[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 18 (Monday, March 2, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1187-S1188]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY

  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I rise today to speak about the key to 
our children's future, and to commemorate an individual who dedicated 
his life's work to this great cause. Through a resolution sponsored by 
my good friend Senator Chuck Robb, and co-sponsored by myself and 91 
other Senate co-sponsors, today has been proclaimed Read Across America 
Day. The day to celebrate the 94th birthday of Dr. Seuss and a day when 
all across the country adults will be reading out loud to children.
  In fact, Senator Robb is unable to join me right now because he spent 
the

[[Page S1188]]

morning reading to kids at a local elementary school, but I know that 
you will be hearing from him later. First, I would like to say a few 
words about the crisis we face as a nation if we don't all work toward 
improving literacy in this Nation.
  Reading is the key to our children's future. There is an easy way to 
think about this: from first to third grades you learn to read--from 
third grade on you read to learn. Now, we have heard some frightening 
statistics as of late, about our children's performance in various 
subjects compared to other nations. I want to remind my colleagues and 
everyone in every community around the country--we have a 51 percent 
functional illiteracy rate in kids who are graduating from high school. 
That means, these kids can't read a newspaper, balance a checkbook or 
read a bus schedule to get themselves to a job, let alone hold down a 
good job. This, in America, is a tragedy. And we must stop it. We must 
all be a part of the solution.
  Reading aloud to children, beginning at the youngest age, is a big 
part of the solution. A national commission on reading found that 
reading out loud to a child for at least 30 minutes a day is the single 
most important factor to the child learning to read and loving to read. 
And so, on what would have been his 94th birthday, I say thank you to 
Dr. Seuss, whose given name was Mr. Theodor Geisel, for all the 
fantastic, creative and wonderful books he gave to countless numbers of 
parents and children to enjoy in this most significant activity for a 
child's success.
  Many pro-literacy groups have sponsored activities so that every 
child in the country is read aloud to by an adult for at least a half 
hour today. I endorse this activity whole-heartedly--and I try to lead 
by example by read-ing to my reading partner in the Everybody Wins! 
program that I launched here in Washington three years ago.
  The Everybody Wins! program pairs adult reading mentors with young 
children in elementary schools to foster a love of reading and of 
learning and to provide that critical reading aloud activity. I am so 
proud of all the Congressional Members and staff participating in the 
program--now totaling more than 450 reading every day of the week 
during lunch hour at two schools here on Capitol Hill. In all we now 
have 10 schools and 1200 reading partners and students participating in 
the Everybody Wins! program. But we must reach many, many more 
children. We need 10 times that if we are going to do what we should be 
doing in the District of Columbia.
  The Everybody Wins! program has benefitted enormously from corporate 
support to help us reach more children.
  As it happens, tomorrow night is the third annual event that makes 
expansion of Everybody Wins! possible--it is called Links to Literacy 
and takes place just a stone's throw from here in Union Station. With 
complete bi-partisan support, and sponsored by the PGA tour we hope to 
be able to impact many more children in the year to come. I want to 
thank all of my colleagues who joined with me in lending their names to 
Links to Literacy and I look forward to seeing all of you tomorrow 
night.
  Also, I want to commend some extraordinary programs at work in my 
home state of Vermont: Mother Goose Logs On, a collaborative effort 
between Nynex and IBM that improves literacy through interactive 
technology; the America Reads program that so many of our college 
students are tutoring in and the Vermont Center for the Book which has 
worked to improve access to books for kids in so many ways. When 
everyone in the community becomes involved and when adults read aloud 
to children--Everybody Wins!
  I thank all my colleagues who helped pass this resolution.
  I just want to indicate we have a number of these Links to Literacy 
'98, Everybody Wins invitations available to those who would like to 
participate tomorrow night. The Singing Senators will be there to make 
sure the event is enjoyable for everyone.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor and I suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                         PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR

  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I also ask unanimous consent that Debra 
Ladner, an intern in our office, be allowed to be on the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. I thank the Chair.
  Mr. President, it is my understanding that we are in morning 
business. Is that correct?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator is correct.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. I thank the Chair.
  (The remarks of Mr. Mack and Mr. Wellstone pertaining to the 
submission of S. Res. 187 are located in today's Record under 
``Submission of Concurrent and Senate Resolutions.'')

                          ____________________