[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 120 (Monday, October 2, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S9606-S9611]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. WARNER:
  S. 3142. A bill to expand the boundary of the George Washington 
Birthplace National Monument, and for other purposes; to the Committee 
on Energy and Natural Resources.


             GEORGE WASHINGTON BIRTHPLACE NATIONAL MONUMENT

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, today, I am introducing legislation to 
expand the boundary of the George Washington Birthplace National 
Monument in Westmoreland County, Virginia by allowing the U.S. Park 
Service to acquire portions of the surrounding property from willing 
sellers. Previously, on September 28, 2000, I offered S. 3132 to allow 
the Park Service to acquire one acre of property adjacent to the park. 
The bill I introduce today will allow the Park Service to acquire 115 
acres from willing sellers, including the one acre referenced in S. 
3132. I urge my colleagues to support the preservation of George 
Washington's birthplace. I ask unanimous consent that the full text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 3142

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. GEORGE WASHINGTON BIRTHPLACE NATIONAL MONUMENT 
                   BOUNDARIES ADJUSTED.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``George 
     Washington Birthplace National Monument Boundary Adjustment 
     Act of 2000''.
       (b) Boundary of George Washington Birthplace National 
     Monument.--The boundary of the George Washington Birthplace 
     National Monument (hereinafter referred to as the 
     ``monument'') is modified to include the area comprising 
     approximately 115 acres, as generally depicted on the map 
     entitled ``George Washington Birthplace National Monument 
     Boundary Map Westmoreland County Virginia'', numbered 332/
     80,011B, and dated July 2000. The map shall be on file and 
     available for inspection in the appropriate offices of the 
     National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
       (c) Acquisition of Lands.--The Secretary of the Interior 
     may acquire land or interests in land described in subsection 
     (b) by donation, purchase from willing sellers with donated 
     or appropriated funds, or exchange.
       (d) Administration of Lands.--Lands added to the monument 
     pursuant to subsection (b) shall be administered by the 
     Secretary of the Interior as part of the monument in 
     accordance with the laws and regulations applicable hereto.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. SESSIONS (for himself, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Brownback, Ms. 
        Collins, Mr. Hutchinson, and Mr. Stevens):
  S. 3143. A bill to improve the integrity of the Federal student loan 
programs under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 with 
respect to students at foreign institutions; to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.


             federal student loan programs improvements act

  Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. President, I am concerned that we as a Congress 
have not been effective enough in oversight; that is, looking at the 
Federal agencies and Departments of this Government to make sure they 
are operating effectively.
  We ooh and ah and make complaints and express concern, but we do not 
often follow through. I know fundamentally it is the responsibility of 
the administration to run the executive branch, but Congress does fund 
that branch and has every right to insist that branch does its duty 
effectively, expeditiously, and economically with minimum waste, fraud, 
and abuse.
  I had the pleasure about a year ago to have a conversation with a 
wonderful lady, Melanie DeMayo, who used to work with Senator Proxmire 
and was involved in his ``Golden Fleece Award'' presentations. She 
convinced me I could play a role in helping to make sure, when a dollar 
is extracted from a hard-working American citizen and is brought to 
this Senate, this Government, to be spent, that it is spent wisely and 
not wasted or abused or ineffectively utilized to carry out whatever 
worthwhile program was intended. I appreciate her insight and help in 
thinking this through.
  I have developed what I call Integrity Watch. I spent a number of 
years as a Federal prosecutor. I believe we can do a better job of 
maintaining integrity in this Government. When we are spending $1.7 
trillion a year, it is incumbent upon us to make sure there is 
oversight over these programs.
  I have come to realize that we have a very large student loan 
program, and there are some problems with it. Today I am offering 
legislation to create a 12-month fraud control pilot program to reduce 
the incidence of fraud in the Federal Family Education Loan Program and 
other programs under title IV.
  In recent years, there have been a number of cases of so-called 
students falsely claiming they are attending foreign schools, directing 
that their student loan checks be paid directly to them and not to the 
school, and then taking the money and spending it on themselves and not 
attending the foreign school. This fraud has been documented with many 
examples listed in a 1997 Department of Education inspector general's 
report.
  In addition, the report contains recommendations on tightening 
controls for the program. Too often these reports are dry, detailed, 
and complicated. Nobody in this body even reads them, much less acts on 
them. Certainly, I doubt the President, who says he wants to increase 
foreign student loans, has read the report. We certainly have not seen 
any request from the administration to improve this. I believe we can 
and should do it in Congress.
  It is time, I believe, for this Congress to close the loopholes which 
allow these phantom students to defraud the Government.
  On April 19, 2000, President Clinton and Secretary of Education Riley 
declared that international education is a priority with them. They 
want to encourage more students to study abroad. In fact, the President 
issued a memorandum to the heads of executive departments and agencies 
stating that the United States is committed to promoting study abroad 
by U.S. students. He stated:

       The Secretaries of State and Education shall support the 
     efforts of schools and colleges to improve access to high-
     quality international educational experiences by increasing 
     the number and diversity of students who study and intern 
     abroad, encouraging students and institutions to choose 
     nontraditional study-abroad locations, and helping under-
     represented United States institutions offer and promote 
     study-abroad opportunities for their students.

