[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 112 (Monday, June 28, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H3183-H3185]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              GLOBAL LEARNING LOSS ASSESSMENT ACT OF 2021

  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 1500) to direct the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development to submit to Congress a report on the impact 
of the COVID-19 pandemic on global basic education programs, as 
amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1500

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Global Learning Loss 
     Assessment Act of 2021''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) Before the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (commonly referred 
     to as ``COVID-19'') pandemic began, 258,000,000 children were 
     out of school globally, including 130,000,000 girls.
       (2) Students already at a disadvantage before COVID-19 will 
     experience greater learning loss, thereby worsening inequity 
     and inequality.
       (3) Approximately 90 percent of the world's student 
     population--over 1,600,000,000 children and youth--have had 
     their education disrupted by school closure due to COVID-19.
       (4) School closures lead to interrupted learning, poor 
     nutrition, gaps in childcare, increased dropout rates, 
     exposure to violence, and social isolation.
       (5) Up to 24,000,000 children are at risk of dropping out 
     of school permanently due to rising levels of child poverty 
     associated with the pandemic.
       (6) School closure and remote learning is especially 
     burdensome on girls, who are frequently expected to shoulder 
     more household chores and responsibilities and are more 
     vulnerable to gender-based violence.
       (7) During the Ebola epidemic, nationwide school closures 
     in Sierra Leone in 2014 led to increased instances of sexual- 
     and gender-based violence, teenage pregnancy, school dropout, 
     and child labor for girls.
       (8) More than 60 percent of national distance learning 
     alternatives rely exclusively on online platforms but two-
     thirds of the world's school aged children, or 1,300,000,000 
     children aged 3 through 17, do not have internet connection 
     in their homes, and schools and local learning centers also 
     frequently have inadequate internet connectivity. Eighty 
     percent of students in sub-Saharan Africa lack such access, 
     with an even higher rate for girls.
       (9) Children and youth with disabilities are particularly 
     vulnerable to the health, education, and socioeconomic 
     consequences of the pandemic. As a further challenge, 
     distance learning tools are not always accessible to learners 
     with disabilities or those with complex learning needs, 
     especially in poorer and rural households.
       (10) Before the COVID-19 pandemic, refugee children were 
     twice as likely to be out of school as other youth, and 
     school closures and a lack of access to distance learning 
     tools threaten to make the education gap among refugee 
     children even more severe.
       (11) The economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic 
     could lead to an education financing gap of $77,000,000,000 
     in low- and middle-income countries over the next 2 years.
       (12) The economic cost of school closures could be up to 
     $1,337 per student, which on a global scale equates to 
     approximately $10,000,000,000,000 in lost economic output 
     over the coming generation.

     SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

       It is the policy of the United States that United States-
     funded basic education programs operating in low- and middle-
     income countries should seek to--
       (1) provide inclusive learning opportunities for students 
     and teachers, especially for the most marginalized, including 
     girls, children with disabilities, and previously out of 
     school children;
       (2) build local capacity and help countries strengthen 
     their education systems, including opportunities for early 
     childhood development;
       (3) improve the availability, delivery, and quality of 
     education services from early childhood through secondary 
     education;
       (4) improve equity and safety in education services; and
       (5) support the return of children to school who have 
     experienced interruptions in their education due to the 
     COVID-19 pandemic and work to enroll previously out-of-school 
     children and youth, particularly the most marginalized.

