[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 104 (Monday, June 23, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H5828-H5830]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING HIGH SCHOOL VALEDICTORIANS OF GRADUATING CLASS OF 2008
Mr. SARBANES. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 1229) recognizing the achievements of America's
high school valedictorians of the graduating class of 2008, promoting
the importance of encouraging intellectual growth, and rewarding
academic excellence of all American high school students, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 1229
Whereas valedictorians are conferred as the highest
academically-ranked student in their high school's graduating
class;
Whereas our Nation's secondary schools honor their highest
academically ranked students with the ``valedictorian''
title;
Whereas valedictorians have demonstrated consistency in
their intellectual inquiry, academic discipline, and
utilization of teacher mentoring throughout their high school
careers;
Whereas valedictorians serve as peer role models to fellow
high school students by succeeding academically and
contributing to community improvement;
Whereas valedictorians are charged with the duty of giving
a graduation speech that reflects upon the intellectual
development and community involvement of the graduating class
and inspires all graduating students to further their
academic studies and social engagement;
Whereas numerous valedictorians and graduating seniors will
further their intellectual interests and academic studies by
enrolling in universities and postsecondary educational
institutions;
Whereas family members, teachers, school administrators,
and community members have nurtured the intellectual growth
and rewarded the academic achievements of valedictorians and
graduating seniors; and
Whereas valedictorians and graduating seniors will become
America's future civic, business, and political leaders,
maintaining our Nation's global leadership position and
[[Page H5829]]
strengthening its economic competitiveness: Now, therefore,
be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) honors and recognizes the valedictorians and graduating
seniors of the class of 2008 for their academic achievements
and contributions to their communities;
(2) encourages all valedictorians and graduating seniors to
further their intellectual inquiry and academic studies in
universities and postsecondary educational institutions; and
(3) supports the continued social engagement of
valedictorians and graduating seniors, which utilizes their
knowledge and skills for the betterment of their communities
and the social, cultural, and economic advancement of the
Nation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms.
Foxx) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Maryland.
General Leave
Mr. SARBANES. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during
which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on
H. Res. 1229 into the Record.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Maryland?
There was no objection.
Mr. SARBANES. Madam Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 1229, which
recognizes the achievements of America's high school valedictorians of
the graduating class of 2008. I am pleased to honor these outstanding
individuals, as well as encourage the pursuit of high academic honors.
Today, as we recognize our valedictorians, we reaffirm our commitment
to education and encourage our youth to discover the many learning
opportunities they will encounter throughout their lives. I hope that
by saluting these valedictorians we help make high achievement
infectious and help every student appreciate the countless
opportunities that await them beyond high school.
Valedictorians are not only the highest academically ranked students
in their class; they are also peer role models who represent the ideals
of their families and communities. They inspire fellow classmates to
become involved in improving the community and motivate their peers to
achieve academically.
Long after high school, the title of valedictorian is still upheld as
a significant accomplishment. By recognizing the accomplishments of
this year's high school valedictorians, I hope to support and promote
inquiry and learning across our Nation. I know that this year's
valedictorians, and all graduating seniors at our Nation's high
schools, are our future leaders. We owe it to these students to give
them the best education we can and celebrate high school graduation as
an important step toward achieving their goals.
Madam Speaker, I congratulate this year's valedictorians and everyone
in the graduating class of 2008. I urge my colleagues to support this
resolution.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I rise today in support of House Resolution 1229, recognizing the
achievements of America's high school valedictorians of the graduating
class of 2008, promoting the importance of encouraging intellectual
growth, and rewarding academic excellence of all American high school
students.
Valedictorians are the highest academically ranked students in their
high school's graduating class. These students have demonstrated
consistency in their intellectual inquiry, academic discipline, and
utilization of teacher mentoring throughout their high school careers.
{time} 1700
They serve as peer role models to fellow high school students by
succeeding academically and contributing to a culture of excellence in
their schools.
Valedictorians are charged with the duty of giving a graduation
speech that reflects upon the intellectual development and community
involvement of the graduating class and inspires all graduating
students to further their academic studies and social engagement. These
students enjoy the support of family members, teachers, school
administrators and community members who have nurtured their
intellectual growth and rewarded their academic achievements. This
class of seniors will become America's future civic, business and
political leaders, maintaining our Nation's global leadership position
and strengthening its economic competitiveness.
Today I want to especially honor and recognize the valedictorians and
graduating seniors of the class of 2008. They have all worked very hard
to accomplish the goals they reached on high school graduation day. I
know this is not the first outstanding accomplishment for many of these
young people, and I am equally certain it will not be the last.
