[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 134 (Wednesday, September 7, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H5142-H5146]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     EDUCATION FOR ALL ACT OF 2016

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 4481) to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to provide 
assistance for developing countries to promote quality basic education 
and to establish the goal of all children in school and learning as an 
objective of the United States foreign assistance policy, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4481

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Education 
     for All Act of 2016''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Sense of Congress.
Sec. 3. Assistance to promote sustainable, quality basic education.
Sec. 4. Comprehensive integrated United States strategy to promote 
              basic education.
Sec. 5. Improving coordination and oversight.
Sec. 6. Monitoring and evaluation of programs.
Sec. 7. Transparency and reporting to Congress.
Sec. 8. Definitions.

     SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

       It is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) education lays the foundation for increased civic 
     participation, democratic governance, sustained economic 
     growth, and healthier, more stable societies;
       (2) it is in the national interest of the United States to 
     promote access to sustainable, quality universal basic 
     education in developing countries;
       (3) United States resources and leadership should be 
     utilized in a manner that best ensures a successful 
     international effort to provide children in developing 
     countries with a quality basic education in order to achieve 
     the goal of quality universal basic education; and
       (4) promoting gender parity in basic education from 
     childhood through adolescence serves United States 
     diplomatic, economic, and security interests worldwide.

     SEC. 3. ASSISTANCE TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE, QUALITY BASIC 
                   EDUCATION.

       Section 105 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
     U.S.C. 2151c) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(c) Assistance to Promote Sustainable, Quality Basic 
     Education.--
       ``(1) Policy.--In carrying out this section, it shall be 
     the policy of the United States to work with partner 
     countries, other donors, multilateral institutions, the 
     private sector, and nongovernmental and civil society 
     organizations, including faith-based organizations and 
     organizations that represent teachers, students, and parents, 
     to promote sustainable, quality basic education through 
     programs and activities that, consistent with Article 26 of 
     the Universal Declaration of Human Rights--
       ``(A) align with and respond to the needs, capacities, and 
     commitment of developing countries to strengthen educational 
     systems, expand access to safe learning environments, ensure 
     continuity of education, measurably improve teacher skills 
     and learning outcomes, and support the engagement of parents 
     in the education of their children, so that all children, 
     including marginalized children and other vulnerable groups, 
     may have access to and benefit from quality basic education; 
     and
       ``(B) promote education as a foundation for sustained 
     economic growth and development within a holistic assistance 
     strategy that places partner countries on a trajectory toward 
     graduation from assistance provided under this section and 
     contributes to improved--
       ``(i) early childhood development;
       ``(ii) life skills and workforce development;
       ``(iii) economic opportunity;
       ``(iv) gender parity;
       ``(v) food and nutrition security;
       ``(vi) water, sanitation, and hygiene;
       ``(vii) health and disease prevention and treatment;
       ``(viii) disaster preparedness;
       ``(ix) conflict and violence reduction, mitigation, and 
     prevention; and
       ``(x) democracy and governance; and
       ``(C) monitor and evaluate the effectiveness and quality of 
     basic education programs.
       ``(2) Principles.--In carrying out the policy referred to 
     in paragraph (1), the United States shall be guided by the 
     following principles of aid effectiveness:
       ``(A) Alignment.--Assistance provided under this section to 
     support programs and activities under this subsection shall 
     be aligned with and advance United States diplomatic, 
     development, and national security interests.
       ``(B) Country ownership.--To the greatest extent 
     practicable, assistance provided under this section to 
     support programs and activities under this subsection should 
     be aligned with and support the national education plans and 
     country development strategies of partner countries, 
     including activities that are appropriate for and meet the 
     needs of local and indigenous cultures.
       ``(C) Coordination.--
       ``(i) In general.--Assistance provided under this section 
     to support programs and activities under this subsection 
     should be coordinated with and leverage the unique 
     capabilities and resources of local and national governments 
     in partner countries, other donors, multilateral 
     institutions, the private sector, and nongovernmental and 
     civil society organizations, including faith-based 
     organizations and organizations that represent teachers, 
     students, and parents.
       ``(ii) Multilateral programs and initiatives.--Assistance 
     provided under this section to support programs and 
     activities under this subsection should be coordinated with 
     and support proven multilateral education programs and 
     financing mechanisms, which may include the Global 
     Partnership for Education, that demonstrate commitment to 
     efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, and accountability.
       ``(D) Efficiency.--The President shall seek to improve the 
     efficiency and effectiveness of assistance provided under 
     this section to support programs and activities under this 
     subsection by coordinating the related efforts of relevant 
     Executive branch agencies and officials, including efforts to 
     increase gender parity and to provide a continuity of basic 
     education activities in humanitarian responses and other 
     emergency settings.
       ``(E) Effectiveness.--Programs and activities supported 
     under this subsection shall be designed to achieve specific, 
     measurable goals and objectives and shall include appropriate 
     targets, metrics and indicators that can be applied with 
     reasonable consistency across such programs and activities to 
     measure progress and outcomes.
       ``(F) Transparency and accountability.--Programs and 
     activities supported under this subsection shall be subject 
     to rigorous monitoring and evaluation, which may include 
     impact evaluations, the results of which shall be made 
     publically available in a fully searchable, electronic 
     format.
       ``(3) Priority and other requirements.--The President shall 
     ensure that assistance provided under this section to support 
     programs and activities under this subsection is aligned with 
     the diplomatic, economic, and national security interests of 
     the United

