[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 36 (Monday, March 8, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2420-S2421]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      SENATE RESOLUTION 59--DESIGNATING ``NATIONAL LITERACY DAY''

  Mr. LAUTENBERG submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                               S. Res. 59

       Whereas 44,000,000 people living in the United States read 
     at a level lower than is required to fully function in 
     society and to earn a living wage;
       Whereas approximately 22 percent of adults in the United 
     States cannot read, leaving valuable resources untapped, and 
     depriving those adults of the opportunity to make a 
     meaningful contribution to society;
       Whereas people who have the lowest literacy skills are 
     closely connected to social problems such as poverty, crime, 
     welfare, and unemployment.
       Whereas 43 percent of all adults functioning at the lowest 
     literacy levels live in poverty;
       Whereas prisons hold the highest concentration of 
     illiterate adults, with 7 of 10 prisoners functioning at the 
     lowest literacy levels;
       Whereas the likelihood of receiving welfare assistance 
     increases as the level of literacy decreases;
       Whereas 3 of 4 food stamp recipients function at the lowest 
     literacy levels;
       Whereas millions of Americans are unable to hold a job or 
     fully function in the workplace because they cannot read well 
     enough to perform routine uncomplicated tasks;
       Whereas almost 38 percent of African Americans and 
     approximately 56 percent of Hispanics are illiterate, 
     compared to only 14 percent of the Caucasian population, with 
     such a disparity resulting in increased social and economic 
     discrimination against those minorities;
       Whereas 35 percent of older Americans operate at the lowest 
     literacy levels, making it difficult to read basic medical 
     instructions, thus prolonging illnesses and risking the 
     occurrence of emergency medical conditions;
       Whereas the cycle of illiteracy continues because children 
     of illiterate parents are often illiterate themselves because 
     of the lack of support they receive from their home 
     environment;
       Whereas Federal, State, municipal, and private literacy 
     programs have been able to reach fewer than 10 percent of the 
     total illiterate population;
       Whereas it is vital to call attention to the problem of 
     illiteracy, to understand the severity of the illiteracy 
     problem and the detrimental effects of illiteracy on our 
     society, and to reach those who are illiterate and unaware of 
     the free services and help available to them; and
       Whereas it is necessary to recognize and thank the 
     thousands of volunteers and organizations, like Focus on 
     Literacy, Inc., that work to promote literacy and provide 
     support to the millions of illiterate persons needing 
     assistance: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates both July 2, 1999, and July 2, 2000, as 
     ``National Literacy Day''; and
       (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     calling on the people of the United States to observe 
     ``National Literacy Day'' with appropriate ceremonies and 
     activities.

  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I rise today to submit a resolution 
designating July 2, 1999, and July 2, 2000, as National Literacy Day.
  Mr. President, the United States has one of the most sophisticated 
education systems in the world. We have more students enrolling in 
school than ever before, and more people attending college than ever 
before. But there is a significant part of the population that has been 
left behind--the ever growing population of people who can't read.
  Mr. President, approximately 44 million adult Americans are 
functionally illiterate. That means somewhere between 21 to 23% percent 
of the adult population read below the fifth grade level and are unable 
to perform basic functions you and I do every day. People reading at 
that level usually cannot locate an intersection on a street map or 
fill out a social security application form. Older people who can't 
read may

[[Page S2421]]

not be able to understand the instructions on a vial of prescription 
drugs, causing a potentially life-threatening situation.
  Mr. President, it is not surprising that the inability to perform 
basic functions results in the inability of the illiterate population 
to fully participate in society. In fact, nearly half, or 43 percent, 
of the illiterate population lives in poverty. Other social problems 
associated with poverty are prevalent in the illiterate community, like 
the proclivity to commit crime, the need of welfare assistance, and the 
inability to get a job.
  A majority of the prison population in this country is illiterate. A 
majority of people who receive food stamps is illiterate. People who 
are illiterate work less than half the amount of time in a an average 
year than a fully literate person, and they earn approximately a third 
of the income. That is, Mr. President, if they hold jobs at all.
  Mr. President, the Federal government, as well as state and local 
municipalities, have shown a steadfast dedication to eradicating 
illiteracy through financial assistance. In 1998 alone, the major adult 
education and literacy programs were funded at $360 million. And 
millions more are spent on the state and local level, spent either by 
municipal government or donated by private sources.
  Mr. President, my resolution designating July 2 as National Literacy 
Day is a nice complement to all the resources we spend on adult 
education and the effort to boost literacy rates. The more we do to 
identify illiteracy as a problem and the more we publicize what 
resources are available to citizens who want to learn how to read, the 
closer we are to winning the war against illiteracy.
  Mr. President, for these reasons, I urge my colleagues to support 
this resolution.

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