[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 48 (Thursday, March 19, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E721]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


        GENERATIONS INVIGORATING VOLUNTEERISM AND EDUCATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. JOSEPH CROWLEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 18, 2009

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 1388) to 
     reauthorize and reform the national service laws:

  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of H.R. 1388, the 
Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) Act, and I 
want to thank Representative Miller and his staff for all their good 
work on this bill.
  Among the bill's many provisions is one I helped to craft that will 
increase service opportunities for musicians and artists.
  Specifically, it would create a Musicians and Artists Corps to train 
and deploy skilled musicians and artists to low-income communities, 
schools, healthcare and therapeutic settings, and other areas, where 
they will promote music and arts engagement programs.
  As someone who has had music play an important role in my life, I 
know firsthand that music and the arts are about far more than just 
entertainment--they have the power to change lives.
  Indeed, research has also backed this up. Music and arts education 
has been proven to contribute to lower crime rates among disadvantaged 
youth, and it improves graduation rates and academic performance in 
schools.
  In the world of healthcare, we see even more benefits. Patients who 
have undergone trauma or are suffering from chronic illness, as well as 
those with emotional and mental health problems, all benefit from being 
engaged in art and music programs.
  Clearly, there is a wide span of areas where music and the arts can 
play a key role, and there are hundreds of thousands of musicians and 
artists that have the talent and the skills to help their communities.
  President Obama has called on us all to increase our service to our 
nation, and these musicians and artists are ready and eager to serve. 
The Musicians and Artists Corps will connect these volunteers with the 
settings where they can make a world of difference.
  Our citizen service programs, like AmeriCorps, have done a great job 
of engaging Americans of all ages, from a variety of professions, in 
national service. It is time now that we bring more musicians and 
artists into this community.
  Passage of the GIVE Act will go a long way toward increasing service 
in our country, and I am proud to support the measure.

                          ____________________