  Study abroad can be a wonderful experience for a student, and I do 
not oppose some form of student loan aid to students who want to take 
advantage of that. It can be an extraordinarily enriching experience. 
We do need to ensure that the program involves study and not a European 
vacation at the expense of hard-working American taxpayers for whom a 
visit to the ball park is often beyond their budget.

  This new initiative by the administration will increase the risk of 
fraud unless we institute sound controls immediately. I am not 
referring to U.S. universities that have foreign programs or 
cooperative programs with foreign universities. I am talking about 
mainly the unsupervised foreign-based

[[Page S9607]]

institutions. Some of these institutions have already been criticized 
by General Accounting Office studies. Often these marginal schools are 
the very schools the so-called students use in their fraud scam. Their 
fraud is committed when they state they are registering in these 
schools and then simply pocket the money with no one the wiser.
  Since 1995, there have been 25 felony convictions of students who 
fraudulently claimed they were attending a foreign school, and then 
they just cashed their Government loan check and simply did not attend 
class. In the United States, the check is made out to the school and 
the student, but with regard to foreign schools, the check is made out 
simply to the students. These are only the students who were caught 
doing their fraudulent activity. I have no doubt there are many more 
who have not been apprehended. That is why we ought to take action. We 
must prevent cases such as this one.
  Mr. Conrad Cortez claimed to be such a student, and he applied for 
student loans. In March of 2000, he admitted to charges of submitting 
19 fraudulent student loan applications over a 3-year period. He pled 
guilty before a U.S. district court judge to numerous accounts of mail 
fraud, bank fraud, and Social Security account number fraud in the 
State of Massachusetts. The prosecutor told the court in that case that 
Cortez was responsible for dozens of other loans filed outside 
Massachusetts--in Florida and Texas.
  The absolute disregard for the American taxpayers was epitomized by 
Conrad Cortez. Mr. Cortez was living high at the expense of American 
taxpayers and in violation of law by filing false documents to receive 
loan money from the Government.
  During the period from 1996 through 1999, he bought gifts for his 
friends, including jewelry and cars, paid for private tennis lessons, 
made a downpayment on a house, sent some money back to his native 
Colombia, ate in the best restaurants, and even paid restitution for a 
previous charge of defrauding the Government, and he did this all with 
the American taxpayers' money.
  Mr. Cortez' fraud only ended when he was turned in by his sister's 
boyfriend, who claimed that Mr. Cortez had used his identity to obtain 
additional loans. In fact, Mr. Cortez was about to help himself to 
$800,000 that you and I pay in income taxes. He had filed 37 false 
claims in all, spending the money as fast as it came in to him.
  The inspector general's office of the Department of Education, with 
the FBI, and the attorney general's office in Boston combined forces to 
apprehend him before he could get all the money that was coming to him 
through those false loans. He did, however, pocket about $300,000 
before he was caught.
  This is not an isolated case. In 1994, the General Accounting Office 
found that the Department of Education had approved student loans to 
hundreds of students attending 91 foreign medical schools. Frankly, I 
am not sure there are 91 medical schools out there in this world, 
outside the United States, for which we ought to be funding education. 
If somebody comes to this country expecting to be a doctor, we need to 
know they have met certain quality education standards. But, at any 
rate, that is what we hear.
  In applying its standards, the Department of Education relies 
exclusively on information submitted by those foreign schools as to 
their viability. Enforcement and oversight problems at the Department 
still abound. Who is to say how many students have fraudulently applied 
for loans? There isn't a report on that. Those are unknown unknowns, as 
they say in management. We cannot measure what we do not know.
  Most likely, the greatest abuse of the system occurs when the 
student, for various reasons, just pockets the money and never goes to 
class. Under the present system, who will know? We do know that the 
system is broken. This legislation is one step toward fixing it.
  Another abuse occurs when a foreign school is actually paid the 
tuition but does not insist that the student attend class and provides 
no real education to the student. I guess a foreign school could simply 
be glad to get the American money, the American check, and at that 
point it is up to the student whether or not he or she actually attends 
class or learns anything. I think we need to have the Department of 
Education look into that and make sure students are actually attending 
class and not taking a European vacation.
  Mr. Cortez demonstrated a perfect example of why this program is high 
risk. There simply is not enough oversight. Currently, the methodology 
for approving and releasing student loan funds is vulnerable. Current 
law states that the student may request a check be issued directly to 
him or her, when claiming they are attending a foreign school, and a 
check will be sent directly to them, without the requirement of a 
cosignature by the school.
  The Office of Inspector General at the Department of Education 
identified weaknesses and deficiencies in the following areas of the 
foreign school attendance programs: Verification of enrollment, the 
disbursement process, the determination of the borrowers' eligibility, 
standards of administrative and financial capability on the part of the 
foreign school, and general oversight of foreign schools.
  The same Office of Inspector General report--that is the Department 
of Education's own inspector general's office within that Department--
stated that the number of students claiming to attend foreign schools 
and applying for loans increased each academic year from 1993 to 1997 
and went from 4,594 students to 10,715 students. Later figures show the 
number continues to increase. Indeed, in 1998-1999 there were 12,000 
foreign loans.
  My legislation will require the Secretary of Education to initiate a 
12-month fraud control pilot program involving guaranty agencies--those 
are the people who put up the loan money guaranteed by the Federal 
Government--lenders, and a representative group of foreign schools to 
reduce the incidence of fraud in the student loan program. I believe 
the Secretary should look into a number of solutions.

