[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 52 (Thursday, March 26, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E799]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          EARMARK DECLARATION

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                          HON. MARY BONO MACK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 26, 2009

  Mrs. BONO MACK. Madam Speaker, pursuant to the Republican Leadership 
standards on earmarks, I am submitting the following information 
regarding earmarks I received as part of H.R. 2638, the Consolidated 
Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriations Act, 2009:
  Requesting Member: Mary Bono Mack
  Bill Number: H.R. 1105
  Account: Department of Education, National Projects; Innovation and 
Improvement
  Entity Requesting: Reading Is Fundamental, Inc.,1825 Connecticut 
Avenue, N.W., Suite 400, Washington, DC 20009
  Description of Earmark: $26 million is provided to Reading Is 
Fundamental, Inc. (RIF). RIF is one of our nation's oldest and largest 
children's literacy organizations. RIF partners with thousands of 
schools, public agencies, nonprofit organizations and corporations 
throughout our country and provides millions of underserved children 
with free books and reading encouragement from over 20,000 locations. 
Over the past 4 decades, RIF has provided books to more than 300 
million children. RIF encourages reading both inside and outside of 
school by allowing youngsters to select books to keep at home.
  RIF's Inexpensive Book Distribution Program: This program provides 
books for low-income children and youths from infancy to high school 
age and supports activities to motivate them to read, through aid to 
local nonprofit groups and volunteer organizations.
  Spending Plan: Nearly 89 percent of RIF's 2007 federal funds were 
used to purchase books and RIF was able to use this as leverage to 
raise an additional $8.6 million from local communities to support book 
ownership. With the help of Congress, RIF was able to provide more than 
16 million books to 4.6 children last year.

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