[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 156 (Thursday, September 26, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H7997]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        NATIONAL LITERACY MONTH

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
September as National Literacy Month.
  Reading is a fundamental part of learning and expanding our knowledge 
of the world around us. It is especially important to form strong 
reading habits in childhood that we can carry with us throughout our 
adult lives.
  Parents, educators, and the local community can all play a role in 
encouraging young people to pick up a book and to exercise their 
imaginations.
  A great resource that schools, museums, and public libraries can take 
advantage of is the Library of Congress' Surplus Book Program. This 
initiative offers surplus books of all kinds and for all ages to 
organizations and institutions nationwide to help build their book 
collections, and I encourage those interested to visit the library's 
website for more information.
  Mr. Speaker, reading at a young age is important, but a passion for 
books can form at any stage of life.
  During National Literacy Month, let's all pick up a new book and 
share the reading experience with the children in our lives.

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