[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 134 (Friday, November 19, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H10023-H10024]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           AMERICAN HISTORY AND CIVICS EDUCATION ACT OF 2004

  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 5360) to authorize grants to establish academies for 
teachers and students of American history and civics, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 5360

       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 ``American History and Civics 
     Education Act of 2004''.

     SEC. 2. PRESIDENTIAL ACADEMIES FOR TEACHING OF AMERICAN 
                   HISTORY AND CIVICS; CONGRESSIONAL ACADEMIES FOR 
                   STUDENTS OF AMERICAN HISTORY AND CIVICS.

       (a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Education (referred to 
     in this Act as the ``Secretary'') may award not more than 12 
     grants, on a competitive basis--
       (1) to entities to establish Presidential Academies for 
     Teaching of American History and Civics that may offer 
     workshops for both veteran and new teachers of American 
     history and civics; and
       (2) to entities to establish Congressional Academies for 
     Students of American History and Civics.
       (b) Application.--An entity that desires to receive a grant 
     under subsection (a) shall submit an application to the 
     Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
     information as the Secretary may require.
       (c) Demonstrated Expertise.--The Secretary shall require 
     that each entity, to be eligible to receive a grant under 
     this section, demonstrate expertise in historical methodology 
     or the teaching of history.
       (d) Available Funds.--To carry out this section, the 
     Secretary may use any funds appropriated for fiscal year 2005 
     or any subsequent fiscal year to carry out part D of title V 
     of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
     U.S.C. 7241 et seq.).

     SEC. 3. NATIONAL HISTORY DAY PROGRAM.

       The Secretary may award grants to the National History Day 
     Program for the purpose of continuing and expanding its 
     activities to promote the study of history and improve 
     instruction.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Delaware (Mr. Castle) and the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle).


                             General Leave

  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 5360.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Delaware?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Today the House will consider H.R. 5360, the American History and 
Civics Education Act of 2004. This bill, which was introduced by my 
colleague from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker), is intended to support 
programs that will help raise student academic achievement by improving 
the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of American history and 
civics education for our Nation's teachers and students.
  According to the 2001 National Assessment of Educational Progress 
assessment in United States history, 33 percent of students in grades 4 
scored below basic, 36 percent of students in grade 8 scored below 
basic, and 57 percent of students in grade 12 scored below basic.
  In addition, the data from the assessment revealed that 92 percent of 
students in grade 12 could not explain the most important cause of the 
Great Depression, 91 percent of students in grade 8 could not list two 
issues that were important in causing the Civil War, and 73 percent of 
the students in grade 4 could not identify the Constitution from among 
four choices as the document that contains the basic rules used to run 
the United States Government.
  Accordingly, H.R. 5360 is designed to improve student academic 
achievement in American history and civics education by authorizing the 
Secretary of Education to use existing funds to award grants to 
entities to establish Presidential Academies for Teaching of American 
History and Civics to help strengthen the teaching skills and knowledge 
of teachers in American history and civics. H.R. 5360 also authorizes 
the use of existing funds at the Department of Education for 
Congressional Academies for Students of American History and Civics to 
help broaden secondary students' knowledge of American history and 
civics.
  Finally, this legislation authorizes the Secretary to use existing 
funds to award grants to the National History Day program to promote 
the study of history and improve instruction. The purpose of H.R. 5360 
is to help our Nation's students and teachers develop a deeper 
understanding and appreciation of American history and civics 
education. I urge my colleagues to support the legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I support this bill. Just as an aside, I would like to 
say, as a Member of Congress, if there is any subject I wish I had paid 
more attention to, it would have been American history. I support this 
bill, which improves history and civics education, primarily by funding 
workshops for history teachers. It recognizes the importance of 
teaching our children history and allows for Federal support for an 
effective and widely respected program, National History Day.
  This bill creates both Presidential Academies for Teaching of 
American History and Civics and Congressional Academies for Students of 
American History and Civics. I am pleased that it will ensure that 
these are quality programs by ensuring that grants are awarded only to 
those who have demonstrated expertise in historical methodology or the 
teaching of history.
  A very important feature of this legislation authorizes the Secretary 
of Education to award grants to the National History Day program, a 
highly successful, year-long national program that trains teachers and 
sponsors a national competition among junior high and high school 
students. They produce dramatic performances, imaginative exhibits, 
multimedia documentaries and research papers based on research related 
to an annual theme.
  The National History Day program, which reaches 2 million people 
annually from nearly every State, teaches students important literacy 
skills and engages them in the use and understanding of museum and 
library resources. It inspires students to study local history and 
challenges them to expand their thinking and apply knowledge of local 
events to national and, at times, international issues. The program 
also teaches students to become technologically literate through the 
use of computer and Internet research methods and the use of 
technologically advanced applications in their presentations.
  For more than 25 years, National History Day has used history to help 
students develop research, thinking and communication skills. I am 
pleased that this bill would help continue and expand its important 
activities.
  All Americans benefit from a better understanding of history, and 
this bill is a positive step toward ensuring that future generations 
have the background and tools for appreciating history and applying 
those lessons to our daily lives.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker), sponsor of this legislation in 
the House of Representatives, himself one who cares deeply about 
history.
  Mr. WICKER. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend from Delaware as 
well as my friend from California for their remarks so far in this 
debate. I also want to thank the chairman of the full committee, the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), who, Mr. Speaker, has been 
enormously patient and helpful to me during this year-long effort to 
promote better knowledge of American history and civics. Thanks also 
goes to the ranking member of the full committee as well as the entire 
House leadership. I am very appreciative.

