated 
commitment, service, and achievement, we in turn through our councils 
assisted by the National Office salute their work with Congressional 
Award.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to include in the legislative 
record my concerns about the direction of the Congressional Award and 
the changes that have been proposed by the National Office.
  From the very beginning, when the Congressional Award was introduced 
by my predecessor, Representative James J. Howard, and then passed by 
the Congress In 1979, it was made very clear that the Award should be 
its own independent award under the sponsorship of the U.S. Congress. 
Congress did not intend that it be part of an international award under 
the patronage of Prince Philip of Great Britain. As stated by 
Congressman Howard ``It was never our intention to duplicate in design 
and purpose the Duke of Edinburgh's Award.''
  The National Office of the Congressional Award has established new 
standards that make major changes in the award requirements including 
creating a second, less demanding track that enable young people to 
earn Congressional Award certificates. This is intended to bring the 
program more in line with the International Award. Unfortunately, it 
would also water down the overall program. Ultimately, I fear, young 
people would choose the easier route and the more intense medal program 
would fall by the wayside. This is not what Congress intended in 1979.
  In addition the certificate track eliminates the close relationship 
that develops between adult advisors and young people as they plan 
their program goals. The certificate is awarded after the fact and 
there is little if any contact prior to that.
  Finally, other changes have been made that affect how the hours spent 
by young people in voluntary public service, personal development and 
physical fitness as calculated toward earning gold medals.
  I am very proud of the success of our New Jersey Congressional Award 
Program under the leadership of Dr. Frank Arlinghaus of Rumson, NJ. It 
was his idea to establish a Congressional Award.
  As someone who has attended many of the Congressional Award 
ceremonies in New Jersey and seen many of my young constituents honored 
for their hard work, I would like to ask that the National Board of the 
Congressional Award address these questions and respond to the concerns 
raised by the programs in New Jersey, Arizona and elsewhere.
  I believe we have a commitment to those who have earned the awards to 
date to maintain the high standards of the program. We also have a 
commitment to future participants and our colleagues to maintain the 
Award as it was originally intended by Congress.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak about the 
Congressional Award program and specifically how this program has 
worked in New Jersey.
  Mr. Speaker, many involved in the Congressional Award program know 
that this program's success is the byproduct of the hard work of my 
former colleague and a member of the New Jersey delegation, Congressman 
Jim Howard. Jim worked closely with Dr. Frank H. Arlinghaus, Jr., the 
Chairman of the New Jersey Congressional Award Council, in drafting the 
legislation that created this program in 1979. Dr. Arlinghaus, as a 
member of the national board of directors, as well as the driving force 
behind the program in New Jersey, has been instrumental in the growth 
of this program, both in New Jersey, as well as across the country. He 
has advised other state councils on the best way to educate America's 
youth as to the intent and benefits of participation in the 
Congressional Award Program.
  As part of the Congressional Award program, my office has worked 
closely with teenagers in the 4th Congressional District of New Jersey, 
as they volunteer the hundreds of hours required for the bronze, 
silver, and gold medals. Many of them have shared with me how their 
experiences in the areas of public service, physicial fitness, and 
personal growth have broadened their world view and fostered a greater 
appreciation for personal achievement.
  On average, four students per year from the 4th Congressional 
District have received one of the three medals. Highlights of their 
community service has included volunteering at a local hospital where 
the students have assisted with everything from admitting patients and 
discharging patients, working in the children's clinic, and helping 
visitors with a variety of requests. Personal growth has included 
building physical endurance or improving a skill such as piano playing, 
which has facilitated their abilities on a variety of sports teams and 
in musical competitions. Students have also traveled overseas to the 
Philippines, Western Europe, and the Bahamas, experiencing first hand 
the challenges of cross cultural communication.
  Recently, the National Board of Directors has been examining various 
ways to expand participation through a certificate program. To date, 
more than 6,500 awards have been presented nationwide. In New Jersey, 
we are

[[Page H8106]]

proud that 1300 of those awards, roughly 20 percent, have been given to 
young people from our state. Clearly, a program that is working so well 
in my state could offer a lot of ideas to the rest of the country about 
ways to attract more and more qualified students into the program.
