[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 143 (Tuesday, October 6, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H10465-H10468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      SUPPORTING NATIONAL ADULT EDUCATION AND FAMILY LITERACY WEEK

  Mr. POLIS. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 707) expressing support for designation of the 
week of September 13, 2009, as Adult Education and Family Literacy 
Week, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 707

       Whereas the literacy of its citizens is essential for the 
     economic well-being of the United States, our society, and 
     the individuals who can benefit from full participation 
     therein;
       Whereas literacy and education skills are a prerequisite to 
     individuals reaping the full benefit of opportunities in the 
     United States;
       Whereas the economy and our position in the world 
     marketplace depend on having a literate, skilled population;
       Whereas the education skills of parents and reading to 
     children have a direct impact on the educational success of 
     their children;
       Whereas, parental involvement is a key predictor of a 
     child's success, the level of parental involvement increases 
     as the education level of the parent increases;
       Whereas parents in family literacy programs become more 
     involved in their children's education and gain the tools 
     necessary to obtain a job or find better employment;
       Whereas, as a result, children's lives become more stable, 
     and success in the classroom, and in all future endeavors, 
     becomes more likely;
       Whereas studies show that two important factors that 
     influence student achievement are the mother's education 
     level and poverty in the home, it is clear that if adults are 
     not part of the learning equation, then there is no long-term 
     solution to our Nation's education challenges;
       Whereas many older people in the United States lack the 
     reading, math, or English skills to read a prescription and 
     follow medical instructions, endangering their lives and the 
     lives of their loved ones;
       Whereas many individuals who are unemployed, underemployed, 
     or receive public assistance lack the literacy skills to 
     obtain and keep a job with a family-sustaining income, 
     continue their education, or participate in job training 
     programs;
       Whereas many high school dropouts do not have the literacy 
     skills to complete their education, transition to 
     postsecondary education or vocational training, or become 
     employed;
       Whereas a large portion of those in prison have low 
     educational skills, and prisoners without skills are more 
     likely to return to prison once released;
       Whereas many of our Nations' immigrants do not have the 
     literacy skills to succeed in their new home country;
       Whereas the National Assessment of Adult Literacy reports 
     that 90,000,000 adults lack the literacy, numeracy, or 
     English language skills to succeed at home, in the workplace, 
     and in society;
       Whereas National Adult Education and Family Literacy week 
     highlights the need for our government to support efforts to 
     ensure each and every citizen has the necessary literacy 
     skills to succeed at home, at work, and in society; and
       Whereas the week of October 18, 2009, would be an 
     appropriate date to designate as National Adult Education and 
     Family Literacy Week: Now, therefore, be it

[[Page H10466]]

       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) supports the designation of National Adult Education 
     and Family Literacy Week, including raising public awareness 
     about the importance of adult education and family literacy;
       (2) encourages people across the United States to support 
     programs to assist those in need of adult education and 
     family literacy programs; and
       (3) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
     recognizing the importance of adult education and family 
     literacy programs, calling upon the Federal Government, 
     States, localities, schools, libraries, nonprofit 
     organizations, community-based organizations, consumer 
     advocates, institutions of higher education, labor unions, 
     and businesses to support increased access to adult education 
     and family literacy programs to ensure a literate society.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Polis) and the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Petri) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman Colorado.


