[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 79 (Tuesday, May 7, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H2931-H2934]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1915
                        PROTESTS AT UNIVERSITIES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 9, 2023, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Kiley) for 30 minutes.
  Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a resolution that I am 
introducing in this House and that I hope will receive prompt passage 
and bipartisan support.
  The resolution reads as follows:
  Whereas, in recent weeks, tent encampments have spread at 
universities across the country. These encampments are illegal and in 
violation of university policies.
  They have become rife with anti-Semitic threats and acts of violence, 
harassment, and other disruptive behavior.
  Some universities have responded by evenhandedly enforcing the law 
and clearing the encampments. They have emphasized the rights of 
students to protest and express their opinions in innumerable ways 
while making it clear that acts in violation of the law or university 
rules will not be tolerated.
  Other universities have decided to ignore the law and ignore their 
own policies, allowing encampments and other illegal activity 
associated with them to grow unchecked for weeks.
  Encampments have made demands of universities such as divesting from 
companies tied to Israel, cutting ties with Hillel campus programs, and 
ending study abroad programs to Israel.
  Some of these universities have even negotiated with those in the 
encampments and agreed to their demands around changes in university 
policy, including Northwestern University, UC Riverside, Brown, 
Rutgers, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Minnesota.
  Still, others have canceled classes, moved to online meetings, or 
canceled graduation ceremonies, and that includes Columbia, UCLA, UC 
San Diego, and Emory University.
  These encampments and the criminal behavior connected to them, such 
as threats or acts of violence, blocking or occupying buildings, 
genuine harassment, or other disruptive behavior, are not protected by 
the First Amendment.
  To the contrary, they disrupt the operation of the university and the 
academic freedom and speech rights of other students.
  Free speech on campus means universities should encourage free and 
open expression in speech, writing, listening, challenging, and 
learning while never shielding students from ideas the university 
disagrees with or limiting expression on the basis of content.
  It does not mean universities should tolerate the promotion of 
violence, the destruction of property, the obstruction of students' 
freedom of movement, harassment, vandalism, or other unlawful acts.
  Resolved, the House finds canceling classes and commencement in 
response to unlawful encampments is unacceptable and unfair to the 
majority of students.
  The House condemns any negotiation where a university changes its 
policy in response to the demands of those engaged in unlawful activity 
on campus.
  The House condemns any concessions made by universities based on 
demands from those participating in unlawful encampments, including 
ending study abroad programs to Israel, cutting ties with Hillel, and 
divesting from companies associated with Israel.
  The House calls on universities across the country to work with local 
law enforcement to immediately clear tent encampments from university 
property and restore safe learning environments on their campuses, and 
further resolves that noncompliant students, faculty, or staff be 
subject to appropriate consequences.
  Mr. Speaker, I am hopeful that we can come together and pass this 
resolution, and it can set the right tone for universities across the 
country because by this point, it is clear as day that the wrong 
approach is to allow illegal encampments to exist on campus and then to 
keep growing, growing, and growing as we have seen at UCLA, at USC, and 
at Columbia. That only

[[Page H2932]]

makes the problem more unmanageable. It only causes things to spiral 
out of control.
  The universities that have taken the right approach have said you, as 
a student, are fully protected under the First Amendment to express 
yourself on any topic with any opinion you would like in countless 
different ways.
  You are free to do that on our campus, but what you are not free to 
do is to set up structures on campus, to impede other students, or to 
engage in threats or acts of violence and other unlawful disruptive 
conduct that we have been seeing on these campuses.
  I am hoping that this resolution will point in the right direction 
those universities who have been approaching this problem in the wrong 
way to the detriment of their students.
  Now, perhaps the only thing more disgraceful than these illegal pro-
Hamas encampments is the way that these universities have catered to 
them.
  Perhaps even more disgraceful than that is the way that some 
politicians have, the way that some political leaders have remained 
silent or have refused to condemn things that are so morally clear or 
have equivocated on the clearest of moral questions.
  While President Biden did come out and make a strong statement today, 
up to this point, his response has been manifestly inadequate.
  The Governor of my State, Governor Newsom, in California, has had 
next to nothing to say about it, even though some of the worst 
situations are on California campuses.
  Just today, the Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, testified 
before our committee, the Education and the Workforce Committee.
  Now, Mr. Cardona came into this hearing with a troubling record. For 
example, he recently refused to say whether chants of ``From the River 
to the Sea'' are anti-Semitic.
  At today's hearing, I asked him some basic questions. I asked him if 
he would condemn the illegal tent encampments on university campuses. 
Secretary Cardona refused to do so.