[[Page H5143]]

     States and that priority is given to developing countries in 
     which--
       ``(A) there is the greatest need and opportunity to expand 
     access to basic education and to improve learning outcomes, 
     including for marginalized and vulnerable groups, 
     particularly women and girls, or populations affected by 
     conflict or crisis; and
       ``(B) such assistance can produce a substantial, measurable 
     impact on children and educational systems.
       ``(4) Definitions.--In this subsection:
       ``(A) Basic education.--The term `basic education' 
     includes--
       ``(i) all program and policy efforts aimed at improving 
     early childhood, preprimary education, primary education, and 
     secondary education, which can be delivered in formal and 
     nonformal education settings, and in programs promoting 
     learning for out-of-school youth and adults;
       ``(ii) capacity building for teachers, administrators, 
     counselors, and youth workers;
       ``(iii) literacy, numeracy, and other basic skills 
     development that prepare an individual to be an active, 
     productive member of society and the workforce; and
       ``(iv) workforce development, vocational training, and 
     digital literacy that is informed by real market needs and 
     opportunities.
       ``(B) Partner country.--The term `partner country' means a 
     developing country that participates in or benefits from 
     basic education programs under this subsection pursuant to 
     the prioritization criteria described in paragraph (3), 
     including level of need, opportunity for impact, and the 
     availability of resources.
       ``(C) Relevant executive branch agencies and officials.--
     The term `relevant Executive branch agencies and officials' 
     means--
       ``(i) the Department of State, the United States Agency for 
     International Development, the Department of the Treasury, 
     the Department of Labor, the Department of Education, the 
     Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of 
     Agriculture, and the Department of Defense;
       ``(ii) the Chief Executive Officer of the Millennium 
     Challenge Corporation, the Coordinator of United States 
     Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally, the 
     National Security Advisor, the Director of the Peace Corps, 
     and the National Economic Advisor; and
       ``(iii) any other department, agency, or official of the 
     United States Government that participates in activities to 
     promote quality basic education pursuant to the authorities 
     of such department, agency, or official or pursuant to this 
     Act.
       ``(D) National education plan.--The term `national 
     education plan' means a comprehensive national education plan 
     developed by partner country governments in consultation with 
     other stakeholders as a means for wide-scale improvement of 
     the country's education system, including explicit, credible 
     strategies informed by effective practices and standards to 
     achieve quality universal basic education.
       ``(E) Hiv/aids.--The term `HIV/AIDS' has the meaning given 
     that term in section 104A(h).
       ``(F) Marginalized children and vulnerable groups.--The 
     term `marginalized children and vulnerable groups' includes 
     girls, children affected by or emerging from armed conflict 
     or humanitarian crises, children with disabilities, children 
     in remote or rural areas (including those who lack access to 
     safe water and sanitation), religious or ethnic minorities, 
     indigenous peoples, orphans and children affected by HIV/
     AIDS, child laborers, married adolescents, and victims of 
     trafficking.
       ``(G) Gender parity in basic education.--The term `gender 
     parity in basic education' means that girls and boys have 
     equal access to quality basic education.
       ``(H) Nonformal education.--The term `nonformal 
     education'--
       ``(i) means organized educational activities outside the 
     established formal system, whether operating separately or as 
     an important feature of a broader activity, that are intended 
     to serve identifiable learning clienteles and learning 
     objectives; and
       ``(ii) includes youth programs and community training 
     offered by community groups and organizations.
       ``(I) Sustainability.--The term `sustainability' means, 
     with respect to any basic education program that receives 
     funding pursuant to this section, the ability of a service 
     delivery system, community, partner, or beneficiary to 
     maintain, over time, such basic education program.''.

