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Today, Lt. Governor Brown joined education stakeholders to announce $4.3 million in Pre-Kindergarten Expansion Grants, which were made possible through the Pre-Kindergarten Expansion Act of 2014 passed by the Maryland General Assembly and signed into law this year. Thanks to Maryland's Judy Centers, we've seen significant results here in Maryland, with more children kindergarten-ready and more families prepared to support their children's learning.

Madam Speaker, I rise today alongside my Republican colleague from Illinois, Representative Aaron Schock, who is here to speak about the Full-Service Community Schools Act of 2014, which we will be introducing later today. This is an issue that I have been working on, Madam Speaker, for several years, one that will help us close the achievement gap that too many of our children face. Our bipartisan bill creates a competitive grant program to expand the full-service community schools model across the country.

Following the tragic death of Deamonte Driver in 2007, which could have been prevented with routine dental care, our region has been increasingly focused on ensuring children and adults have the dental care they need to stay healthy.

For too long, the Baltimore VA Regional Office has lacked permanent leadership, and I am outraged by the culture of the office that has resulted in one of the worst backlogs of claims in the country and reports of inappropriate handling of records.

I'm pleased to announce that an impressive group of bright and innovative young women from Great Mills, Maryland have been selected as our inaugural Fifth District Congressional App Competition winners.

I have a jobs plan called ‘Make It In America' that focuses on strengthening domestic manufacturing and creating good jobs here, just like those at UAV Solutions.

While I believe it is positive that the Acting Director reported this incident to the Inspector General, I am concerned that the current culture in the Baltimore office may have contributed to this occurring in the first place.

I'm pleased to announce that Ridge Volunteer Fire Department has been awarded a substantial grant to support operations and improve safety.