Greg Ganske: “I am thankful that the House is taking up this legislation today which is the companion bill to the Ganske 4-H bill…”

“I am thankful that the House is taking up this legislation today which is the companion bill to the Ganske 4-H bill, H.R. 1388, which has wide bipartisan support. In April, a group of 4-H'ers from Iowa asked me to introduce this legislation in the House of Representatives. Since 4-H has been working to serve both rural and urban kids for over 100 years, I was proud to help them. Madam Speaker, this is the 4-H logo. It stands for head, heart, hands and health: Head for clearer thinking, heart for greater loyalty, hands for larger service, and health for better living. These are goals that are laudatory. 4-H is active in all 50 States and the District of Columbia. It has chapters in over 3,000 counties, and has almost 7 million members. There are over 600,000 4-H volunteer leaders around the country, and I want to thank them for their efforts and for the countless hours they have put in. I know that those volunteers also recognize that their own lives are enriched by the time they spend with kids in 4-H. Madam Speaker, 4-H is often seen as a rural organization, and it has served rural areas very successfully through its history. But the organization is very active in serving youth in our urban areas and cities. Over a third of its members are from the suburbs and cities.”