                             General Leave

  Mr. POLIS. Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which 
Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on House 
Resolution 707 into the Record.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Colorado?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. POLIS. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 707, a 
bill that supports the designation of the week of October 18 as Adult 
Education and Family Literacy Week.
  Adult education and family literacy programs provide millions of 
Americans with the skills they need to lead productive lives, boost 
their academic achievements, and engage in the workforce and earn a 
living. Adult Education and Family Literacy Week recognizes the impact 
that adult education and family literacy programs have on our Nation's 
adult learners and their families in the next generation.
  According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, there are 
approximately 90 million adults nationwide who lack the literacy skills 
to reach their full potential. Approximately 30 million of these 
individuals are at the lowest rudimentary levels of literacy.
  Adult education programs work with these individuals as well as new 
immigrants striving to learn English, to help them gain and retain 
jobs, transition to postsecondary education or a training program, read 
to their own children, and fully participate in their own education and 
obtain the English language skills necessary to succeed in their new 
home country. These programs emphasize basic skills such as reading, 
writing, math, English language competency, and problem-solving 
techniques.
  It is important to recognize that the supply of adult education and 
family literacy services has lagged significantly behind the growing 
demand. In my home State of Colorado, an estimated 585,000 adults, or 
18 percent of the State's population over 16 years of age, have not 
attained a high school diploma or equivalent and are not enrolled in 
school. Yet in school year 2007-2008, adult literacy programs have 
provided slots for less than 15,000 individuals, 79 percent of whom 
were between the ages of 19 and 44. More than half of the participants 
were unemployed, and more than two in three of those served were 
Latino.
  At over 100 sites around the State, our critical programs provide 
adult basic education, adult secondary education and English as a 
second language to Colorado's most-in-need population, helping adult 
learners and their families to break the cycle of illiteracy and move 
toward self-sufficiency. In the 2007-2008 school year, 2,500 students 
earned their high school diploma or GED and almost 10,000 adults 
received English as a second language services.
  Family literacy programs work with parents without a high school 
diploma or GED and their young children to help break cycles of 
illiteracy and poverty that plague some of our Nation's most vulnerable 
families. Most importantly, they provide parents with the knowledge and 
skills they need to be their child's first and most important teacher 
and role model and to be full participants in their child's education. 
For children, family literacy programs help ensure that they start 
school ready to learn and on an equal footing with their peers.
  In Colorado's Second Congressional District, which I have the honor 
of serving, the Boulder Valley Family Literacy Program, in partnership 
with the Boulder Valley School District, operates a high-quality adult 
and family literacy program for low-level literacy adult learners and 
limited English speakers, both adults and children; 160 learners and 
families attend the program together, interacting in literacy 
activities as they learn. Parents participate in English classes or GED 
preparation and learn more about the public school system offers and 
how best to support their child. Schoolchildren receive homework 
tutoring and enrichment, and preschool children learn the skills they 
need to start their formal education.
  Also in my district, the Colorado Mountain College has several 
satellite campuses serving 2,300 students. Most of their learners are 
ESL students, and their goal is to provide them with a pathway to 
college wherever possible.
  Effective adult education and family literacy programs improve 
adults' lives by helping them develop a basic yet strong understanding 
of the English language. These skills lead to jobs, workforce 
readiness, higher education and successful outcomes in life. 
Furthermore, adult literacy contributes to self-sufficiency for adults 
and families across the Nation.
  Again, I want to express my strong support for this resolution. I 
urge my colleagues to endorse this measure by voting ``yes.''
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. PETRI. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of the resolution before us, House Resolution 
707, expressing support for the designation of the Adult Education and 
Family Literacy Week.
  According to a June 2008 report of the National Commission on Adult 
Literacy, among the 30 OECD free-market countries, the U.S. is the only 
Nation where young adults are less educated than the previous 
generation. In the current U.S. labor force, more and more workers are 
required to have at least some postsecondary education or occupational 
training. By one set of measures, more than 88 million adults have at 
least one major educational barrier: no high school diploma, no college 
degree or English-as-a-second-language needs. Because of these 
educational barriers, a number of working-age adults may fall behind in 
their efforts to get higher-wage jobs or to qualify for the college 
courses or job training that will help them advance in their current 
jobs.
  Studies also show that two important factors that influence student 
achievement are a mother's education level and poverty in the home. 
Parents in family literacy programs may become more involved in their 
children's education and gain the tools necessary to obtain a job or 
find better employment.
  The National Assessment of Adult Literacy reports that 90 million 
adults lack the literacy, numeracy or English language skills to 
succeed at home, in the workplace and in society. By designating an 
Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, we can encourage people 
across the United States to support programs to assist those in need of 
adult education and family literacy programs.
  I stand in support of designating National Adult Education and Family 
Literacy Week in order to raise public awareness about the importance 
of adult education and of family literacy.
  I ask for my colleagues' support.
  I yield such time as she may consume to my colleague from Tennessee, 
Marsha Blackburn.
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam Speaker, I do rise in support of Adult 
Education and Family Literacy Week.
  I would like to begin by quoting one of my predecessors, a former 
Member from Tennessee who, while often my friends from Texas like to 
claim him as theirs, I think he was ours first, and that is Sam 
Houston. Congressman Houston said, ``The benefits of education and of 
useful knowledge, generally diffused through a community, are essential 
to the preservation of a free government.''
  This week is our opportunity to enhance the preservation of that 
liberty