     SEC. 4. COMPREHENSIVE INTEGRATED UNITED STATES STRATEGY TO 
                   PROMOTE BASIC EDUCATION.

       (a) Strategy Required.--Not later than October 1, 2016, 
     October 1, 2021, and October 1, 2026, the President shall 
     submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
     comprehensive United States strategy to promote quality basic 
     education in partner countries by--
       (1) seeking to equitably expand access to basic education 
     for all children, particularly marginalized children and 
     vulnerable groups; and
       (2) measurably improving the quality of basic education and 
     learning outcomes.
       (b) Requirement to Consult.--In developing the strategy 
     required by subsection (a), the President shall consult 
     with--
       (1) the appropriate congressional committees;
       (2) relevant Executive branch agencies and officials;
       (3) partner country governments; and
       (4) local and international nongovernmental organizations, 
     including faith-based organizations and organizations 
     representing students, teachers, and parents, and other 
     development partners engaged in basic education assistance 
     programs in developing countries.
       (c) Public Comment.--The President shall provide an 
     opportunity for public comment on the strategy required by 
     subsection (a).
       (d) Initial Strategy.--For the purposes of this section, 
     the strategy entitled ``USAID education strategy'', as in 
     effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this 
     Act, shall be deemed to fulfill the initial requirements of 
     subsection (a) for 2016.
       (e) Elements.--The strategy required by subsection (a) 
     shall be developed and implemented consistent with the 
     principles set forth in subsection (c) of section 105 of the 
     Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (as added by section 3 of this 
     Act) and shall seek to--
       (1) build the capacity of relevant actors in partner 
     countries, including in government and in civil society, to 
     develop and implement national education plans that are 
     aligned with and advance country development strategies;
       (2) identify and replicate successful interventions that 
     improve access to and quality of education;
       (3) project general levels of resources needed to achieve 
     stated program objectives;
       (4) leverage United States capabilities, including through 
     technical assistance, training and research; and
       (5) improve coordination and reduce duplication among 
     relevant Executive branch agencies and officials, other 
     donors, multilateral institutions, nongovernmental 
     organizations, and governments in partner countries.
       (f) Activities Supported.--Assistance provided under 
     section 105 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (as amended 
     by section 3 of this Act) should advance the strategy 
     required by subsection (a), including through efforts to--
       (1) ensure an adequate supply and continued support for 
     trained, effective teachers;
       (2) design and deliver relevant curricula, uphold quality 
     standards, and supply appropriate teaching and learning 
     materials;
       (3) build the capacity of basic education systems in 
     partner countries by improving management practices and 
     supporting their ability to collect relevant data and 
     monitor, evaluate, and report on the status and quality of 
     education services, financing, and student-learning outcomes;
       (4) help mobilize domestic resources to eliminate or offset 
     fees for educational services, including fees for tuition, 
     uniforms, and materials;
       (5) support education on human rights and conflict-
     resolution while ensuring that schools are not incubators for 
     violent extremism;
       (6) work with communities to help girls overcome relevant 
     barriers to their receiving a safe, quality basic education, 
     including by improving girls' safety in education settings, 
     helping girls to obtain the skills needed to find safe and 
     legal employment upon conclusion of their education, and 
     countering harmful practices such as child, early, and forced 
     marriage and gender-based violence;
       (7) ensure access to education for the most marginalized 
     children and vulnerable groups, including through the 
     provision of appropriate infrastructure, flexible learning 
     opportunities, accelerated and second-chance classes, and 
     opportunities that support leadership development;
       (8) make schools safe and secure learning environments 
     without threat of physical, psychological, and sexual 
     violence, including by supporting safe passage to and from 
     schools and constructing separate latrines for boys and 
     girls; and
       (9) support a communities-of-learning approach that 
     utilizes schools as centers of learning and development for 
     an entire community, to leverage and maximize the impact of 
     other development efforts, and reduce duplication and waste.
       (g) Additional Activities Supported for Countries Affected 
     by Conflict and Crises.--In addition to the activities 
     supported under subsection (f), assistance provided under 
     section 105 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (as amended 
     by section 3 of this Act) to foreign countries or those parts 
     of the territories of foreign countries that are affected by 
     or emerging from armed conflict, humanitarian crises, or 
     other emergency situations may be used to support efforts 
     to--
       (1) ensure a continuity of basic education for all children 
     through appropriate formal and nonformal education programs 
     and services;
       (2) ensure that basic education assistance of the United 
     States to countries in emergency settings shall be informed 
     by the Minimum Standards of the Inter-Agency Network for 
     Education in Emergencies (``INEE Minimum Standards'');
       (3) coordinate basic education programs with complementary 
     services to protect children from physical harm, 
     psychological and social distress, recruitment into armed 
     groups, family separation, and abuses related to their 
     displacement;
       (4) support, train, and provide professional development 
     for educators working in emergency settings;
       (5) help build national capacity to coordinate and manage 
     basic education during emergency response and through 
     recovery;