[[Page H10024]]

  Mr. Speaker, we meet today in a Chamber that exhibits a magnificent 
portrait of George Washington just to my left. We meet at a location 
actually selected by George Washington, the father of our country. Just 
above the Speaker's podium is a profound quote from another of our 
distinguished patriots, Daniel Webster. We are governed today by rules 
promulgated in part by Thomas Jefferson, the author of the Declaration 
of Independence and another of our great founders.
  In that atmosphere, Mr. Speaker, it is perhaps hard for us to imagine 
that not everyone in our country shares our appreciation for this great 
system of government and this wonderful tradition and history of 
freedom and independence that we have in America or has even a 
rudimentary knowledge of that great system of government. Yet, sadly, 
as I talk to my colleagues about this issue, they have observed the 
same thing as they travel around the country that I have: an appalling, 
even shocking, lack of knowledge about American history and our 
American system. This is particularly true among our young people.
  Just a few facts, Mr. Speaker. Sixty-two percent of Americans today 
cannot name the three branches of the Federal Government. An 
examination was given to seniors in 55 of our Nation's top colleges and 
universities, including Brown, Harvard and Princeton. The exam 
contained 34 questions, multiple choice, testing a high school level of 
proficiency on American history. Some 81 percent of the seniors in 
these colleges received either a D or an F on these examinations. 
Seventy-five percent of our high school seniors are not proficient in 
American history and civics, and one-third lack even a basic knowledge 
of this subject matter.
  Part of the reason for this, Mr. Speaker, is that the curriculum at 
these same 55 elite universities does not require an American history 
course for graduation and 78 percent require no history credit at all 
to graduate from the best colleges and universities in our land. As a 
result of this fact, over one-half of our high school history teachers 
received their college degrees in subjects other than history.

                              {time}  1200

  This is not their fault, Mr. Speaker. This is simply a fact which we 
are trying to address today.
  Simply put, what this bill does, as my friend from Delaware stated, 
is to authorize the Secretary of Education to award competitive grants 
from existing funds for summer academies that would promote civics and 
history education. The grants would be available to colleges and 
universities, to museums, libraries, nonprofit organizations, some of 
which are already engaged in this type of activity, and other entities 
that can demonstrate the capability to enhance the subject matter.
  The sessions for teachers would focus on new ideas and more creative 
ways to communicate the history and civics curriculum to students. It 
would not dictate a curriculum. Separate academies for students would 
provide a unique and more comprehensive look at the important subjects 
of civics and education.
  I would say to the Members in closing, Mr. Speaker, that this 
legislation has the support of a wide spectrum of Americans, from Paul 
Weyrich and Bill Bennett on the right, to Senator Ted Kennedy at the 
other end of the political spectrum. I think it simply demonstrates 
this: that knowledge and understanding of America and Americanism 
really has no ideology.
  I again express my thanks to the leadership of the committee and of 
House of Representatives, and I urge a ``yes'' vote on the bill.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I urge support of the legislation, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 5360, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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