[[Page H10467]]

by turning a very careful eye to adult education and family literacy. 
As I have before in this Chamber, I would like to highlight the 
accomplishments of my friend and constituent, Gretchen Wilson.
  Gretchen was one of 43 million American adults who had not completed 
high school. Inspired by her young daughter, she earned her high school 
degree later in life. She knew that literacy was more than just knowing 
how to read and write. After all, she was already a Grammy Award 
winning artist. Literacy is also the implementation of that skill which 
empowers people with worlds of new information. It is the spark that 
ignites curiosity.
  Gretchen knew how precious that spark of curiosity could be. The 
children of parents who have not completed high school are far more 
likely to drop out themselves. Indeed, children's literacy levels are 
strongly linked to the educational levels of their parents, especially 
to the levels of their mothers. Gretchen knew that her education was 
also her daughter's education.
  In so many cases like Gretchen Wilson's, that spark of curiosity has 
grown into a desire to give back. She, like so many others who have 
benefited from adult education, now works to expand that benefit to 
others.
  I will close by quoting Thomas Jefferson, whose words on the matter 
are more eloquent than mine could ever be, and he stated, ``Enlighten 
the people generally, and tyranny and oppression of body and mind will 
vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day.''
  Mr. HONDA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my support for H. 
Res. 707 and for designating the week of September 13, 2009 as Adult 
Education and Family Literacy Week.
  I commend Representative Jared Polis, sponsor of the resolution, and 
the House Education and Labor Committee for recognizing the importance 
of literacy among adults and families, particularly in relation to the 
economic well being of these individuals.
   Having been an educator for over 30 years, I am keenly aware that 
education and literacy are crucial to helping individuals achieve 
economic success. It has been shown that parental involvement is a key 
indicator to a child's success, and parental engagement increases as 
educational attainment increases.
  Sadly, however, many over 90 million adults in the United States lack 
the literacy, numeracy, or English language skills needed to succeed at 
home, in the workplace, and in society. These adults are unable to be 
involved in their children's education, which perpetuates the cycle of 
illiteracy.
  Of this group, here are still over 54.8 million people who speak a 
language other than English at home. According to the Census Bureau, 
between 2000 and 2005, the native-born Limited English Proficient 
population nearly doubled, and it is increasing at a higher rate than 
the immigrant population. In spite of this growth, there continue to be 
1- to 3-year waitlists for English literacy education in many areas, 
leaving employers and communities with opportunities to invest in the 
education of their workforce.
  As we work to address adult education and family literacy, we 
remember the need to extend literacy and education programs to new 
populations to help them fully integrate into our society. To help 
achieve this goal, I introduced H.R. 3249, the Strengthen and Unite 
Communities with Civics Education and English Skills Act of 2009. H.R. 
3249 seeks to provide individuals with civics education and basic 
education programs and assist local communities in this integration 
process through impact aid and community-based solutions. This 
legislation will also provide businesses with tax credits for providing 
English-as-a-second-language programs to their employees, incentivize 
teachers with tax credits when they teach English Language Learners, 
and authorize more funding for such instruction.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support H. Res. 707 and the laudable 
goal of designating the week of September 13, 2009 as Adult Education 
and Family Literacy Week. The resolution encourages people across the 
United States to support programs to assist those in need of adult 
education and family literacy programs, and I urge my colleagues to do 
so not only by supporting the resolution, but also by supporting the 
Strengthen and Unite Communities with Civics Education and English 
Skills Act of 2009, which would forge productive dialogues in our 
country about newcomers and provide real and concrete solutions to our 
communities by giving them the means and resources to help families 
learn English and integrate into U.S. society.
  Mr. WAMP. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 707, which 
seeks to designate the week of September 13, 2009, as National Adult 
Education and Family Literacy Week and to raise the awareness of adult 
literacy programs. I am also a cosponsor of this resolution.
  Education spans from conception to the grave. Earning a high-school 
diploma makes people better qualified for the work force, for raising a 
family, and for improving their standard of living. For those who were 
unable to complete their education in their youth, adult education 
programs can provide a second chance.
  Unfortunately, according to a 2005 study by the National Assessment 
of Adult Literacy, 45 percent of all adults function below the high 
school reading level. For these adults, it is much harder to get a good 
job that can sustain them or their family. Sadly, when faced with this 
reality, some adults turn to crime. The more than 1 million 
incarcerated adults in the Nation had lower average literacy scores 
than adults in households on nearly every comparable scale--age, 