  I asked him if he would condemn faculty members who interfere with 
the attempts of law enforcement to clear out these encampments and 
enforce the law. Secretary Cardona refused to condemn them.
  I asked him if he would condemn calls to divest from Israel. 
Secretary Cardona refused to do so. Perhaps most incredibly, I asked 
the Secretary several times, Secretary Cardona: Will you condemn calls 
for universities to cut ties with Hillel? As, for example, the 
organization Students for Justice in Palestine recently did at UC Santa 
Cruz.
  I asked him again and again: Secretary Cardona, will you condemn 
calls to cut ties with Hillel? And Secretary Cardona refused to do so.
  Why is this so hard? Hillel is a center for Jewish community and 
campus life on campuses all across the country.
  Secretary Cardona is unwilling to condemn those who say universities 
should cut ties with these organizations? Secretary Cardona is 
unwilling to condemn these overtly anti-Semitic statements?
  Given what the President said today, if we are to take seriously his 
statements condemning what is happening on our university campuses, we 
need to ask the question whether we can take that commitment seriously 
so long as Miguel Cardona remains his Secretary of Education.


                    Funding Cuts for Charter Schools

  Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong opposition to this 
administration's proposal to cut funding for the charter school 
program.
  This is an incredibly important program for many charter schools 
across the country in allowing them to start up and offer an option to 
students in communities across the United States.
  Now, prior to this year, this administration's support for charter 
schools has been tepid at best. Funding for the charter school program 
has remained flat as funding for various other parts of the education 
budget has increased substantially.
  Yet, this year, the administration went a step further. Its proposed 
budget for the Department of Education proposes a $40 million cut to 
the charter school program from $440 million to $400 million.
  Now, Secretary Cardona was asked about this at today's hearing, and 
he explained: Well, the Fiscal Responsibility Act requires us to make 
budget cuts--so he decided to go after charter schools.
  Mr. Speaker, that makes no sense whatsoever. The Department is asking 
for a significant increase in its budget this year, a $3.7 billion 
increase, so that its overall discretionary budget is $82.5 billion.
  They are asking for a $3.7 billion funding increase while cutting 
funding for the charter school program by $40 million.
  Mr. Speaker, I am in strong opposition to these cuts. I hope that 
this House will push back on them in a bipartisan manner because the 
reality is that charter schools across the country have made tremendous 
progress in closing achievement gaps and expanding the options that are 
available to parents.
  In fact, a recent study out of Stanford validated the work that 
charter schools have done and the results that they have gotten in 
closing achievement gaps that have persisted in other parts of our 
public education system.
  The reality is that there are far too many communities in this 
country, particularly in my State of California, where schools simply 
are not getting the job done. There are communities where the 
neighborhood school--that young people, that kids are assigned to--does 
not teach them to the read in the way that it should, does not teach 
them math in the way that it should, leaving them ill prepared for 
success in life.
  In many of these communities you have charters like Kipp Academy and 
many others that have started up and have done things differently. 
These are charters that have had high expectations, that have made 
significant gains, that have gotten kids reading above grade level and 
outperforming their peers at other schools in math. These charters are 
putting them on a path of future opportunity and success in life, but 
that is exactly what this proposal from this administration is going to 
cut funding for.
  It should also be noted that even in communities that have good 
public schools--like in my district, we have a number of truly 
outstanding traditional public schools--charter schools are still of 
value.
  We have a number of terrific charter schools as well, and they might 
be right for some families but not for others.
  The entire point is that not every student is the same, not every 
family is the same. By allowing a variety of options, some of which 
might have different focuses or a different approach to pedagogy or 
options that might offer immersion education or a focus on career 
technical education, this empowers parents to make the choice that is 
right for their child and their family.
  I find it completely unacceptable that this administration is 
withdrawing support for charter schools.
  I also find it unacceptable that my State of California has taken a 
number of steps in recent years to make it more difficult to start up, 
to operate, and to renew charter schools.
  What we need to do is look to the success that many charters have had 
and to draw lessons that we can then use to improve public education 
across this country so that every child in America has access to a 
quality education as they deserve.