  Maybe the guaranty agencies should confirm that the student is 
enrolled in the foreign school before the loan is actually disbursed. 
After the money has been disbursed to the student, maybe the guaranty 
agencies should confirm that the student remains registered.
  The Secretary should also determine whether it would be advantageous 
to require a loan check to be endorsed by both the student and the 
foreign institution. I am inclined to think it is. But we shall see. 
Maybe this evaluation period can help us determine that.
  The question then becomes, Why are we paying for students to go to 
foreign schools? These are American taxpayers' dollars flowing to 
foreign economies where the standards of education may not be as high 
as ours. I have checked with the higher education systems in my State. 
They certainly are not at full capacity and certainly can handle more 
students.
  Perhaps there should be some limit on the number of years of study 
abroad. How many? Five? Six? Seven? Is that limited today? No, it is 
not. Maybe we ought to limit the number of years that the taxpayers 
will fund foreign education. Today there is no limit. Students can 
complete their entire education abroad, supported by the taxpayers, 
sometimes not in good institutions. Perhaps the quality of the 
institution should be verified, among other things. But this will not 
be an issue raised by our legislation today.
  Our legislation will simply go to the question of whether or not we 
can improve the way we guard against actual fraud in these loans. It 
will begin the process of erasing the fraudulent behavior of 
``students'' claiming they are attending foreign schools and then 
pocketing the money for their personal lifestyle.
  So I introduce this legislation today and hope my colleagues will 
quickly support such a measure as this because I believe it will reduce 
the fraud that has been plainly demonstrated in a critical report by 
the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education.
  In the course of working on this, I would like to express my 
appreciation to a number of people who have played an important role in 
this. I thank the cosponsors of this legislation, including Senator 
Jeffords, who chairs the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 
Committee; Senator Tim Hutchinson of Arkansas, who is here, who has 
been a supporter and has had a great interest in this as a cosponsor; 
along with Senators Brownback and Collins.

[[Page S9608]]

  I also express my appreciation to Scott Giles of Senator Jeffords's 
office; to Melanie DeMayo, who has done such a tremendous job helping 
us identify and research this problem; and Anthony Leigh of my staff, 
who is with me now, who has helped me work on this.
  We believe this is perhaps not a glamorous issue but an important 
issue, an important step we can take to eliminate plain fraud that is 
clearly occurring around this country to a substantial degree, 
defrauding the taxpayers of the money they have sent to Washington.
  Mr. President, I thank the Chair and yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas.
  Mr. HUTCHINSON. Mr. President, I commend the distinguished Senator 
from Alabama for his work in this area. I am glad I am cosponsoring the 
bill. Senator Sessions has been one of the tireless leaders in 
education and in rooting out fraud and abuse in the Department of 
Education.
  I also mention, with Senator Sessions' help on the Education 
Committee, we recently sent a bill out that I sponsored on the Senate 
side, that passed the House of Representatives, which would require a 
fraud audit of the Department of Education be performed by the General 
Accounting Office within 6 months.
  While the Senator is dealing with one specific area of fraud that is 
very serious, for which this legislation needs to be enacted, there are 
other examples of fraud, mismanagement, and abuse within the Department 
of Education that have come to light in recent days.
  We are hopeful that legislation can move before this session ends. It 
is ironic that there are those who want the Department of Education to 
have even more power, such as in the hiring of 100,000 teachers or in 
school construction projects, when it is clearly a troubled agency that 
has had a real problem in even having a clean audit of their books.
  So I commend the Senator heartily and appreciate the work he is 
doing.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. ROBB (for himself, Mr. Sarbanes, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Warner, 
        Mr. Levin, Mr. DeWine, and Mr. Jeffords):
  S. 3147. A bill to authorize the establishment, on land of the 
Department of the Interior in the District of Columbia or its environs, 
of a memorial and gardens in honor and commemoration of Frederick 
Douglass; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.


                      frederick douglass memorial

  Mr. ROBB. Mr. President, I rise to introduce legislation to authorize 
a memorial and gardens in honor and commemoration of Frederick 
Douglass. Frederick Douglass was a renowned abolitionist and civil 
rights leader. As a powerful orator, Douglass spoke out against 
slavery. As an advisor to President Abraham Lincoln, Douglass advocated 
for equal voting rights for African Americans. Frederick Douglass spent 
over 20 years living in the Anacostia region of Washington, D.C. and it 
is appropriate that we dedicate the National Memorial and Gardens to 
his memory in the community where he lived. As companion legislation 
gains momentum in the House, it is important that we pledge our support 
to this worthy endeavor.
                                 ______
                                 
      Mr. DODD (for himself and Mr. Kennedy):
  S. 3148. A bill to provide children with better access to books and 
other reading materials and resources from birth to adulthood, 
including opportunities to own books; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.