gender, and ethnicity.
  The inability to read not only affects individuals' lives but also 
the lives of their family. Children of parents who are unemployed and 
have not completed high school are five times more likely to drop out 
than children of employed parents. In turn, parents who can read are 
more likely to be employed full time and receive a higher income. When 
parents can read, especially the mother, they will be more involved in 
their children's lives. They will read to their children and discuss 
school topics.
  The importance of education and the ability to read doesn't end with 
the family. Its benefit also helps improve the community and even saves 
us all money in the long run. Putting that 2005 study into real terms, 
93 million adults can't read or follow medical instructions. 
Individuals with limited literacy skills are more likely to have 
chronic conditions and are less able to manage them effectively or be 
aware of preventive care. These individuals will make greater use of 
emergency room and hospital services and less use of services designed 
to prevent health complications. Greater use of the emergency room 
raises health care costs for all of us.
  In addition, American businesses lose more than $60 billion in 
productivity each year due to employees' basic skill deficiencies. For 
our country to remain competitive in the global market place, more and 
more jobs will require advanced skills, and public schools produce only 
2 percent of the workforce annually. Without adult education programs, 
important jobs could go unfilled holding back development or, worse 
yet, the jobs will go abroad to other nations.
  Madam Speaker, literacy and education benefit so many aspects of our 
lives. I encourage my colleagues in the House to support this 
resolution and to raise the awareness of adult and family education 
programs.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of 
H. Res. 707 ``Expressing support for designation of the second week of 
September as Adult Education and Family Literacy Week.'' The literacy 
of American citizens is essential for the economic well-being of our 
great Nation and I strongly believe that families play an important 
role in promoting and enabling learning at all levels.
  Illiteracy is the root of many problems in our lives today. For 
example, in my home district, the 18th District of Texas approximately 
68 percent of those arrested, 75 percent of welfare dependants, 85 
percent of dropouts, and 72 percent of the unemployed are identified as 
functionally illiterate, Youth Plus. One in three adults in the greater 
Houston metropolitan area functions at the lowest level of literacy: 
They are unable to read and comprehend a menu or a street map, fill out 
a job application, or read the directions on a medicine bottle, 
Literacy Advance of Houston. And in Texas, 85 percent of teenagers 
appearing in juvenile court are functionally illiterate, Youth Plus.
  No skill is more crucial to our future, nor to a democratic and 
prosperous society, than literacy. Basic literacy skills are the 
premise of reaching one's full potential as an upstanding citizen. 
President Lyndon B. Johnson once said, ``A book is the most effective 
weapon against intolerance and ignorance,'' in order for us to utilize 
this priceless weapon, we must educate our citizens.
  The education skills of parents along with reading to children have a 
direct impact on the educational success of their children. Parental 
involvement is an intricate part of a child's success and as the level 
of parental involvement increases the education level of the parent 
increases. Parents in family literacy programs have proven to become 
more involved in their children's education and gain the tools 
necessary to obtain a job or find better employment.
  Advocating literacy across America will result in children's lives 
becoming more stable, leading to higher achievement in the classroom, 
and success in all future endeavors becomes inevitable. Studies have 
shown that two important factors that influence student achievement are 
the mother's education level

[[Page H10468]]

and poverty in the home. It is clear that if adults are not part of the 
learning equation, then there is no long-term solution to our Nation's 
education challenges.
  The National Assessment of Adult Literacy reports that 90 million 
adults lack the literacy, numeracy, or English language skills to 
succeed at home, in the workplace, and in society. National Adult 
Education and Family Literacy week would highlight the need for our 
government to support efforts to ensure each and every citizen has the 
necessary literacy skills to succeed at home, at work, and in society. 
I support the designation of National Adult Education and Family 
Literacy Week, which encourages people across the United States to 
support programs to assist those in need of adult education and family 
literacy programs. I call upon the Federal Government, States, 
localities, schools, libraries, nonprofit organizations, community-
based organizations, consumer advocates, institutions of higher 
education, labor unions, and businesses to support increased access to 
adult education and family literacy programs to ensure a literate 
society.
  Mr. POLIS. Does the gentleman from Wisconsin have any additional 
speakers?
  Mr. PETRI. I have no additional speakers and yield back the balance 
of my time.
  Mr. POLIS. I yield back the remainder of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Polis) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 707, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. POLIS. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________