                  OPPOSING THE INCREASE IN THE GAS TAX

  Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong opposition to a forthcoming 
increase in the gas tax in California. It almost defies belief, but 
California's gas tax is about to increase yet again, reaching $0.60 per 
gallon.
  Now, the State already has the highest gas tax in the country and by 
far the highest gas prices. As of today, Californians pay $1.70 more 
per gallon for gas than the national average and $0.53 more per gallon 
than the next closest State.

  I will say that again: We pay $0.53 more per gallon than the State 
with the second-highest gas prices. Even if you were actually to 
eliminate the entire gas tax in California, $0.60 per gallon, we would 
still have the second-highest gas prices in the entire country.
  I am calling on Governor Newsom and the legislature to act to make 
sure that this gas tax increase does not go into effect.
  Californians are already suffering under inflation and the price of 
groceries and the price of electricity as

[[Page H2933]]

well, which is the second highest of any State in the country. The last 
thing they need is another increase to the gas tax.
  I am calling on State lawmakers to stop this gas tax increase. As a 
matter of fact, what they should really do is suspend the gas tax 
entirely.
  It wouldn't bring prices down to a reasonable level, but it would 
provide folks throughout our State with relief that they very much 
need.

                              {time}  1930


                Recognizing Sergeant Major Douglas Power

  Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to now recognize a few 
outstanding individuals and organizations within my district.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize retiring Sergeant Major Douglas 
Power for his distinguished service with the United States Marine 
Corps, most recently as the government and external affairs officer for 
the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center in Bridgeport, 
California.
  Doug entered the Marine Corps Reserve in August 1980 and went on to 
graduate from boot camp and transfer to Active Duty in 1985.
  After first transferring overseas in 1987, his deployments to various 
locations, including Korea, Kuwait, and Iraq, underscored his 
commitment to defending our country.
  Throughout his more than three decades of military service, Sergeant 
Major Power displayed an unwavering dedication to service and 
leadership.
  Deservingly, he was awarded multiple decorations and medals, 
demonstrating the legacy of honor and sacrifice that he established.
  He retired from military service in 2012, at which time he began his 
new career as the government and external affairs officer at the 
training center.
  After 12 years of faithful dedication to civic service and community 
engagement, he retired from that role this year, on April 30, 2024.
  I am proud to represent outstanding servicemembers like Sergeant 
Major Power in Congress. I thank him for his service to our district 
and our country.
  Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I 
am honored to recognize Sergeant Major Douglas Power for his heroic and 
valuable service to our country and community, and I wish him the best 
in his retirement.


                        Recognizing Stacey Simon

  Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize retiring County Counsel 
Stacey Simon for her 25 years of service to Mono County.
  Stacey has served the people of Mono County for more than two 
decades, most recently as county counsel, and never wavered from her 
goal of making the county a better place.
  Throughout Stacey's tenure, she not only skillfully handled the 
routine business of the county but also guided Mono through various 
complex problems and challenges, including the uncertainties of COVID-
19.
  Additionally, she played an instrumental role in many local projects, 
most notably the construction of the Lee Vining Community Center and 
preschool program, the county's solid waste franchise system, 
implementation of HIPAA, housing developments, and much more.
  Mr. Speaker, it looks like we had an issue with our graphic, so I am 
going to start over.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize retiring County Counsel Stacey Simon 
for her 25 years of service to Mono County.
  Stacey has served the people of Mono County for more than two 
decades, most recently as county counsel, and never wavered from her 
goal of making the county a better place.
  Throughout Stacey's tenure, she not only skillfully handled the 
routine business of the county but also guided the county through 
various complex problems and challenges, including the uncertainties of 
COVID-19.
  Additionally, she played an instrumental role in many local projects, 
most notably the construction of the Lee Vining Community Center and 
preschool program, the county's solid waste franchise system, 
implementation of HIPAA, housing developments, and much more.
  No matter the obstacle, Stacey has been a model of positive 
leadership as she has helped the county weather every crisis, hardship, 
or transition it faced.
  Stacey is known for her incredible depth of knowledge, curiosity, and 
tenacity, as well as for demonstrating the utmost care and concern for 
her clients and county staff.
  Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I 
am honored to recognize Stacey Simon for the dedicated leadership and 
years of service she provided to the people of Mono County, and I 
proudly join Mono County in wishing her the very best in her 
retirement.