                    access to books for children act

  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise today to offer a bill to enhance our 
efforts to provide children with opportunities to develop literacy 
skills and a love of reading through access to and ownership of books. 
I am pleased to be joined in this effort by Senator Jeffords, Senator 
Kennedy, and Senator Murray.
  This bill would continue the good work of the Inexpensive Book 
Distribution program which we know as Reading is Fundamental (RIF), and 
would authorize two new programs to support public/private partnerships 
with the mission of making books and reading an integral part of 
childhood and of providing books to children who may have no books of 
their own. Books opened a new world for me as a child and I want to 
make sure that all children have that same opportunity.
  Books are almost magical in their power. They inspire children to 
dream, to imagine infinite possibilities and ultimately to work to make 
some of those possibilities real. But for too many children, the power 
of books is unrealized because of their own inability to read and 
because of limited access to books in their homes and communities. In 
1998, 38 percent of fourth graders in America ranked below the basic 
level of reading according to the National Assessment of Educational 
Progress. Sixty-four percent of African American and 60 percent of 
Hispanic American fourth graders read below the basic level of reading.
  These children are at high risk of never learning to read at an 
advanced level. When children do not learn to read in the early years 
of elementary school, it is virtually impossible to catch up in later 
years. Research shows that if a child cannot read well by third grade, 
the prospect of later success is significantly diminished. Seventy-five 
percent of students who score below grade level in reading in third 
grade will be behind grade level in high school.
  But the foundation on which literacy is built, begins much earlier. 
Reading to babies teaches them the rhythms and sounds of language. As 
early as pre-school, children can recognize specific books, can 
understand how to handle them, and can listen to stories for in books. 
The National Research Council's 1998 landmark study, ``Preventing 
Reading Difficulties in Young Children,'' makes clear that to become 
good readers, children need to learn letters and sounds, they need to 
learn to read for meaning, and they must practice reading with many 
types of books to gain the speed and fluency that makes reading 
rewarding.
  We know that children who live in print-rich environments and are 
read to in their early years are much more likely to learn to read on 
schedule. However, parents of children living in poverty often lack the 
resources to buy books, rarely have easy access to children's books, 
and may face reading difficulties of their own. For many families, 
where the choice is between buying books to read at home and buying 
food or clothes, federal programs that support book donations and 
literacy can change lives.
  This legislation creates what I call the Access to Books for Children 
program (or ABC). It provides children with better access to books and 
resources from birth to adulthood, including opportunities to own 
books. The success of the Inexpensive Book Distribution Program is 
well-known. This program has enabled Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF) 
to put books in the hands and homes of America's neediest and most at-
risk children. RIF is the nation's largest children's and family 
literacy organization. Through a contract with the U.S. Department of 
Education, RIF provides federal matching funds to thousands of school 
and community based organizations that sponsor local RIF projects. Some 
240,000 parents, educators, care givers, and community volunteers run 
RIF programs at more than 16,500 sites that reach out to serve 3.5 
million kids nationwide. This bill would continue the good work of the 
Inexpensive Book Distribution Program and increase the authorization 
for this program to $25 million.
  This legislation also supports two new public/private partnerships to 
reach children with books and literacy services. The Local Partnerships 
for Books programs is funded not to support a new literacy project, but 
to support the ones that already exist with low cost or donated books. 
The program would support local partnerships that link with grassroots 
organizations to provide them with low-cost or donated books for at-
risk, low income children. Local Partnerships for Books is organized 
around the principle that the private sector should be a major player 
in this effort to put books in the hands of our Nation's children 
through donations and partnerships.
  This legislation would also support Partnerships for Infants and 
Young Children--a program that makes early literacy part of pediatric 
primary care. This program would support linking

[[Page S9609]]

literacy and a healthy childhood. Visits to a pediatrician are a 
regular part of early childhood and offer an excellent opportunity to 
empower parents to build the foundations for literacy. This initiative 
is modeled on Reach Out and Read (ROR) which utilizes a comprehensive 
approach--including volunteer readers in waiting rooms, physician 
training in literacy, and providing each child with an age appropriate 
book during each visit--to support parents in developing literacy in 
their children. An evaluation of this program found that parents are 
ten times more likely to read to their children if they received a book 
from their pediatrician.
  Mr. President, this legislation is just one piece of the larger 
puzzle we must confront as we struggle to improve our children's 
literacy skills--but it is a piece that cannot be overlooked. To learn 
to read, kids need books to read; it is as simple as that. This 
legislation will harness the energies and commitment of volunteers, 
corporate America, local literacy programs, doctors and teachers to 
make books, and book ownership, a reality for every child.
  I ask unanimous consent that the bill and an endorsement be printed 
in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                S. 3148

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Access to Books for Children 
     Act'' or the ``ABC Act''.

     SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO THE ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION 
                   ACT OF 1965.

       Part E of title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
     Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 8131 et seq.) is amended to read as 
     follows:

              ``PART E--ACCESS TO BOOKS FOR CHILDREN (ABC)

     ``SEC. 10500. PURPOSE.

       ``It is the purpose of this part to provide children with 
     better access to books and other reading materials and 
     resources from birth to adulthood, including opportunities to 
     own books.

