Norma Torres: “I want to thank the chairmen of the committee and subcommittee, the ranking member, and the committee staff for their…”

“I want to thank the chairmen of the committee and subcommittee, the ranking member, and the committee staff for their work on this bill and for attempting to achieve a balance within the small budget allotted to the subcommittee. As you all can attest, work on this particular appropriations bill has always been a difficult task. I have been honored to contribute to these efforts. I am proud that my membership to this committee has had an influence in the human service and educational goals for which I came to Congress to fight. I have been a longtime supporter of the High School Equivalency Program and the College Assistance Migrant Program. The HEP and CAMP programs are the only programs funded on the national level which recruit and serve the children of migrant and seasonal farm workers. Some of you may know that I am the son of migrant workers. There were no such student programs when I was growing up. But these programs have successfully helped migrant youth complete high school or obtain their GED. This has opened the door to continuing education opportunities in institutions of higher education. In the 104th Congress, HEP-CAMP faced the threat of large cuts in funding. I introduced an amendment to maintain funding for HEP-CAMP. I wrote letters to committee chairs in both Chambers, describing the importance of these programs and the cost-effectiveness of their success. With the support of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, funding was maintained.”