Grace Napolitano: “I thank the gentleman, my colleague who is the co-chair on the Congressional National Guard Youth ChalleNGe…”

“I thank the gentleman, my colleague who is the co-chair on the Congressional National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Caucus--bipartisan, may I add--to help our throwaway kids. They are 16- to 18-year-olds who have fallen through the cracks, so we work in a bipartisan manner to ensure that some of these youngsters have a second chance. We thank the Appropriations Committee for the funding increase over President Obama's 2016 request of $145 million. The 2016 Defense Appropriations will fund the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program at $150 million, with the current funding of $135 million. As my colleague has stated, this amendment increases by $5 million the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program to $155 million, and it reduces the operation and maintenance, defensewide account by the same amount. It helps to start new programs in four States. Each new program is $4 million. The California third program will cost $10 million to $15 million due to the Superfund site. It is critical for hundreds of youth who are dropouts to have the same options to be able to have a second chance. The ChalleNGe program has graduated, as was stated, over 120,000 nationally. It is voluntary, free, with no cost to the child or to his or her family. It is a 22\1/ 2\-week residential boot camp program that is led by the National Guard cadre. It also prepares them to reenter society and to be successful, to build employment potential, and to return to school.…”