[[Page H5144]]

       (6) promote the reintegration of teachers and students 
     affected by conflict, whether refugees or internally 
     displaced, into educational systems; and
       (7) ensure the safety of children in school, including 
     through support for--
       (A) the provision of safe learning environments with 
     appropriate facilities, especially for girls;
       (B) safe passage to and from school, including landmine 
     awareness, the designation of schools as conflict-free zones, 
     the adoption and support of community-owned protective 
     measures to reduce the incidence of attacks on educational 
     facilities and personnel by local actors, armed groups, and 
     armed forces;
       (C) out-of-school and flexible-hour education programs in 
     areas where security conditions are prohibitive;
       (D) safety plans in case of emergency with clearly defined 
     roles for school personnel; and
       (E) appropriate infrastructure, including emergency 
     communication systems and access to mobile telecommunications 
     with local police and security personnel.

     SEC. 5. IMPROVING COORDINATION AND OVERSIGHT.

       (a) Senior Coordinator of United States International Basic 
     Education Assistance.--There is established within the United 
     States Agency for International Development a Senior 
     Coordinator of United States International Basic Education 
     Assistance (referred to in this Act as the ``Senior 
     Coordinator''), who shall be appointed by the President.
       (b) Duties.--
       (1) In general.--The Senior Coordinator shall have primary 
     responsibility for the oversight and coordination of all 
     resources and activities of the United States Government 
     relating to the promotion of international basic education 
     programs and activities.
       (2) Specific duties.--The Senior Coordinator shall--
       (A) facilitate program and policy coordination of 
     international basic education programs and activities among 
     relevant Executive branch agencies and officials, partner 
     governments, multilateral institutions, the private sector, 
     and nongovernmental and civil society organizations;
       (B) develop and revise the strategy required under section 
     4;
       (C) monitor, evaluate, and report on activities undertaken 
     pursuant to the strategy required under section 4; and
       (D) establish due diligence criteria for all recipients of 
     funds provided by the United States to carry out activities 
     under this Act and the amendments made by this Act.
       (c) Offset.--To offset any costs incurred by the United 
     States Agency for International Development to carry out the 
     establishment and appointment of a Senior Coordinator of 
     United States International Basic Education Assistance in 
     accordance with subsection (a), the President shall eliminate 
     such positions within the United States Agency for 
     International Development, unless otherwise authorized or 
     required by law, as the President determines to be necessary 
     to fully offset such costs.

