Pelosi Remarks Upon Receiving Richard Riley Career Service Award From Committee for Education Funding
Washington, D.C. - Speaker Nancy Pelosi delivered remarks at the legislative conference for the Committee for Education Funding this morning in the Capitol Visitor Center. The Speaker was presented with the Richard W. Riley Career Service Award. Below are the Speaker's remarks:
"Thank you very much, Gary [Falle], for your kind words and for this magnificent award, which I will treasure and display with great pride in the Speaker's Office as a constant inspiration for our responsibility to our children and to their education and what that means for our country.
"Deborah Rigsby, president of the Committee for Education Funding, Ed Kealy, executive director, and Gary -- thank you for the presentation.
"I know Richard Riley. I knew him when he was governor of South Carolina. I knew him when he was Secretary of Education and he would come before the House Appropriations Committee. And when he would come, it was a very special occasion indeed, because he knew of what he spoke as the governor in a state that he really made the decision to change through education. That this award is named for him makes it an even more special honor for me to receive it. And to receive it from the Committee for Education Funding is a great honor for me.
"I receive it on behalf of so many people. Dave Obey was my Chairman and is still the Chairman of the Subcommittee of Education, Health, and Human Services. This has been a passion of his; I worked with him and George Miller on the authorizing side -- the Chairman of the Education and Labor Committee -- two great leaders in that respect.
"My colleague, Vern Ehlers, having him in the Congress is so important for many reasons but this emphasis on science and math is really our focus on the future. And I thank him for his leadership in that regard. A number of years ago, we took together an Innovation Agenda -- going around the country to academic institutions, talking to people in the workforce, with venture capital, with scientists -- every aspect of our future that we would meet with and they all would say: it all comes back to education.
"In the Recovery Act, we had a major infusion of resources for education but for science and technology as well. As I always say, if you want to know the domestic agenda, just remember these four words: science, science, science, and science.
"But all roads lead back to education. Education is the key. It is the key. And we're very proud that in the past several years -- two years ago we passed a bill, which at that time had made the biggest infusion into funds for college affordability than anything since the GI Bill in 1944. With strong bipartisan support, the bill was signed by President Bush. It was the biggest bill since 1944 -- until now. The bill that we just passed in this Congress is about college affordability; it is about Pell Grants; it is about making students loans more affordable and all that. But it starts at the earliest possible education for our children, their earliest months and years, and then goes on through lifetime learning.
"One of the reasons I am so excited about this bill that we just passed is that it addresses the disparity issues. Those of you that follow the appropriations process know how drastic this is -- it has $2.5 billion for historically black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions. What that means is that these institutions will not only have the facilities that they need, but the programs that they need because they can compete for research grants and all the rest. And just what that does for the whole revitalization of our education system and our innovation and our advancement of science. Education, of course, is crucial to all of what we want to do.
"The actions that you have taken have been important to success of our education legislation in the Congress. So I want to thank the Committee for Education Funding, for what you have done, for what you will do. And I want to congratulate Senators Webb and Hagel for the awards that they have received earlier today - a well deserved recognition for both.
"We would not be as successful as we have been without your help. Much more needs to be done, so I look forward to working with you on this. So many people in Congress have been responsible for the success that we have had and the award that I am receiving. I receive it with great humility, but also with great pride.
"Thank you all very much."