[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 148 (Wednesday, September 13, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H7324]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                         ARTS IN EDUCATION WEEK

  (Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LANGEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of Arts in Education Week 
and the power of art to improve student learning, inspire creativity, 
and boost academic achievement at all ages.
  The arts speak to all of us in different ways. I am inspired by the 
performing arts, while others are drawn to design and, still, others 
express themselves through music. The exposure to and participation in 
creative disciplines empowers us to courageously innovate, a key to 
success in school and beyond.
  Mr. Speaker, in my home State of Rhode Island, music education is 
encouraged, actually, in State law. Unfortunately, Congress has not 
demonstrated the same commitment. I am extremely disappointed that the 
Republican appropriations package for fiscal year 2018 eliminates the 
Arts in Education program, a vital source of funding for arts programs 
across the Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, we must invest in the arts, not cut funding, and empower 
the next generation to realize their potential to create.

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