[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 17312]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        PROTECTING OUR CHILDREN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Texas (Ms. Jackson Lee) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Before I talk about my topic of protecting 
our children, I want to acknowledge, first of all, the coming 
Thanksgiving and the many people who are impoverished in this Nation 
that we need to pay attention to and, particularly, our children, which 
is the largest percentage of those impoverished are children in the 
United States.
  For that reason, I think it is important that as we begin this 
discussion on the supercommittee and its responsibility, that we look 
at the responsibility to the American people. And if we cannot fairly 
bring in revenue and balance the cuts on the most vulnerable, we should 
go to regular order.
  Let me also welcome our troops that will be coming home. And I will 
be initiating in Houston an idea that every single school will have a 
welcome home troops all over the community, and not one tree will be 
left undressed, if you will, to make sure that none of our soldiers 
walk down any block in a lonely way and not know that they are welcomed 
and loved.
  Thirdly, I'd like to say that as they are coming home, are we 
preparing to use their many talents that they have learned, 
particularly those who understand homeland security, putting them to 
work for the Homeland Security Department.
  I also want to create jobs. And one of my constituents is ExxonMobil, 
who has struck a contract with the Kurds dealing with oil and gas in 
Iraq. Lo and behold, the very country that we've shed blood for, no 
matter whether you were green energy or for or against fossil fuel, it 
is about jobs and about work here in the United States.
  The audacity of the Iraqi Government to suggest they want to intrude 
on that contract and to have a say on that contract, well, when lives 
were lost, American lives were lost, they didn't have too much of a 
say. Americans were willing to stand up and be counted. And I'd hope 
the Iraqis would allow a fair contract to go forward.
  It seems that every time America's involved in helping the Iraqi 
people through the Iraqi Government there's always a negative response. 
Some of us are a little tired of that.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise particularly today to talk about our children. As 
the co-chair and founder of the Congressional Children's Caucus, I 
noted already the disaster that children are experiencing. In my own 
home State, food stamps hit a record in Texas. We know that Governor 
Perry is running for President, but in his home State we're facing a 
crisis with the number of people on food stamps.
  We're also facing a crisis because the policy agency for education, 
the Texas Education Agency, is deciding to go throughout the State of 
Texas and to save money on education by closing school districts, small 
school districts in particular. They're too fearful of closing the big 
ones. And I represent many of them, and I love them all and bring money 
to them and encourage them to educate their children. But there's 
something about school districts that are too big to fail.
  But the North Forest Independent School District, where hundreds of 
community leaders and children and parents and teachers came out on 
Sunday to stand up against a so-called revocation notice that would 
close down this school district that has all the need to survive, 7,500 
students, a high school that they are putting together and repairing 
and getting children to learn, 1,200 students in this high school; 
middle schools, elementary schools, a preschool that is renowned and 
respected by all.
  But the TEA wants to cut the budget and save its own neck by cutting 
small school districts. And so my plea to my Governor, Governor Perry, 
join with me and the many citizens that you represent, and stand 
against the TEA to close a majority minority school district, the last 
remaining majority minority school district with great history in the 
North Forest Independent School District community, taxing themselves 
to ensure that their children have more resources, and are joined with 
the Houston Community College System so that their children are getting 
college preparatory credits.
  They want to live. They want to survive. Don't belt tighten and save 
your necks and your jobs on the backs of our children. Don't disregard 
and discriminate against small school districts which are all over 
America on behalf of large school districts.
  And Governor Perry, I think we can work together. As we worked 
together against the Confederate flag license plate, we can work 
together on this matter.
  Let me close by focusing on an issue that has taken this country by 
storm. And as I read the indictment I don't want to point out one name 
versus another, the alleged perpetrator in this Penn State fiasco. But 
I will say that this is a disgrace. I will be introducing legislation 
to have zero tolerance for sexual abuse of children and to stop any 
Federal funds going to anyone, any entity, any State that has a 
situation where children are sexually abused.
  Mr. Speaker, it is a disgrace, and the Federal Government must stand 
up against it. I, for one, am going to do so. Enough is enough. We have 
to protect our children.


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members are reminded to address their 
remarks to the Chair.

                          ____________________