     SEC. 6. MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF PROGRAMS.

       The President shall seek to ensure that programs carried 
     out under the strategy required under section 4 shall--
       (1) apply rigorous monitoring and evaluation methodologies 
     to focus on learning and accountability;
       (2) include methodological guidance in the implementation 
     plan and support systemic data collection using 
     internationally comparable indicators, norms, and 
     methodologies, to the extent practicable and appropriate;
       (3) disaggregate all data collected and reported by age, 
     gender, marital status, disability, and location, to the 
     extent practicable and appropriate;
       (4) be planned and budgeted to include funding for both 
     short- and long-term monitoring and evaluation to enable 
     assessment of the sustainability and scalability of 
     assistance programs; and
       (5) support the increased use and public availability of 
     education data for improved decision making, program 
     effectiveness, and monitoring of global progress.

     SEC. 7. TRANSPARENCY AND REPORTING TO CONGRESS.

       (a) Annual Report on the Implementation of Strategy.--Not 
     later than March 31 of each year through 2031, the President 
     shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a 
     report on the implementation of the strategy developed 
     pursuant to section 4 and make the report available to the 
     public.
       (b) Matters to Be Included.--The report required under 
     subsection (a) shall include--
       (1) a description of the efforts made by relevant Executive 
     branch agencies and officials to implement the strategy 
     developed pursuant to section 4 with a particular focus on 
     the activities carried out;
       (2) a description of the extent to which each partner 
     country selected to receive assistance for basic education 
     meets the priority criteria specified in subsection (c) of 
     section 105 of the Foreign Assistance Act (as added by 
     section 3 of this Act); and
       (3) a description of the progress achieved over the 
     reporting period toward meeting the goals, objectives, 
     benchmarks, and timeframes specified in the strategy 
     developed pursuant to section 4 at the program level, as 
     developed pursuant to monitoring and evaluation specified in 
     section 6.

     SEC. 8. DEFINITIONS.

       (a) Appropriate Congressional Committees.--In this Act, the 
     term ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
       (1) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on 
     Foreign Relations of the Senate; and
       (2) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on 
     Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.
       (b) Other Definitions.--In this Act, the terms ``basic 
     education'', ``partner country'', ``relevant Executive branch 
     agencies and officials'', ``national education plan'', 
     ``marginalized children and vulnerable groups'', and ``gender 
     parity in basic education'' have the meanings given such 
     terms in subsection (c) of section 105 of the Foreign 
     Assistance Act of 1961 (as added by section 3 of this Act).

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include any extraneous material on this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, at the outset, let me thank our colleague, Nita Lowey, 
the author of this measure. I very much appreciate her and her team's 
good work on this bill. Also, Jessica Kelch, a staff member here on the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, I appreciate her efforts as well in 
making sure that this came to the floor.
  We all recognize the importance of education for economic growth. We 
know the impact that it has on social mobility. We know that the 
overall stability around the globe is partly dependent upon this, and 
as Congresswoman Nita Lowey would tell you, education raises the 
productivity of people. It empowers men, it empowers women to better 
care for themselves, better care for their families, and increases 
their civic participation. Even one extra year of schooling has been 
found to significantly increase a worker's earnings and their lifespan.
  But despite widespread agreement about the benefits of education, the 
fact remains that an alarming number of children worldwide are out of 
school. At present, over 120 million children around the globe have 
never attended or have dropped out of school. More than one-third of 
these children come from countries suffering from war and suffering 
from conflict. With many recent conflicts lasting well over a decade, 
it is easy to see how, tragically, we now have entire generations of 
children who are failing to receive even the most basic education.