           ``Subpart 1--Inexpensive Book Distribution Program

     ``SEC. 10501. INEXPENSIVE BOOK DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM FOR 
                   READING MOTIVATION.

       ``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary is authorized to enter 
     into a contract with Reading is Fundamental (RIF) (hereafter 
     in this section referred to as `the contractor') to support 
     and promote programs, which include the distribution of 
     inexpensive books to students, that motivate children to 
     read.
       ``(b) Requirements of Contract.--Any contract entered into 
     under subsection (a) shall--
       ``(1) provide that the contractor will enter into 
     subcontracts with local private nonprofit groups or 
     organizations, or with public agencies, under which each 
     subcontractor will agree to establish, operate, and provide 
     the non-Federal share of the cost of reading motivation 
     programs that include the distribution of books, by gift, to 
     the extent feasible, or loan, to children from birth through 
     secondary school age, including those in family literacy 
     programs;
       ``(2) provide that funds made available to subcontractors 
     will be used only to pay the Federal share of the cost of 
     such programs;
       ``(3) provide that in selecting subcontractors for initial 
     funding, the contractor will give priority to programs that 
     will serve a substantial number or percentage of children 
     with special needs, such as--
       ``(A) low-income children, particularly in high-poverty 
     areas;
       ``(B) children at risk of school failure;
       ``(C) children with disabilities;
       ``(D) foster children;
       ``(E) homeless children;
       ``(F) migrant children;
       ``(G) children without access to libraries;
       ``(H) institutionalized or incarcerated children; and
       ``(I) children whose parents are institutionalized or 
     incarcerated;
       ``(4) provide that the contractor will provide such 
     technical assistance to subcontractors as may be necessary to 
     carry out the purpose of this section;
       ``(5) provide that the contractor will annually report to 
     the Secretary the number of, and describe, programs funded 
     under paragraph (3); and
       ``(6) include such other terms and conditions as the 
     Secretary determines to be appropriate to ensure the 
     effectiveness of such programs.
       ``(c) Restriction on Payments.--The Secretary shall make no 
     payment of the Federal share of the cost of acquiring and 
     distributing books under any contract under this section 
     unless the Secretary determines that the contractor or 
     subcontractor, as the case may be, has made arrangements with 
     book publishers or distributors to obtain books at discounts 
     at least as favorable as discounts that are customarily given 
     by such publisher or distributor for book purchases made 
     under similar circumstances in the absence of Federal 
     assistance.
       ``(d) Definition of `Federal Share'.--For the purpose of 
     this section, the term `Federal share' means, with respect to 
     the cost to a subcontractor of purchasing books to be paid 
     under this section, 75 percent of such costs to the 
     subcontractor, except that the Federal share for programs 
     serving children of migrant or seasonal farmworkers shall be 
     100 percent of such costs to the subcontractor.
       ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of 
     carrying out this section, there are authorized to be 
     appropriated $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2001 and such sums 
     as may be necessary for each of the four succeeding fiscal 
     years.

               ``Subpart 2--Local Partnerships for Books

     ``SEC. 10511. LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS FOR BOOKS.

       ``(a) Authorization.--The Secretary is authorized to enter 
     into a contract with a national organization (referred to in 
     this section as the `contractor') to support and promote 
     programs that--
       ``(1) pay the Federal share of the cost of distributing at 
     no cost new books to disadvantaged children and families 
     primarily through tutoring, mentoring, and family literacy 
     programs; and
       ``(2) promote the growth and strengthening of local 
     partnerships with the goal of leveraging the Federal book 
     distribution efforts and building upon the work of community 
     programs to enhance reading motivation for at-risk children.
       ``(b) Requirements of Contract.--Any contract entered into 
     under subsection (a) shall--
       ``(1) provide that the contractor will provide technical 
     support and initial resources to local partnerships to 
     support efforts to provide new books to those tutoring, 
     mentoring, and family literacy programs reaching 
     disadvantaged children;
       ``(2) provide that funds made available to subcontractors 
     will be used only to pay the Federal share of the cost of 
     such programs;
       ``(3) provide that the contractor, working in cooperation 
     with the local partnerships, will give priority to those 
     tutoring, mentoring, and family literacy programs that serve 
     children and families with special needs, predominantly those 
     children from economically disadvantaged families and those 
     children and families without access to libraries;
       ``(4) provide that the contractor will annually report to 
     the Secretary regarding the number of books distributed, the 
     number of local partnerships created and supported, the 
     number of community tutoring, mentoring, and family literacy 
     programs receiving books for children, and the number of 
     children provided with books; and
       ``(5) include such other terms and conditions as the 
     Secretary determines to be appropriate to ensure the 
     effectiveness of the program.
       ``(c) Restriction on Payments.--The Secretary shall require 
     the contractor to ensure that the discounts provided by 
     publishers and distributors for the new books purchased under 
     this section is at least as favorable as discounts that are 
     customarily given by such publishers or distributors for book 
     purchases made under similar circumstances in the absence of 
     Federal assistance.
       ``(d) Definition of Federal Share.--For the purpose of this 
     section, the term `Federal share' means, with respect to the 
     cost of purchasing books under this section, 50 percent of 
     the cost to the contractor, except that the Federal share for 
     programs serving children of migrant or seasonal farmworkers 
     shall be 100 percent of such costs to the contractor.
       ``(e) Matching requirement.--The contractor shall provide 
     for programs under this section, either directly or through 
     private contributions, in cash or in-kind, non-Federal 
     matching funds equal to not less than 50 percent of the 
     amount provided to the contractor under this section.
       ``(f) Authorization of Appropriation.--For the purpose of 
     carrying out this section, there are authorized to be 
     appropriated $10,000,000 for the fiscal year 2001 and such 
     sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal 
     years.