                   Recognizing Alpine Watershed Group

  Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to recognize 
the Alpine Watershed Group for receiving the 2022 Forest Service 
Volunteers Program Citizen Stewardship and Partnerships Award.
  The Alpine Watershed Group is a community-based nonprofit 
organization in my district that is dedicated to conducting essential 
water quality monitoring, habitat restoration, and education programs 
throughout Alpine County.
  Over the span of more than two decades, the Alpine Watershed Group 
has been an instrumental partner to the Humboldt-Toiyabe National 
Forest and the United States Forest Service.
  In 2022 alone, the Alpine Watershed Group planned and recruited for 
multiple volunteer events in the forest, including large watershed and 
forest restoration projects, trash and roadside cleanups, tree 
planting, and watershed monitoring.
  Due to the help of their volunteers at the annual Creek Day event, 72 
bags of trash were removed, amounting to more than 500 pounds; 25 bags 
of invasive weeds were removed; 102 willow stakes were installed; 600 
feet of fence in Hope Valley were removed; and a beaver dam analogue in 
Faith Valley was constructed.
  In addition to these efforts, the group provides continual outreach 
and environmental education programs that support the United States 
Forest Service's mission to care for the land and serve the people. 
Their devoted efforts have made an indelible impact on our national 
forests, local watersheds, and the Alpine County community.
  Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I 
am honored to recognize the Alpine Watershed Group for this outstanding 
accomplishment and commend them for their significant contributions and 
dedication to promoting the sustainability of our Nation's natural 
resources.


     Celebrating Soroptimist International of Loomis Basin's 50th 
                              Anniversary

  Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, I wish to mark and celebrate the 50-year 
anniversary of the Soroptimist International of Loomis Basin club.
  Over the span of five decades, they have made a significant 
contribution in the Loomis community and Sacramento region by investing 
in the development of women of all ages and fostering a passion to make 
both our local and international communities a better place.
  The Loomis chapter of Soroptimist International was founded 1974 with 
the mission to provide women and girls with the access to education and 
training they need to achieve economic empowerment.
  In addition to hosting and participating in many local events, they 
provide scholarships and grants for women to improve their economic 
status while honing valuable skills to further their education and help 
with employment opportunities.
  Their dedicated efforts have made a meaningful difference in the 
lives of women and girls, and it is an honor to represent exemplary 
organizations like the Soroptimist International of Loomis Basin here 
in Congress.
  Therefore, on behalf of the United States House of Representatives, I 
am honored to recognize the Loomis Basin Soroptimists and their 50 
years of dedication to the women of our community.


                Recognizing Sergeant Major Douglas Power

  Mr. KILEY. Mr. Speaker, we are recognizing Sergeant Major Douglas 
Power again so we have the appropriate accompanying graphic.
  Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize retiring Sergeant Major Douglas 
Power for his distinguished service with the United States Marine 
Corps, most recently as the government and external

[[Page H2934]]

affairs officer for the Marine Corps Mountain Warfare Training Center 
in Bridgeport, California.
  Doug entered the Marine Corps Reserve in August 1980 and went on to 
graduate from boot camp and transfer to Active Duty in 1985.
  After first transferring overseas in 1987, his deployments to various 
locations, including Korea, Kuwait, and Iraq, underscored his 
commitment to defending our country.
  Throughout his more than three decades of military service, Sergeant 
Major Power displayed an unwavering dedication to service and 
leadership.
  Deservingly, he was awarded multiple decorations and medals, 
demonstrating the legacy of honor and sacrifice he established.
  He retired from military service in 2012, at which time he began his 
new career as the government and external affairs officer at the 
training center.
  After 12 years of faithful dedication to civic service and community 
engagement, he retired from that role this year, on April 30, 2024.
  I am proud to represent outstanding servicemembers like Sergeant 
Major Power in Congress. On behalf of the United States House of 
Representatives, it is my honor to recognize him for his distinguished 
service to our community and our country.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________