[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 43 (Wednesday, March 31, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E497-E498]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ARTS ADVOCACY DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. KAREN McCARTHY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 31, 2004

  Ms. McCARTHY of Missouri. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and 
support Arts Advocacy Day. I would like to thank the artists who have 
come to Capitol Hill to visit with members of Congress regarding 
support for arts education as essential to the creative ingenuity of 
the cultural fabric of our society. We appreciate their extraordinary 
talent and we welcome them to Washington.
  The Congress must provide sufficient funding for arts education in 
our schools and the National Endowment for the Arts. These programs are 
vital to supporting the creation, preservation and presentation of the 
arts and humanities in America. In my district, numerous schools have 
taken essential steps toward

[[Page E498]]

integrating arts education in their student's daily routines. 
Unfortunately, budget cuts threaten the longevity of these programs. 
Studies have demonstrated that reading and math scores improve with 
participation in arts education classes. A U.S. Department of Justice 
study found that arts education reduced student delinquency in San 
Antonio by 13% and increased the communications skills of students in 
Atlanta by 57%. Test Results from the College Board have shown that 
college bound students involved in the arts and humanities have higher 
overall SAT scores that other students. I'm proud to have been part of 
the legislative effort to empower the Secretary of Education to fund 
arts education programs in our schools through the No Child Left Behind 
Education Act of 2003.
  Beyond our borders, the WTO must stand firm against the piracy of our 
artists' intellectual property. We in Congress must strengthen our 
commitment and effort with our trading partners to end piracy. Theft of 
intellectual property has a significant economic affect on the United 
States. The recording industry, for example, reports a loss of $286 
million in sales with our trading partner, China. In addition, market 
access and investment barriers prevent the entertainment industry from 
serving markets overseas thus and increases demand for pirated U.S. 
entertainment products. The Congress and the United States Trade 
Representative need to work together to apply pressure to the 
governments of countries where piracy is rampant.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in paying tribute to Arts Advocacy Day.

                          ____________________