[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 187 (Tuesday, December 17, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H7263-H7265]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON INDIAN EDUCATION IMPROVEMENT ACT
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(S. 5355) to ensure that the National Advisory Council on Indian
Education includes at least 1 member who is the president of a Tribal
College or University.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 5355
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Advisory Council on
Indian Education Improvement Act'' or the ``NACIE Improvement
Act''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON INDIAN EDUCATION.
By not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of
this Act and notwithstanding any other provision of section
6141 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 7471), the President shall ensure that the
National Advisory Council on Indian Education established
under such section includes at least one member who is a
president of a Tribal College or University (as defined in
section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1059c(b)).
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Scott)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from North Carolina.
General Leave
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material on S. 5355.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from North Carolina?
There was no objection.
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 5355, the National Advisory
Council on Indian Education Improvement, or NACIE, Act.
NACIE is the Department of Education's Tribal advisory group,
composed of 15 members who are appointed by the President.
NACIE advises the Secretaries of both the Education Department and
the Department of the Interior on programs serving Tribes and members.
Currently, there is no requirement that a Tribal college or
university, TCU, president sit on the board. As a result, the Education
Department's Tribal consultation sessions often do not provide the
opportunity for TCU leaders, who are the prominent leaders in Tribal
post-secondary education, to provide direct input.
S. 5355 requires at least one of NACIE's members be the president of
a TCU. In doing so, the legislation would give TCUs a seat at the table
when discussing Tribal education.
Simply put, this bipartisan legislation ensures TCUs have a voice in
decisions that directly impact Native-American students.
Strengthening our Nation's post-secondary education system means
supporting all types of colleges and universities. Today, we can take
an important step to strengthen TCUs, which play an important role in
serving students and expanding the opportunities for skills and a post-
secondary education in communities across America.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation, which
ensures that presidents of Tribal colleges and universities, TCUs, will
have a direct voice on the National Advisory Council on Indian
Education. This bill is a necessary step to guarantee that TCUs,
institutions that serve as educational hubs for Native-American
communities, always have a voice in Federal funding discussions that
directly impact their colleges.
[[Page H7264]]
As many of my colleagues know, the Federal Government holds a unique
trust responsibility to the Native and Tribal communities, a
responsibility that is not just a legal obligation, but a moral one.
This trust is rooted in both the U.S. Constitution and centuries of
commitments to Native communities.
Tribal colleges and universities pursue a unique mission. Not only do
they educate Native communities, but they also preserve and advance
Native-American culture and traditions. TCUs are central to the
survival of Native languages, history, and cultural practices, all
while providing access to higher education and advancing economic
opportunities for Native students.
Having TCU representation will help to advise the NACIE as they
fulfill one of their duties in advising the Education, Health, and
Labor Secretaries in ways to strengthen TCUs and increase TCU
participation in Federal agency programs.
While congressional Democrats and the Biden administration made
critical investments to address the disproportionate impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic on Native-American communities, including through
COVID relief funds totaling over $360 million, much work still remains.
Congress must make stronger, sustained investments in TCUs to address
decades of systemic underfunding that these institutions have faced.
This bill is about more than just adding a voice to the commission. It
is about ensuring that the leaders of these vital institutions, who are
on the front lines of education, have the opportunity to advocate for
the unique needs of their students.
By including TCU presidents in NACIE, we ensure that Native leaders
across the educational pipeline always have a guaranteed seat at the
table.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important
legislation, which will help honor our trust responsibility to Indian
Tribes and support Native-American students and communities across the
country.
Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
{time} 1545
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, TCUs provide an important doorway to postsecondary
education for many American students.
TCUs know best what their students and communities need. S. 5355, the
National Advisory Council on Indian Education Improvement (NACIE) Act,
will give TCUs a seat at the table during the decisionmaking process.
This will not only ensure that Native-American students are better
served, but it will also ensure that taxpayer resources will be used
more efficiently and effectively.
TCUs provide an important doorway to postsecondary education for many
students. This bipartisan legislation will help strengthen that voice
and the voice of the postsecondary education leaders who deserve to
share their unique experiences and guidance with the rest of NACIE.