        ``Subpart 3--Partnerships for Infants and Young Children

     ``SEC. 10521. PARTNERSHIPS FOR INFANTS AND YOUNG CHILDREN.

       ``(a) Programs Authorized.--The Secretary is authorized to 
     enter into a contract with a national organization (referred 
     to in this section as the `contractor') to support and 
     promote programs that--
       ``(1) include the distribution of free books to children 5 
     years of age and younger, including providing guidance from 
     pediatric clinicians to parents and guardians with respect to 
     reading aloud with their young children; and
       ``(2) help build the reading readiness skills the children 
     need to learn to read once the children enter school.
       ``(b) Requirements of Contract.--Any contract entered into 
     under subsection (a) shall--
       ``(1) provide that the contractor will enter into 
     subcontracts with local private nonprofit groups or 
     organizations or with public agencies under which each 
     subcontractor will agree to establish, operate, and provide 
     the non-Federal share of the cost of reading motivation 
     programs that include the distribution of books by gift, to 
     the extent feasible, or loan to children from birth through 5 
     years of age, including those children in family literacy 
     programs;

[[Page S9610]]

       ``(2) provide that funds made available to subcontractors 
     will be used only to pay the Federal share of the cost of 
     such programs;
       ``(3) provide that in selecting subcontractors for initial 
     funding under this section, the contractor will give priority 
     to programs that will serve a substantial number or 
     percentage of children with special needs, such as--
       ``(A) low-income children, particularly low-income children 
     in high-poverty areas;
       ``(B) children with disabilities;
       ``(C) foster children;
       ``(D) homeless children;
       ``(E) migrant children;
       ``(F) children without access to libraries;
       ``(G) children without adequate medical insurance; and
       ``(H) children enrolled in a State medicaid program under 
     title XIX of the Social Security Act;
       ``(4) provide that the contractor will provide such 
     technical assistance to subcontractors as may be necessary to 
     carry out this section;
       ``(5) provide that the contractor will annually report to 
     the Secretary on the effectiveness of the national program 
     and the effectiveness of the local programs funded under this 
     section, including a description of the national program and 
     of each of the local programs; and
       ``(6) include such other terms and conditions as the 
     Secretary determines to be appropriate to ensure the 
     effectiveness of such programs.
       ``(c) Restriction on Payments.--The Secretary shall make no 
     payment of the Federal share of the cost of acquiring and 
     distributing books under any contract under this section 
     unless the Secretary determines that the contractor or 
     subcontractor, as the case may be, has made arrangements with 
     book publishers or distributors to obtain books at discounts 
     at least as favorable as discounts that are customarily given 
     by such publisher or distributor for book purchases made 
     under similar circumstances in the absence of Federal 
     assistance.
       ``(d) Definition of Federal Share.--In this section with 
     respect to the cost to a subcontractor of purchasing books to 
     be paid under this section, the term `Federal share' means 50 
     percent of such costs to the subcontractor, except that the 
     Federal share for programs serving children of migrant or 
     seasonal farmworkers shall be 100 percent of such costs to 
     the subcontractor.
       ``(e) Matching requirement.--The contractor shall provide 
     for programs under this section, either directly or through 
     private contributions, in cash or in-kind, non-Federal 
     matching funds equal to not less than 50 percent of the 
     amount provided to the contractor under this section.
       ``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--For the purpose of 
     carrying out this section, there are authorized to be 
     appropriated $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2001 and such sums 
     as may be necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal 
     years.

                        ``Subpart 4--Evaluation

     ``SEC. 10531. EVALUATION.

       ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall annually conduct an 
     evaluation of--
       ``(1) programs carried out under this part to assess the 
     effectiveness of such programs in meeting the purpose of this 
     part and the goals of each subpart; and
       ``(2) the effectiveness of local literacy programs 
     conducted under this part that link children with book 
     ownership and mentoring in literacy.
       ``(b) Authorization of Appropriations.--For purposes of 
     carrying out this section, there is authorized to be 
     appropriated $500,000 for fiscal year 2001, and such sums as 
     may be necessary in each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.''.
                                  ____

