[Congressional Bills 103th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 27 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

103d CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 27

  To express the sense of Congress that funding should be provided to 
 begin a phase-in toward full funding of the special supplemental food 
   program for women, infants, and children (WIC) and of Head Start 
 programs and to expand the Job Corps program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                May 28 (legislative day, April 19), 1993

   Mr. Leahy (for himself, Mr. Gorton, Mr. Harkin, Mr. Daschle, Mr. 
 Baucus, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Johnston, and Mr. DeConcini) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                       Labor and Human Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
  To express the sense of Congress that funding should be provided to 
 begin a phase-in toward full funding of the special supplemental food 
   program for women, infants, and children (WIC) and of Head Start 
 programs and to expand the Job Corps program, and for other purposes.

Whereas every fifth child in the United States lives in poverty;
Whereas every 35 seconds, on the average, an infant is born into poverty in the 
        United States;
Whereas children, who account for 15 percent of all homeless people, are the 
        fastest growing segment of the homeless population;
Whereas, in the last decade, childhood poverty increased 21 percent;
Whereas Bread for the World and the bipartisan National Commission on Children 
        recommended funding increases to allow all eligible individuals access 
        to the special supplemental food program for women, infants, and 
        children and Head Start programs, and called for expansion of the Job 
        Corps;
Whereas a study conducted by the Secretary of Agriculture in 1991 demonstrated 
        that for each dollar spent on a pregnant woman under the WIC program 
        between $2.98 and $4.75 was saved in medicaid costs;
Whereas, in 1990, corporate executive officers of 5 major corporations testified 
        at a congressional hearing about the need to fully fund the WIC program 
        by the year 1996 and concluded that ``each pregnant woman, infant, and 
        child who could benefit from WIC but is left out of the program 
        represents a potential drain both on budgetary outlays in subsequent 
        years and on our Nation's future economic growth, not to mention a 
        tragic loss in human potential'';
Whereas the WIC program reduces fetal death and low birthweight, a major cause 
        of infant mortality;
Whereas a study by the Comptroller General found that WIC benefits provided to 
        all eligible pregnant women would more than pay for themselves in 1 year 
        and would avert more than $1,000,000,000 in health-related costs over an 
        18-year period;
Whereas additional health benefits for children in the WIC program include 
        reduction of anemia, increased immunization, and regular health care;
Whereas participation in the WIC program also improves the cognitive development 
        of children;
Whereas, as of the date of approval of this resolution, the WIC program serves 
        around 60 percent of those individuals who are eligible;
Whereas children who have participated in a Head Start program are more likely 
        to succeed in school and less likely to be retained in a grade or to be 
        placed in special education;
Whereas, in addition to providing educational benefits, the comprehensive 
        services offered by Head Start programs help children receive complete 
        medical care, including immunizations against infectious diseases;
Whereas Head Start programs have a 28-year record of success;
Whereas, despite well documented program effectiveness, as of the date of 
        approval of this resolution, Head Start programs reach only 1 in 3 
        eligible children;
Whereas the Job Corps has helped 1,500,000 disadvantaged youth further their 
        education and has opened doors to job opportunities these youth 
        otherwise would not have had;
Whereas, during 1991, according to the Secretary of Labor, 60 percent of the Job 
        Corps graduates found employment and 16 percent went on to advanced 
        training or education;
Whereas a 1983 private study found that for every dollar invested in the Job 
        Corps, $1.46 is returned through reductions in welfare costs and the 
        costs attributable to crime and incarceration and through increased 
        taxes paid by graduates;
Whereas the Job Corps now serves only 1 in 7 of the most needy youth in the 
        United States;
Whereas funding should be provided so that the WIC program is fully funded by 
        the year 1996;
Whereas funding should be provided so that Head Start programs are fully funded 
        by the year 1999;
Whereas funding should be provided to the Job Corps so that at least 50 new 
        centers can be developed by the year 2001 and at least 50 percent more 
        low-income disadvantaged youth can be served by the year 2001;
Whereas experts from across the political spectrum of the United States have 
        called for reductions in military spending as a result of the end of the 
        Cold War; and
Whereas it is appropriate to reevaluate our national priorities and redirect a 
        portion of our military savings to address the pressing needs of our 
        children: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1)(A) the special supplemental food program for women, 
        infants, and children (WIC) authorized by section 17 of the 
        Child Nutrition Act of 1966 (42 U.S.C. 1786) should be fully 
        funded by 1996;
            (B) Head Start programs established under the Head Start 
        Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.) should be fully funded by 1999; 
        and
            (C) at least 50 additional Job Corps centers established 
        under subtitle B of title IV of the Job Training Partnership 
        Act (29 U.S.C. 1691 et seq.) should be established by the year 
        2001 and the Job Corps should serve at least 50 percent more 
        low- income disadvantaged youth by the year 2001;
            (2) funds should be made available to begin to achieve the 
        goals stated in paragraph (1);
            (3) in the case of the special supplemental food program 
        for women, infants, and children (WIC), at least--
                    (A) $3,287,000,000 should be made available for 
                fiscal year 1994;
                    (B) $3,564,000,000 should be made available for 
                fiscal year 1995; and
                    (C) $3,914,000,000 should be made available for 
                fiscal year 1996;
            (4) in the case of Head Start programs, at least--
                    (A) $4,150,000,000 should be made available for 
                fiscal year 1994;
                    (B) $4,970,000,000 should be made available for 
                fiscal year 1995;
                    (C) $5,810,000,000 should be made available for 
                fiscal year 1996;
                    (D) $6,740,000,000 should be made available for 
                fiscal year 1997;
                    (E) $7,660,000,000 should be made available for 
                fiscal year 1998; and
                    (F) full funding should be made available for 
                fiscal year 1999; and
            (5) in the case of the Job Corps program, at least--
                    (A) $1,153,000,000 should be made available for 
                fiscal year 1994;
                    (B) $1,250,000,000 should be made available for 
                fiscal year 1995;
                    (C) $1,400,000,000 should be made available for 
                fiscal year 1996;
                    (D) $1,490,000,000 should be made available for 
                fiscal year 1997;
                    (E) $1,550,000,000 should be made available for 
                fiscal year 1998;
                    (F) $1,709,000,000 should be made available for 
                fiscal year 1999; and
                    (G) $1,821,000,000 should be made available for 
                each of fiscal years 2000 and 2001.
    Sec. 2. This resolution may be cited as the ``Every Fifth Child 
Resolution''.

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