Mr. Speaker, before I yield back my time, I will take a few minutes
to reflect on my time leading the Education and the Workforce
Committee.
First, I applaud the committee's ranking member, Bobby Scott. You
wouldn't think a Democrat with two Harvard degrees would have much in
common with a Republican who grew up without running water or
electricity and was the first in her family to go to college, but we
are both realists who want to get things done.
We are passionate about the committee's issues. It has been a
pleasure to work alongside Bobby.
Our colleagues have heard us say this before, but we both share the
sentiment that you can disagree without being disagreeable.
Let me say something about the work of the committee it was my honor
to lead for two terms.
My family grew up poor, but my parents always believed in the power
of education and hard work. My work on the committee has centered on
ensuring those who grew up like me can accomplish anything they set
their minds to and that education can help them do it.
Unfortunately, students and parents have been living through an
education nightmare characterized by massive learning loss, attacks on
parental rights, a leftist takeover of curricula, and plummeting
confidence in our education system.
To put our students on a path to success, I have worked with my
colleagues to pass the Parents Bill of Rights, fight for school choice,
protect women's sports, push for lower college costs and more
accountability, and promote strong workforce development programs.
The committee has also fought attempts by the Department of Labor and
the National Labor Relations Board to push all workers into unions and
extend the Federal Government's control over the workforce.
Additionally, we have worked to protect the retirement savings of
workers and retirees, save private insurance and increase healthcare
affordability, protect small businesses, allow flexible work
arrangements, and expand worker choice.
We have been busy, Mr. Speaker.
Of course, I can't talk about the committee's work without talking
about my passion for accountability. As elected Representatives, it is
our duty to hold the Federal Government to the highest standard of
accountability so that hardworking taxpayer dollars are used
effectively and efficiently.
When we push for answers, parents are no longer left in the dark,
lawmakers are better informed when it comes time to consider
legislation, and American taxpayers see where their hard-earned money
is going.
None of the work accomplished by the committee was done by me alone.
I was bolstered at every turn by the support and efforts of my
colleagues. More importantly, I had the incredible talent of a
dedicated staff.
Mr. Speaker, when I first came to Congress, I heard Members on the
floor saying all these fabulous things about their staff, and it was
hard for me to envision at the beginning how important the staff could
be, but I have certainly come to understand that as the chair of the
committee. To all of the staff, I say thank you, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the
time.
Mr. Speaker, on the legislation, I will emphasize the fact that this
bill is more than just adding a voice on the National Advisory Council
on Indian Education; it is about honoring our Nation's commitment to
Native-American communities and ensuring that Tribal colleges and
universities are properly represented to discuss the effective
legislation and executive action on their future and the students they
serve.
We must include TCUs in conversations on Federal funding and
educational policy. This bill is a step toward ensuring Native-American
students and the institutions they serve will have the resources and
support they need to thrive.
I urge my colleagues to support the legislation as a demonstration of
our commitment to empowering the Native-American communities through
education.
Mr. Speaker, before I yield back, I will comment on the fact that
this will be the last bill brought by Dr. Foxx in her capacity as chair
of the committee.
I just point out that when we became chair and ranking member--we
switched back and forth--we agreed that we would try to be the most
dignified committee on Capitol Hill.
Regrettably, that is a mighty low bar around here, but I think we did
as she has indicated. I think we demonstrated how you can disagree
without being disagreeable. There were a lot of things we didn't agree
on, but there were a lot of things we did. There was a lot of job
training legislation that we were able to agree on, retirement savings,
child abuse and prevention that we just considered, several healthcare
bills, surprise billing, and things like that that took a lot of work.
We showed that it is possible to enact meaningful legislation on a
bipartisan basis when you are willing to work together in a
constructive way.
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Dr. Foxx on her chairmanship and
understand that there may be other leadership positions in her future,
but I thank her for being able to conduct the committee as we were able
to do it.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
[[Page H7265]]
Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I appreciate Congressman Scott's comments very
much. We have worked together very well. Now I urge my colleagues to
vote for S. 5355, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, S. 5355.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________