                                                Reach Out and Read


                                              National Center,

                                        Boston, MA, June 23, 2000.
     Hon. Edward M. Kennedy,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Kennedy: I enthusiastically welcome the 
     ``Access to Books for Children Act'' that you, along with 
     Senators Jeffords and Dodd, are introducing before the U.S. 
     Senate in the coming days.
       In my years as a pediatrician, I have witnessed the wide-
     ranging impact of poverty on thousands of families, 
     particularly as it relates to the healthy development of 
     children. One particularly troublesome manifestation of 
     poverty is the barrier that it erects to having books in the 
     home.
       We know that early brain development requires environmental 
     stimulation, and we also know that book sharing assures the 
     language stimulation essential for neuronal complexity and 
     maturation. None of this will happen without books nearby--
     books in the home.
       Making sure that all children have the opportunity to grow 
     up with books requires the participation of all professionals 
     that care for young children. Through the more than 740 Reach 
     Out and Read sites across the country, we are mobilizing the 
     pediatric community to do our part in meeting this challenge. 
     We are delighted by the prospect of support for our efforts 
     through this legislation.
       I thank you for the leadership you continue to show in 
     supporting parents in their efforts to help their children 
     grow up healthy. We look forward to helping in any way we 
     can.
           Sincerely,
                                              Barry Zuckerman, MD,
                                                         Chairman.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I am proud to be a co-sponsor of the 
Access to Books for Children Act, the ``ABC'' Act. I commend Senator 
Jeffords, Senator Dodd, and Senator Murray for their leadership on this 
legislation.
  Many successful programs are helping children learn to read well. But 
too often, the best programs are not available to all children. As a 
result, large numbers of children are denied the opportunity to learn 
to read well. 40 percent of 4th grade students do not reach the basic 
reading level, and 70 percent of 4th graders are not proficient in 
reading.
  Children who fail to acquire basic reading skills early in life are 
at a disadvantage throughout their education and later careers. They 
are more likely to drop out of school, and to be unemployed. This 
important grant will help many more children learn to read well--and 
learn to read well early--so that they have a greater chance for 
successful lives and careers.
  The programs authorized in the ABC Act complement the work already 
under way in Massachusetts and other states under the Reading 
Excellence Act and under the America Reads program. In 1996, President 
Clinton and the First Lady initiated a new effort to achieve greater 
national progress on child literacy by proposing their ``America Read 
Challenge.'' This worthwhile initiative encourages colleges and 
universities to use a portion of their Work-Study funds to support 
college students who serve as literacy tutors. Institutions of higher 
education across Massachusetts are already creating strong 
relationships with their surrounding communities, and participation in 
this initiative enhances those relationships. Today, over 1,400 
colleges and universities are committed to the President's ``America 
Reads Work Study Program,'' and 74 of these institutions are in 
Massachusetts.
  The Reading Excellence Act was enacted in 1999 to provide competitive 
reading and literacy grants to states. States that receive funding then 
award competitive subgrants to school districts to support local 
reading improvement programs. The lowest-achieving and poorest schools 
will benefit the most. The program will help children learn to read in 
their early childhood years and through the 3rd grade using effective 
classroom instruction, high-quality family literacy programs, and early 
literacy intervention for children who have reading difficulties. 
Massachusetts is one of 17 states to receive funding under this 
competitive program.
  In addition to good instruction, children need to have reading 
materials outside of school--and even before they start school. They 
also need adults to read with them, so that they can develop a love of 
reading early in life.
  The ABC Act authorizes three programs to provide children from birth 
through high school age with low-cost or no-cost books. The programs 
complement one another by reaching different communities through 
different means, so that every child can have a book to read.

  The act reauthorizes $25 million for the successful Reading Is 
Fundamental Program, which distributes books to school-age children. 
This program has been especially effective in Massachusetts. It is 
helping over 45,000 children at 70 sites across the state obtain access 
to books. As a teacher from Methuen said, ``RIF continues to excite our 
students by providing them with books they can call their own, exposing 
them to a variety of literature, and offering these children worlds 
unknown.''
  Founded in 1966, Reading Is Fundamental serves more than 3.5 million 
children annually at 17,000 sites in all 50 states, the District of 
Columbia, and U.S. territories. Over two-thirds of the children served 
have economic or learning needs that put them at risk of failing to 
achieve basic educational goals. By the end of 2000, it will have 
placed 200 million books in the hands and homes of America's children.
  The act also authorizes $10 million for the Secretary of Education to 
award grants to organizations that provide low-cost or no-cost books 
for local tutoring, mentoring, and family literacy programs. Programs 
such as First Book have been very successful in encouraging reading. In 
1998, First Book was able to distribute more than

[[Page S9611]]

