[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 18]
[House]
[Pages 26669-26670]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



PERMITTING NON-CONGRESSIONAL FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TO ENROLL THEIR CHILDREN 
                     IN THE HOUSE CHILD CARE CENTER

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3122) to permit the enrollment in the House of 
Representatives Child Care Center of children of Federal employees who 
are not employees of the legislative branch.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 3122

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

     SECTION 1. ENROLLMENT OF CHILDREN OF OTHER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES 
                   IN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CHILD CARE CENTER.

       (a) In General.--Section 312(a)(1) of the Legislative 
     Branch Appropriations Act, 1992 (40 U.S.C. 184g(a)) is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (A);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (B) 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(C) if places are available after admission of all 
     children who are eligible under subparagraphs (A) or (B), for 
     children of employees of other offices, departments, and 
     agencies of the Federal government.''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
     shall apply with respect to children admitted to the House of 
     Representatives Child Care Center on or after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Thomas) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Thomas).
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I have been a supporter of the House Child Care Center 
since its initiation. Actually the wife of one of our former 
colleagues, Al Swift, Mrs. Swift, was instrumental along with others, 
both staff and Members and spouses, in initiating the House Child Care 
Center. However, today, eligibility for that center is restricted, 
first to the children of House employees, then to the children of 
employees of the Senate, and other legislative branch agencies. While 
clearly the supportive costs were initiated by the House, this has 
become a self-funding structure. One of the concerns that we have is 
that this not be in direct competition with the private sector but

[[Page 26670]]

that it be able to have a broad enough scope to sustain itself.
  And so this measure provides for the extension of the House Child 
Care Center to a third category, which would assume its position below 
the others in terms of a prioritization of admittance of students, and 
that would be children of other employees of the Federal Government, 
i.e., the executive branch. This expansion of eligibility was requested 
by the board of directors, supported by the chief administrative 
officer and as evidence of our general support here on the floor of the 
House today.
  As I said, there is no direct subsidy from the House of 
Representatives today, and, frankly, the budget for the House Child 
Care Center is one that is very tight. It performs a needed and very 
useful service to the legislative branch, and we would not just want 
this useful and needed service to fail because of our failure to extend 
it to other areas of the Federal Government. When a request for this 
change was made, the board of directors wrote this: ``If we are allowed 
to fill vacancies with children of other Federal agencies, our budget 
will be augmented, more children and families will get high quality 
services, and no House family will be worse off. This new policy, then, 
will produce lots of winners and no losers.''
  It seems to me that a Child Care Center closely associated with the 
place of work is a winner to begin with, but it also must be 
financially viable. The step that we take with this bill today ensures 
indeed that we will continue to be winners.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 5 minutes.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a good bill, a timely bill, and hopefully every 
Member will support it. The House is indeed fortunate to have such an 
excellent Child Care Center. At present, Mr. Speaker, the center is 
open only to children of employees of the legislative branch, with 
Members and employees of the House having priority. Numerous Members 
and staff have entrusted their children to the center over the years. 
My own granddaughter Judy, as a matter of fact, when my daughter was 
working here was at the Child Care Center and she was enriched 
immeasurably by that experience. The House Child Care Center is a 
wonderful place, and I wish there were many more like it for parents 
across the country who desperately need safe, reliable, high quality 
child care.
  The House center, which occupies space in the Ford House Office 
Building, receives no direct appropriations. Except for its space, 
utilities and benefits for its staff who are House employees, the 
center must sustain itself through its tuitions. Like many child care 
centers, the House center has difficulty filling all its places for 3- 
and 4-year-olds. There is a long waiting list, Mr. Speaker, for infants 
and strong demand for places for 1- and 2-year-olds. This is because 
new working parents without family-based child care alternatives often 
find few options for child care outside the home. However, as children 
approach the school age, other options become available to many 
parents. These options may include free or low cost public preschool 
programs. Parents may enroll in prekindergarten programs that virtually 
assure later acceptance in a particular school. The arrival of younger 
siblings may render it more economical for one parent to stay home or 
to hire a nanny to care for children in the home, if that is 
financially possible. For child care centers, the loss of 3- and 4-
year-olds, who are the most profitable since child-to-adult ratios can 
be higher, has a great effect on the bottom line.
  This legislation will ease this problem for the House center by 
expanding the population it can serve to include employees of other 
Federal agencies. The center will continue to give first priority to 
children of the House, then to other legislative branch children. If 
places remain, however, available thereafter, it will then be offered 
to children of other Federal employees. This is a sensible move that 
will make the House center more efficient. It will ease the upward 
pressure on the center's tuition rates which are already frankly beyond 
the reach of many House employees. Equally important, it will make the 
benefits of the House Child Care Center available to Federal employees 
throughout the Washington region. There are undoubtedly numerous 
Federal workers across this area who would appreciate the chance to 
enroll their children in the House Child Care Center. We should 
certainly offer them placements in our center that would otherwise go 
unfilled, and that is the key. We are simply providing for vacant 
spaces being available. We will not in any way compete with the House 
employees.
  Mr. Speaker, by strengthening the House Child Care Center, this bill 
is good for the House and other legislative branch employees who need 
child care. By expanding the eligible population to include all Federal 
employees, it is good for Federal workers in this area and the 
government generally. I certainly rise in strong support of this 
legislation and ask for an affirmative vote.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of 
this bill, H.R. 3122 that allows federal employees who do not work for 
the legislative branch to enroll their children in the House of 
Representatives Child Care Center. Every parent that works for the 
federal government should have access to quality child care.
  Child care is critical to the success of working families and to 
ensuring that every child enters school ready to learn. The need for 
child care has become a necessity for many parents.
  It is estimated that 65 percent of women with children younger than 
six, and 78 percent of women with children between the ages of six and 
17 are in the work force. Almost 60 percent of the women with infants 
are also in the work force. The majority of working women provide half 
or more of their family's income.
  Every day, 13 million preschoolers, including six million babies and 
toddlers are in child care. Children enter child care programs as early 
as six weeks of age.
  Quality child care has a lasting impact on children's well-being and 
ability to learn. Poor quality child care can result in delayed 
language and reading skills.
  Many parents struggle to find affordable, quality child care because 
of the high costs. Full day care costs as much as $4000 to $10,000 per 
year--close to the cost of one year of public college tuition.
  The Child Care Center that serves the House of Representatives is a 
high quality center that currently benefits the children of employees 
of the House. This center offers the quality services that parents 
need, and this center should be made available for other employees of 
the Federal government.
  I urge my Colleagues to support this measure. All children deserve 
quality care early in life for a healthy start this bill will make 
these services available for more working families.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMAS. 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. Thomas) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3122.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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