I encourage all valedictorians and all graduating seniors to further
their intellectual inquiry and academic studies in universities and
post-secondary educational institutions across the Nation.
To all graduating seniors, I want to say congratulations on your many
accomplishments, and enjoy your summer.
I ask my colleagues to support this resolution.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SARBANES. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. FOXX. Madam Speaker, as we reflect on the valedictorians of the
class of 2008, I think it's important that we think about what the
Democrats are doing now in the House of Representatives that are going
to affect their future. I think that we have to reflect on the fact
that the Democrat majority's ``just say no'' energy policy certainly
darkens America's energy future:
No production of American energy resources, which increases reliance
on unstable foreign sources such as Venezuela, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
No new oil refineries built, which increases gas prices and reliance
on imported fuel.
No new transmission lines, which hinders renewable electricity
getting to consumers and reduces reliability.
No new coal power plants, which increases electricity prices and
stifles the economy.
No new advanced zero-emission nuclear plants, which blocks one of the
cleanest, most reliable energy sources available.
No new zero-emission hydroelectric plants, which blocks reliable
clean energy.
No liquefied natural gas terminals, which increases prices and ships
jobs overseas.
Democrats' prohibition on producing American energy resources have
made the U.S. more reliant on imported oil and natural gas.
Democrats' roadblocks on the utilization of energy from our North
American neighbors have made the U.S. more reliant on the Organization
of Petroleum Exporting Countries, OPEC.
Democrats' unfavorable tax rules have sent energy investment and
production abroad.
Democrats' unnecessary red tape and bureaucracy have made it nearly
impossible to move forward on new clean power generation.
Democrats' 1970s-era energy policies have cancelled dozens of power
plants, reducing electricity supplies and increasing electricity costs
to consumers.
Democrats' refusal to provide incentives for individuals and
businesses has made it difficult to invest in efficient technologies.
But Republicans have solutions that will fix this problem. We then
can look at meeting our energy needs with American-made energy in the
future.
The comprehensive House Republican plan will fund research and
development of technologies and innovations which advance the use of
renewable and domestically available energy sources, increase energy
efficiency, and ease the environmental impacts of energy use.
We will increase the production of American-made energy in an
environmentally safe way.
We support actions that reduce America's dependence on energy from
unstable foreign governments and dictatorships by increasing domestic
production of oil and natural gas in an environmentally safe way.
And we promote unconventional fuels such as coal-to-liquid technology
by recovering our vast oil shale reserves and increasing access for
environmentally responsible development of conventional and
unconventional domestic oil and natural gas production.
[[Page H5830]]
We want to provide coal-to-liquids financing and tax incentives. We
want to advance the commercialization of the Nation's 2 trillion barrel
shale oil resource, 80 percent of which occurs on government-owned land
in the West. This is enough to supply all of America's needs for over
two centuries.
We are promoting new, clean and reliable power generation. We
encourage more production of environmentally safe energy to increase
the use of our vast domestic supply, reduce emissions, and keep coal-
dependent communities strong.
We want to expand emissions-free nuclear power, including long-term
nuclear waste storage solutions and recycling spent fuel by providing
production and investment tax credits for all new base-load electricity
products such as advanced nuclear power and clean coal, and allowing
immediate expensing for new renewable or zero-emission power.
We want to cut red tape and increase the supply of American-made fuel
and energy by expediting permitting for enhanced oil recovery projects,
including CO2 delivery and injection, as well as permitting
for new refining capacity.
We want to improve environmental review and permitting to encourage
the deployment of technologies which increase the efficiency of
existing power plants.
And we want to end ill-advised policies that have led to the
proliferation of unique gasoline and diesel fuel formations known as
``boutique fuels'' which have fragmented our motor fuels distribution
system, choked off supply, and exacerbated the already painful Pelosi
Premium.
We are encouraging greater energy efficiency by offering conservation
tax incentives. We support technologies to help increase energy
efficiency in all sectors of the American economy, including removing
bureaucratic regulatory barriers that prevent businesses from upgrading
their facilities with newer, more efficient energy technologies.
We want to make home energy efficiency upgrades tax deductible,
provide incentives for homebuilders and homeowners to make their homes
more energy efficient, offer investment expensing for industrial and
commercial building efficiency upgrades, extend the residential and
business solar and fuel cell investment tax credits, with enhancements
to the residential solar credit ($2,000 per \1/2\ kilowatt installed),
extend the fiber-optic distributed sunlight investment tax credit, and
increase energy efficiency of government-owned facilities.
With that, Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SARBANES. Madam Speaker, for too long our Nation has been captive
of the interests that are preserving dependence on fossil fuels.