     SEC. 4. REPORT.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the United 
     States Agency for International Development, acting through 
     the Senior Coordinator for International Basic Education 
     Assistance and in consultation with the Senior Coordinator 
     for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment, shall submit to 
     the appropriate congressional committees a report on the 
     impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on United States Agency for 
     International Development basic education programs.
       (b) Matters to Be Included.--The report required under 
     subsection (a) shall include, at a minimum, the following 
     elements:
       (1) An assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on such basic 
     education programs, including the magnitude of learning loss 
     that will result from protracted school closures and the 
     specific effects of school and learning space closures on 
     marginalized children and youth, including girls, minority 
     populations, displaced children, and those with disabilities.
       (2) An assessment comparing academic outcomes of 
     beneficiaries of United States Agency for International 
     Development basic education programs, as practical and 
     appropriate, between those that attend schools that remain 
     closed or continue to operate remotely since the start of the 
     COVID-19 pandemic and schools that have resumed in-person 
     instruction.
       (3) A description of the effectiveness, cost, 
     accessibility, and reach of the most commonly used forms of 
     distance learning in low- and middle-income countries and 
     low-resource contexts.
       (4) A description of efforts to pivot and adapt such basic 
     education programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, including an 
     overview of existing data on funding and programmatic focus 
     disaggregated by gender, country, education level, and 
     disability.
       (5) An identification and description of any gaps in, or 
     barriers to, reaching and educating marginalized populations, 
     such as girls, children with disabilities, displaced 
     children, or other children adversely affected by the COVID-
     19 pandemic with distance learning interventions.
       (6) A description of the United States Agency for 
     International Development's plan and needed authorities and 
     resources to prevent degradation of such basic education 
     programs and to support, as necessary and appropriate, 
     continued distance learning interventions, safe school 
     reopenings, assessments of student learning levels, remedial 
     and accelerated learning, re-enrollment campaigns for out-of-
     school children and youth, and education system strengthening 
     and resilience-building efforts.
       (7) An analysis of the coordination between the United 
     States Agency for International Development and other actors 
     in global basic education policy and programming to provide 
     education during the COVID-19 pandemic, including partner 
     organizations, faith based-organizations, donors, and 
     multilateral organizations.
       (8) A description of opportunities to partner and support 
     efforts to expand access to digital infrastructure, internet 
     connectivity, and learning resources in areas that lack 
     access to digital and remote learning infrastructure and 
     resources, including rural and remote communities.
       (c) Public Availability.--The report required by subsection 
     (a) shall be made available to the public.
       (d) Appropriate Congressional Committees Defined.--In this 
     section, the term ``appropriate congressional committees'' 
     means--
       (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
       (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on 
     Appropriations of the Senate.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from

[[Page H3184]]

New York (Mr. Meeks) and the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Kim) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 1500, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1500, the Global 
Learning Loss Assessment Act of 2021.
  I thank Representative Houlahan for authoring this bipartisan bill 
and for her leadership and strong advocacy for children and education 
around the world.
  Over the past year and a half, we have seen everyday lives disrupted 
in unimaginable ways due to COVID-19. One of the biggest disruptions 
has been in the realm of education. From primary school to graduate 
school, students around the world have seen their education 
interrupted, challenged, adapted, and forever changed by this pandemic.
  The United States has long supported basic education efforts around 
the world, with its most recent champion, former Congresswoman Nita 
Lowey, being an invaluable advocate. It is therefore crucial that the 
United States understand the effects of COVID-19 on international basic 
education programs and use that data to respond to current crises and 
better prepare for future pandemics.
  Research has already shown that every day and every year in school 
counts. Women earn up to 12 percent more for every additional year they 
stay in school. However, UNESCO estimates that as many as 11 million--I 
repeat, 11 million--girls won't return to school after COVID, which 
increased their risk of forced labor, early marriage, and limiting 
their professional and economic opportunities.
  This bill requires the United States Agency for International 
Development to submit a report to Congress on the impacts of COVID-19 
on USAID's basic education programs and global learning loss, including 
the magnitude of global learning loss that will result from protracted 
school closures, descriptions of forms of distance learning in low 
resource contexts, analysis of how school closures affected 
marginalized children, data on Agency programs being carried out to 
support continued learning during the pandemic, and a description of 
what is needed to help mitigate learning loss and help students get 
back on the right track.
  Again, I thank Representative Houlahan for her work on this bill and 
her commitment to ensuring that we are fully aware of how COVID-19 has 
placed development gains at risk and to finding the best path forward 
to prevent further backsliding.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues, Representatives Houlahan and 
Fitzpatrick, for their work on the Global Learning Loss Assessment Act.
  As of December 2020, the United Nations estimated that school 
classrooms for one in five children, which is over 320 million 
children, remained closed. Further reports indicate more than 880 
million children worldwide faced disruptions to their education due to 
full and partial school closures.
  The continued closure of schools and classrooms is having a 
devastating impact on the education and the development of the next 
generation. This bill requires a report on COVID-19 impacts on the 
United States to support education programs in developing countries.
  Last year, the United States provided over $900 million to support 
basic education programs, including support for teacher training, 
curriculum development, and expanding access to education for refugees 
and communities in conflict zones.