2.4 million new books to children living below the poverty line 
throughout the United States. First book originally committed to 
distribute two million new books to children over 3 years and add 100 
additional First Book communities. Through the extraordinary efforts of 
its Local Advisory Boards and national partners, First Book has met and 
far exceeded its book distribution pledge of 2 million books, and has 
met its expansion goals. We should continue to support programs like 
First Book that involve businesses and community resources in programs 
to help ensure that all children have access to books.
  The ABC Act also authorizes $10 million for the Secretary of 
Education to award grants to the organizations that provide free books 
to children under age 5 in pediatric clinics. Programs like Reach Out 
and Read in Boston are shining examples of how to provide children with 
access to books and prereading skills through health checkups with 
their pediatricians.
  For the past 10 years, through private funding, Reach Out and Read 
has been helping young children ages 0-5 get the early reading skills 
they need to become successful readers. Reach Out and Read currently 
serves 930,000 children in 556 local sites in 48 states. Evaluations of 
the program show that Reach Out and Read increases parents' 
understanding of reading and their attitude towards reading--especially 
to their children. Parents are ten times more likely to read to their 
children if they have received a book from a pediatrician. Children's 
brain activity is stimulated by reading, enhancing their intellectual 
and language development. In addition, the program is cost-effective--
on average, the cost is only $5 per child.
  Holyoke Reach Out and Read is run by Holyoke Pediatric Associates, a 
large medical practice serving 30,000 clients from Holyoke and 
surrounding communities in Massachusetts. Sixty percent of the clients 
are low-income or medicaid eligible families. The program distributed 
over 3,000 books to children in 1999.
  It may seem unusual to talk about literacy in a hospital, but it 
makes perfect sense. To see that children learn to read, everyone needs 
to lend a hand. Physicians can be a major part of being of the effort. 
They can help children and parents understand that reading will enhance 
the well-being of every child, just as milk and vitamins do. A good 
book may turn out to be the most important thing a doctor prescribes 
for a child.
  Reach Out and Read is making it possible for many more young children 
to have access to books and take the first steps toward learning to 
read and toward becoming good readers in their early years. It is 
bringing books and the love of reading to many new children every day.
  Reading is the foundation of learning and the golden door to 
opportunity. But for too many children, it becomes a senseless obstacle 
to the future. Children need and deserve programs like Reading Is 
Fundamental, First Book, and Reach Out and Read. None of us should rest 
until every child across the nation has the opportunity to own a book, 
enjoy a book, and read a book. The nation's future depends on it.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that additional material be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                   First Book,

                                    Washington, DC, June 29, 2000.
     Hon. Patty Murray,
     U.S. Senate, Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Murray: On behalf of First Book's Board of 
     Directors, national volunteer network, and the children and 
     families we serve, I congratulate you and the other co-
     sponsors of The Access to Books for Children Act. This 
     legislation will change the lives of millions of low-income 
     children by providing these children with personal libraries 
     of their very own. Yours is a piece of legislation whose time 
     has come.
       As you know, First Book is a national nonprofit 
     organization with a single mission: to provide an ongoing 
     supply of free, new books to economically disadvantaged 
     children and families participating in community-based 
     tutoring, mentoring, and family literacy programs nationwide, 
     as well as those children without access to libraries. 
     Through our Local Advisory Board network, First Book 
     effectively promotes the growth and strengthening of local 
     partnerships with the goal of leveraging federal book 
     distribution efforts and building upon the work of existing 
     community programs designed to enhance reading motivation for 
     at-risk children.
       First Book Local Advisory Boards develop these local 
     partnerships by identifying local resources and securing 
     donations to meet the needs of community-based literacy 
     programs serving low-income children by providing them with 
     access to free books. I look forward to working with the 
     Secretary to support and promote these local programs in 
     order to consistently reach the children who need our help 
     the most.
       First Book is deeply grateful, Senator Murray, for your 
     continual support of our mission as well as your commitment 
     to the education of all children. Since we began our work 
     together in 1997, First Book Local Advisory Boards in 
     Washington state have distributed more than 250,000 new books 
     to 48,000 children in 250 local programs. I am also proud to 
     announce that there are currently 15 Local Advisory Boards 
     leveraging the power of community-based partnerships in your 
     home state. As you know, First Book is active nationally in 
     hundreds of communities providing millions of new books to 
     hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged children. Because of 
     your efforts, the ABC Act will enable First Book to build 
     upon this great success in Washington state and across the 
     country.
       I also salute the co-sponsors of the ABC Act. Senators 
     James Jeffords, Edward Kennedy, and Chris Dodd have each 
     strongly supported First Book at both the national and local 
     levels in our constant efforts to reach additional children. 
     Through their own volunteer efforts working with low-income 
     children, Senators Jeffords, Kennedy, and Dodd have served as 
     inspiring examples in Washington, D.C. and nationally. In the 
     same way, you and your co-sponsors have provided essential 
     leadership to promote the education of children across the 
     country and have also directly supported First Book, most 
     notably through the First Book National Book Bank initiative 
     launched last June on the grounds of the Capital.
       In closing, I would like to share a quote from a letter I 
     received this morning from an Even Start teacher who 
     incorporates First Book books into home visits in which she 
     teaches low-income parents how to read with their children. 
     ``It has been very rewarding to be able to give the books to 
     the children at the home visits. Before First Book, we took a 
     book to share with the family and then had to take the book 
     away with us. Many times there were screams of protest from 
     young children. [After First Book] we find that the families 
     are thrilled with the books and look forward to receiving 
     them.''
       Simply put, it shouldn't take ``screams of protest'' from 
     young children to remind us of what we need to do. 
     Thankfully, you and the other co-sponsors are aware of the 
     many challenges facing these young children and you have 
     developed a thoughtful and effective plan to meet their needs 
     and strengthen on-going efforts at the community level. The 
     Access to Books for Children Act will provide millions of new 
     books to low-income children lacking books of their own. I 
     look forward to working with you to bring the magic of book 
     ownership to these many children still waiting for our help.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Kyle Zimmer,
     President.

                          ____________________