[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 19 (Tuesday, March 3, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1293-S1294]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE READING EXCELLENCE ACT

 Mr. COVERDELL. Mr. President, over the weekend, President 
Clinton used his radio address to call for Senate action on the Reading 
Excellence Act which seeks to address our Nation's literacy crisis. 
Under the leadership of House Education and Workforce chairman, Bill 
Goodling, this bill passed the other body unanimously in November 1997. 
I have introduced similar legislation in the Senate as S. 1596. The 
Reading Excellence Act is also a key component of the Senate Republican 
leadership's education package, the Better Opportunities for Our Kids 
and Schools Act, or ``BOOKS''. While I am pleased that the President 
has urged passage of our legislation, it should be clear to everyone 
that our approach represents a clear contrast to the literacy 
initiative the President had initially proposed. Having said that, we 
welcome President Clinton to real education reform--you've come a long 
way.
  We clearly have a literacy crisis in this Nation when four out of 10 
of our third-graders can't read. Without basic reading skills, many of 
these children will be shut out of the workforce of the 21st century. 
According to the 1993 National Audit Literacy Survey, more than 40 
million Americans cannot read a phone book, menu or the directions on a 
medicine bottle. Those who can't learn to read are not only less likely 
to get a good job, they are disproportionately represented in the ranks 
of the unemployed and the homeless. Consider the fact that 75 percent 
of unemployed adults, 33 percent of mothers on welfare, 85 percent of 
juveniles appearing in court and 60 percent of prison inmates are 
illiterate.
  Although over $8 billion is spent by the Federal Government each year 
to promote literacy, little progress has been made. Last year, 
President Clinton recognized this problem, but his ``America Reads'' 
proposal offered more of the same. Under the President's plan, the 
government would recruit one million volunteers to teach reading, under 
the direction of AmeriCorps. Rather than relying on a million untrained 
volunteers to teach reading to our young children, we offered a better 
approach which the President has now endorsed: Let's help our reading 
teachers do a better job. Our legislation, the Reading Excellence Act, 
would accomplish the following:
  First, our bill would focus on training teachers to teach reading--
less than 10 percent of our teachers have received formal instruction 
on how to teach reading. Moreover, we would ensure that teachers are 
taught in methods proven by sound scientific research to be effective, 
such as phonics.
  Second, the Reading Excellence Act authorizes grants for extra 
tutorial assistance for at-risk kids. Parents with children 
experiencing reading difficulties could apply for funds to purchase 
extra help from a list of providers supplied by their school.
  Third, our bill provides literacy assistance for parents so they can 
be their children's first and most important teacher. It also ensures 
that 95% of the literacy funds are driven to the classroom where they 
will help kids the most.
  In last year's appropriations process, $210 million was appropriated 
for a literacy program, contingent on passage of an authorization bill 
by July 1, 1998. As I stated, the House has already unanimously passed 
this bill. It is now up to the Senate to act on similar legislation 
before the schools let out for summer. The Reading Excellence Act will 
provide today's children the tools to be successful in tomorrow's 
workforce. Helping to ensure every child can

[[Page S1294]]

read is one of the best jobs skills, welfare initiatives or crime bills 
we can pass this Congress.

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