                              {time}  1630

  In many countries, including here in the United States, schools were 
forced to pivot to virtual learning or close entirely. This bill does 
not provide any additional assistance. Instead, it requires USAID to 
assess how previously appropriated funds have been impacted by school 
closures and other COVID-19-related issues.
  It also requires an assessment of how the administration and our 
implementing partners are changing programs to avoid backsliding in 
education outcomes as COVID-19 continues to prevent regular schooling.
  It is critical that we understand the impacts of COVID-19 on our 
programs to ensure our foreign aid is used efficiently and effectively.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important measure, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Pennsylvania (Ms. Houlahan), a valued member of the House Foreign 
Affairs Committee.
  Ms. HOULAHAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Chairman Meeks and Ranking 
Member McCaul for their leadership on this critical issue and for 
working with me on this bill to get it not only passed out of 
committee, but here on the floor for consideration on a suspension 
basis.
  I have had a really eclectic background before joining Congress, but 
most recently, I was a high school chemistry teacher in north 
Philadelphia, and I also ran a nonprofit focused on early childhood 
literacy for pre-K through fourth-grade kids. So I am particularly 
passionate about the issue that we are talking about today.
  Mr. Speaker, it is an honor to rise today to ask my colleagues for 
their support of H.R. 1500, the Global Learning Loss Assessment Act.
  My bill will direct the U.S. Agency for International Development to 
submit a report to Congress on the impacts of COVID-19 on the Agency's 
basic education programs and global learning.
  Investing in global education is not a humanitarian issue. It is an 
economic and national security issue. A more educated global population 
paves the way for a more stable global economy, and what is clear is 
that COVID-19 has caused a dramatic loss in global learning.
  Our first step must be to clearly identify the scope of this loss so 
that we can begin the work of bridging that gap. The estimates are 
alarming. Ninety percent of students worldwide, meaning 1.6 billion 
youth, have had severe interruptions in their education due to COVID-
19. This gap has the potential to hinder global efforts on economic 
justice, lasting peace, poverty eradication, ending world hunger, 
gender equity, and so much more.
  As a steadfast advocate for women and girls around the world, I am 
also particularly concerned about the harrowing consequences that 
school-aged girls face in light of school closures, including an 
increased likelihood of gender-based violence.
  To shore up the increasing gaps in learning and to preserve massive 
gains the United States has made in global education rates, we have to 
understand the extent of damage this pandemic has caused. This bill 
will arm us with the data that we need to move quickly, invest 
effectively across our USAID programs, and make our international basic 
education programs more resilient to crises such as these.
  We cannot afford to ignore the devastating effects that COVID-19 has 
had on students around our globe. Education loss will continue without 
intentional steps on our behalf, and so that is why I am so grateful to 
Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Meeks, and Mr. McCaul for placing my 
bipartisan Global Learning Loss Assessment Act here before the Congress 
for a vote today.
  In particular, I want to thank and express my deep appreciation to 
Representative Fitzpatrick and Representative Quigley for working so 
closely with my office in introducing this legislation with me.
  Their steadfast education to learning and students around the world 
is to be commended. This is an important bill, and I urge all of my 
colleagues to join me in this crucial effort to mitigate the drastic 
effects of such an educational gap and the effects it is already 
having.

[[Page H3185]]

  

  Mrs. KIM of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Houlahan for this important legislation that 
she is introducing. Education lays the foundation for future prosperity 
and stability. I am deeply concerned by the impact this pandemic is 
having on school children, particularly amongst the vulnerable 
communities facing conflict and refugees who are already experiencing 
barriers to educational access.
  We must understand the full scope of these challenges in order to 
address programs accordingly and ensure effective use of our funds. So 
I urge my colleagues to support this measure, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Education is recognized as the surest path to economic mobility. 
However, over the past year and a half, the COVID-19 pandemic has 
rattled educational systems across the world, presented challenges 
unlike anything we have seen in the last 100 years since we had the 
last global pandemic, and it jeopardizes access to education for 
students around the world.
  While some students and educators quickly adapted and overcame these 
challenges, the widespread disruptions caused by the pandemic will 
invariably have lasting impacts on communities at home and abroad. The 
Global Learning Loss Assessment Act of 2021 will allow us to better 
understand the effect the pandemic has had on global learning, and also 
find ways to help get students back on the path to continued learning 
and future success.
  I know from my home city that the lack of availability of educational 
school buildings and lack of dialogue and conversations with other 
students in the classroom has hurt them. We need to evaluate and make 
sure what needs to be done so they can make up that time and continue 
the path to success because our Nation here in the United States and in 
the countries around the world are dependent upon it so that we can 
have a better tomorrow.
  That is why I thank Ms. Houlahan for her bill, along with Mr. 
Fitzpatrick, working with the minority, Ranking Member McCaul, coming 
together because we understand the significance and importance of 
education. I hope all of my colleagues will join in supporting this 
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 1500, 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.
  Mrs. GREENE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

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