[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 98 (Thursday, July 18, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1292]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 
                                  2003

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. MICHAEL N. CASTLE

                              of delaware

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 17, 2002

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1854) making 
     appropriations for the legislative branch for the fiscal year 
     ending September- 30, 1996, and for other purposes:

  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Slaughter-
Dicks-Horn-Johnson-Morella Amendment to increase funding for the 
National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the 
Humanities. The arts and humanities are important both socially and 
economically to our nation as a whole.
  Studies have shown students benefit from exposure to both the arts 
and humanities. They gain not only a better cultural appreciation but 
are able to translate their positive experiences into skills that are 
essential for their academic future and their future in the American 
workforce.
  Arts and humanities funding are increasingly allocated to state 
agencies for grant programs that reach out to underprivileged and 
smaller suburban and rural areas that do not have the benefits of big 
city art programs. In correlation, seventy-nine percent of businesses 
believe it is important to have an active cultural community in the 
locale in which they operate. Businesses in Delaware work hand in hand 
with the arts and humanities communities. This partnership makes my 
state a stronger community than it otherwise would be.
  I have witnessed in Delaware firsthand how rewarding arts and 
humanities programs can be to our nation's youth. For example, the 
Possum Point Players in Georgetown, Delaware, is funded through the 
NEA's Challenge America Program. This organization provides positive 
alternatives for youth in Sussex County high schools through the 
creation of theater programs for rural and low-income students. Many of 
these students would not have the opportunity to participate in such 
programs without the Challenge America Program. These students have a 
better chance to increase their SAT scores, develop increased self-
confidence, and are more likely to create multiple solutions to 
problems and work collaboratively with one another.
  Furthermore, the Delaware Humanities Forum, through NEH funding, has 
played an essential role in bringing humanities to all corners of the 
state with programs available for schools, businesses, and other 
community groups. Each year the Humanities Forum presents an annual 
living history event bringing education and entertainment together. 
Past events have centered around the old west and the gilded age in 
American history.
  It is important for us to remember, the collective benefits gained by 
not only our districts but also by the nation as a whole and that is 
why I rise today in strong support of increased funding for the NEA and 
the NEH.

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