What's so exciting about what is happening with the younger
generation, among them these valedictorians that we're saluting today,
is they're really getting out on the cutting edge in terms of thinking
about the green revolution, about new energy technologies. And they're
the ones, I think, that are going to join with enlightened policy
makers across the country to make sure that we liberate ourselves from
that dependence on fossil fuels and we move forward and explore
alternatives to that, which is really going to be the solution to our
energy crisis over time.
So again, for all they're doing and for stepping up as they do every
day and demonstrating incredible accomplishments, I want to salute the
valedictorians of the class of 2008 and encourage my colleagues to
support H. Res. 1229.
Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, today, we rightly honor the hard work
and achievements of this year's valedictorians, salutatorians and
graduates all across the Nation. I wish to recognize their dedication
and the contributions to their community. By completing a high school
diploma, the future for these students has become considerably
brighter.
I also wish to take a moment to reflect on largo group of
valedictorians, salutatorians and graduates who, despite high school
success and graduation, will be shut out of many of the opportunities
for a prosperous future that we promise to our children for their hard
work.
I am referring to the many valedictorians, salutatorians and
graduates who have worked hard in the communities they have known their
whole lives, played by the rules, excelled in school and, because of
their undocumented status, will be systematically cut off from the
opportunities that are afforded to successful students like them.
Through no fault of their own, these bright, intelligent, model
students will be caught in limbo--denied an opportunity to pursue
success and, in so doing, to serve our country.
These students are confronted with a lesson that high schools do not
teach--that because of a status that was not of their choosing, their
achievements are worth less than the achievements of their friends and
classmates. This is a cruel lesson indeed; the lesson that they have
grown up in a social caste; that despite America's promise of
prosperity for hard work, that no matter what their educational
success--they will be branded ``untouchables''.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of
H. Res. 1229, recognizing the achievements of America's high school
valedictorians of the graduating class of 2008, promoting the
importance of encouraging intellectual growth, and rewarding academic
excellence of all American high school students, introduced by my
distinguished colleague from New York, Representative Gregory Meeks, of
which I am a proud cosponsor. This bill is an important step in
continuing and promoting the excellent secondary education that our
nation provides.
This legislation recognizes the fine accomplishments of the
graduating class of 2008 and commends them for their intellectual
pursuits as well as their academic achievements. This bill,
furthermore, recognizes the family members, teachers, school
administrators, and community members that have nurtured the
intellectual growth and rewarded the academic achievements of this
year's valedictorians and graduating seniors.
This year, valedictorians across America have succeeded in tremendous
academic endeavors. Whether by inspiring their fellow classmates to
study a little longer for a test, or by tutoring them to write an
essay, valedictorians have acted as noteworthy role models to their
peers. Furthermore, through their hard work and dedications, they have
enriched their academic communities.
It is further important that we recognize that valedictorians often
engage in extracurricular activities, enriching their local communities
and the nation by furthering economic, cultural, and social
accomplishments. By volunteering their time in soup kitchens, acting as
captain of the soccer team or chess club, or simply taking an after-
school job, valedictorians learn more than math and English, they learn
to contribute significantly to our society.
As Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I recognize the
importance of today's youth. Valedictorians as well as graduating
seniors of 2008 will become the future businessmen, leaders, teachers,
and scientists that lead this nation. They will use their extraordinary
talents to make the world a better place. As thus, it is important for
them to continue to cultivate their strengths by attending one of the
many universities that this great nation has to offer. I support this
legislation that encourages valedictorians and the graduating class of
2008 as a whole, to further their intellectual inquiry and academic
studies beyond their secondary education.
With over 15,000 of our nation's schools recognizing this year's
valedictorians as the highest academically-ranked students in their
graduating class, the members of Congress, as representatives of our
nation, must recognize these talented individuals for their hard work.
By doing so, we demonstrate the importance of education and show our
support for the continued hard work of students across the country.
Without this official recognition, talented youth may not feel support
which can push them to achieve high goals, such as past valedictorians
and the valedictorians of the 2008 graduating class have achieved. I
feel strongly that this bill is a step toward providing support for
students.
This legislation is imperative to recognizing the achievement of the
graduating class of 2008, supporting social engagements by graduating
seniors to better our communities, and promoting continued intellectual
pursuits by these men and women at colleges and universities. As the
Chair of the Congressional Children's Caucus, a Representative of the
people of the United States, and a mother of two, I am proud to
cosponsor this legislation and I urge my colleagues to join me in
supporting this legislation.
Mr. SARBANES. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Sarbanes) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1229, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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