                              {time}  1715

  Certainly, this is a humanitarian crisis. But there are clear 
implications for global stability and our national security as well.
  What opportunities are available to children who remain out of school 
or leave school unable to read, write, or perform basic arithmetic? 
Sadly, we know these children face a greatly increased risk of abuse at 
the hands of traffickers, early marriage or forced marriage, and 
recruitment by criminal or terrorist organizations.
  Nowhere is this harsh reality more clear than in Syria, where an 
estimated 4 million Syrian children are currently out of school. Inside 
Syria, these children are being shaped by violence and a lack of 
alternatives that place them at a high risk of exploitation and of 
radicalization. As refugees, they are placing tremendous pressure on 
the education systems of countries like Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey.
  That is why I rise today in support of H.R. 4481, the Education for 
All Act. This bill increases direction and accountability for U.S. 
efforts to impose access to basic education in developing and in 
conflict-torn countries.
  It requires the President to establish a strategy for, and report to 
Congress on, how the administration will work with other countries and 
donors on how to build that capacity and how to reduce duplication, how 
to measure progress, and how to replicate success

[[Page H5145]]

in its basic education programming, especially for children affected by 
conflict and crisis. It also requires increased attention to some of 
the specific barriers to education that women and girls face.
  Lastly, the bill establishes a senior coordinator within the U.S. 
Agency for International Development to ensure accountability and 
oversight across all U.S. agencies that are involved in this work.
  So, again, I want to thank Representative Lowey for her continued 
bipartisan leadership on this issue, as well as my committee's ranking 
member, Mr. Engel, and the chair of our Africa, Global Health, Global 
Human Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee, Mr. Smith, 
for their work on this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation.
  Let me again thank our chairman, Ed Royce, for his leadership; and I 
want to acknowledge my good friend and neighbor from New York, Nita 
Lowey, who authored this bill and has long been a champion for 
expanding access to education not just here in the United States, but 
around the world.
  Mr. Speaker, a recent report from the United Nations tells us that, 
around the world, more than 260 million young people are not in school. 
That is 260 million, a staggering amount. Millions more are only able 
to gain a substandard education.
  We cannot overstate the importance of getting young people off to a 
good start by getting them into the classroom. Every year of primary 
school increases an individual's earning potential by 5 to 15 percent. 
More educated populations are healthier and more productive, so it is a 
win all the way around.
  Promoting access to education isn't about helping young people 
reaching their potential. It is also about enhancing security and 
stability. For every year a young man spends in school, the likelihood 
of him becoming involved in violence and extremism drops by 20 percent. 
In places like Afghanistan and South Sudan, where roughly half of the 
children are not in school, we know that violent extremists and others 
are only too happy to provide a rotten alternative for these vulnerable 
young people. That is why access to basic education needs to be a 
foreign policy priority.
  This legislation calls for a 5-year strategy for expanding 
opportunities for kids to go to school all over the world, especially 
where children are most vulnerable. It would put a new point person in 
charge of making sure that our efforts across government are 
coordinated and effective. It would place a special emphasis on 
monitoring and evaluation so we know we are getting the best bang for 
our buck when it comes to our investments in basic education.
  This is a good bill that will actually help to put children in 
classrooms around the world, giving them a better shot at a full and 
successful life.
  I, again, thank my friend Nita Lowey, and I thank the chairman.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from New 
York (Mrs. Lowey), my friend and a wonderful colleague.
  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Royce and Ranking 
Member Engel for their support and their enthusiasm for this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in full support of H.R. 4481, the Education for 
All Act, which I introduced earlier this year with our colleague David 
Reichert.
  Today, millions of American children are settling into new classrooms 
and getting back in the swing of their school routines. Despite the 
challenges many students and schools face, it is hard for us to imagine 
this time of year not being occupied with the excitement of new school 
supplies, teachers, and school sporting events. Unfortunately, the 
ability to access education at all remains a luxury in too many areas 
around the world. In fact, in 2014, 263 million children, adolescents, 
and youth were not in school. Our own U.S. Agency for International 
Development has reported:

       The world is in the midst of a global learning crisis.