  In light of the recently proposed changes in the program and the 
shared goal of attracting more young people, I would suggest that a 
hearing on the Congressional Award program would be appropriate. The 
future growth of this program requires that Congress examine its 
development over the last 20 years as well as its future. I hope my 
good friend and colleague Chairman Goodling will give full 
consideration to this request.
  Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the Congressional Award 
Program. This program has an Olympian quality because it encourages 
young people to stretch to their limits. The difference is that they 
set the high goals themselves. The experience is that the self-
initiated goals are set so high that only 400 of the 1,000 students who 
start the program complete it.
  Too often, we allow the impressive accomplishments of our youth to go 
unrecognized and unappreciated. We must encourage our young women and 
young men to strive to do their best in activities which develop 
themselves or their communities. The Congressional Award Program does 
just that by challenging students to set high goals for themselves in 
either personal development, physical fitness, or public service and 
provides them with recognition when they reach these goals. Last year I 
was proud to present seven awards representing a total of at least 400 
hours of work to D.C. high school students, and this year, I believe 
that I will be able to award many more. I would like to recognize the 
1998 recipients of the Congressional Award:
  Leidi Reyes of Bell Multicultural High School, Silver medal; Jehan 
Carter--Banneker Senior High School, Bronze medal; Christin Chism--
Bishop McNamara High School, Bronze medal; Brian Ford--Eastern Senior 
High School, Bronze medal; Miya Jackson--Eastern Senior High School, 
Bronze medal; Christiana Hodge--Eastern High School, Bronze medal; and 
Kate Ottenberg--Maret High School, Bronze medal.
  These young people's families and community are rightly proud of 
them. They are members of an elite group of only 400 young people 
across the country who completed the program. I ask my colleagues to 
support them by supporting the re-authorization of the Congressional 
Award Program through 2004.
  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Mr. Speaker, I would like to support this bill 
(S. 380) that will re-authorize the Congressional Award Act. The re-
authorization of this Act is significant because the program that is 
supported by this bill is one way in which the Congress provides an 
opportunity for the youths of the United States to better their own 
lives.
  The Congressional Award has existed since 1979 as a way to encourage 
and reward American youth who undertake community service to benefit 
their community and themselves. It teaches our young people about such 
American values as citizenship, civic responsibility, and the 
importance of setting and achieving personal goals. Several thousand 
youths have participated in this program since its inception and have 
received recognition for their efforts.
  Congressioinal awards come in different forms: certificates, which 
are ``introductory'' level awards; and medals, which are more difficult 
to achieve. Certificates and medals come in the form of gold, silver 
and bronze awards. Each award is earned through the accumulation of 
hours of community service. When an award is earned, those hours can be 
applied toward the achievement of the next award. The gold medal, which 
is the highest level of the awards, is extremely prestigious and very 
difficult to earn, because it requires a minimum of 800 hours of 
service accumulated over a period of at least 24 months.
  I am one of the Members of Congress currently serving on the Board of 
Directors of the Congressional Award Foundation and I am honored to 
serve in this position. I have the privilege of working alongside 
Congresswoman Barbara Cubin in this capacity.
  In addition to serving on the Board of Directors of the Foundation, I 
am equally proud that the congressional award will soon be established 
in Puerto Rico. We hope to publicize the award in schools on the island 
and I am confident that there will be large numbers of school children 
who will take up the challenge to earn their own congressional medals.
  I would like to encourage other members to publicize the award and 
ask the young people in their districts to participate in the 
Congressional Award process. This is an excellent way to motivate young 
people to make positive contributions in their local communities and to 
develop important leadership skills for the future. I believe it is the 
duty for all of us serving in this body to make the Congressional Award 
more readily available to every young person in our communities. The 
first step in this process is through the passage and enactment of this 
Congressional Award reauthorization bill.
  Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TANCREDO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Foley). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Tancredo) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the Senate bill, S. 380.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof), the rules were suspended and the Senate bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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