  As of 2014, an estimated 25 million children were never expected to 
enroll in school, and 758 million adults could not read or write a 
simple sentence. Women and girls represent two-thirds of these 
staggering figures. Even daring to attend school requires taking life-
threatening risk for girls in many regions.
  Malala Yousafzai was shot by the Taliban in Pakistan at the age of 15 
for attending school and advocating for other girls to do so. Hundreds 
of girls have been kidnapped by Boko Haram for seeking a basic 
education and still remain hostage. That is why this legislation is so 
critical.
  The promotion of international basic education must be among our 
chief development priorities. Not only is it in the national security 
interests of the United States, it is simply the right thing to do.
  The bill before us today prioritizes USAID's work with foreign 
governments, NGOs, and multilateral organizations to help nations 
develop and implement quality programs, address key barriers to school 
attendance, and increase completion rates for the poorest and most 
vulnerable children worldwide.
  With a comprehensive strategy, the U.S. can lead the world in 
expanding access to millions of children who aren't in school and 
improving the quality of education for millions who are.
  Measurable learning outcomes and updates to this strategy every 5 
years, with feedback from local and international education and 
development partners, will ensure we build upon our successes to make 
progress toward universal education.
  Additionally, the legislation strengthens Congress' role and enhances 
oversight of these efforts by creating a Senior Coordinator of United 
States International Basic Education Assistance tasked with improving 
coordination, monitoring the education strategy, and reporting to 
Congress on implementation. These efforts will not only teach students 
the three Rs, they will ultimately help protect vulnerable children 
from poverty, disease, hunger, and, ultimately, extremism.
  I have long said there is no greater force multiplier than education. 
An education is the fundamental tool with which girls and boys are 
empowered to increase their economic potential, improve their health 
outcomes, provide for their families, address cultural biases, and 
participate in their communities.
  Children who receive a quality education also contribute to more 
prosperous economies and healthier, peaceful, and democratic societies. 
That is why the 9/11 Commission concluded that ensuring educational 
opportunity is essential to defeating global terrorism.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. ENGLE. I yield the gentlewoman an additional 2 minutes.
  Mrs. LOWEY. First introduced in 2004, the bill we consider today 
represents many years of hard work to elevate the importance of global 
education, bipartisan compromise, and the support of over 30 nonprofit 
and advocacy organizations, including RESULTS, the Basic Education 
Coalition, the Global Campaign for Education, the Global Poverty 
Project, the Malala Fund, and many other vital partners.
  So, in closing, I want to thank, again, Chairman Royce, Ranking 
Member Engel, and their hardworking staffs for their diligent efforts 
to bring the Education for All Act before the House today.
  I urge immediate passage.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time to close.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  In closing, let me say that, if children around the world cannot get 
a basic education, it will obviously be that much harder for them to 
get ahead later on in life, to contribute to their economies and 
communities, to help build stability and prosperity, and to deprive 
violent extremists of potential recruits.
  I think that is an important point. At a time that we are fighting 
extremism, children who are uneducated are much more vulnerable to be 
swayed by the allure of violent extremists.

[[Page H5146]]

  That is why we have made expanding access to education a part of our 
foreign policy. With this legislation, we are building on existing 
efforts and making sure administrations--this one and ones to come--
will focus on this priority for many, many years to come.
  So, again, I want to thank Chairman Royce for always working with me 
hand in hand on important measures like this in a bipartisan fashion. I 
want to thank Congresswoman Lowey for her hard work. She has been 
championing this for many, many years. I support this bill 
enthusiastically and urge all Members to do the same.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I, again, want to thank Nita Lowey and Eliot Engel.
  Today, more than 65 million men, women, and children around the globe 
have been displaced by conflict. This is the highest level of 
displacement on record--even more than during World War II.
  It is critical that we continue to work with other countries and 
partners to help address the massive education deficit that so many 
children now face and that our efforts be as efficient and effective as 
possible. The Education for All Act outlines clear priorities for this 
work, with an emphasis on sustainability and alignment with U.S. 
diplomatic development and national security interests.
  I urge Members to support this measure.
  Again, I thank my colleagues for working on a bipartisan basis on the 
provisions here.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 4481, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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