[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 23583-23584]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                            FREEDOM'S ANSWER

  Mr. ALEXANDER. Mr. President, just recently the Senate approved the 
Labor, HHS Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2004. During the same 
time period we paused to remember the tragic events of September 11. So 
it is a good moment to bring to the attention of my Senate colleagues 
and of the Department of Education the nonpartisan, nonprofit Freedom's 
Answer project which is a direct result of the 9/11 experience--and 
which seeks to engage high school students across America in the 
elections process even before they are old enough to vote.
  At a time when Senator Kennedy and I, along with many other Members 
of the Senate, are convinced that restoring civics education to schools 
should get a high priority, Freedom's Answer is one effort that is 
doing just that. It

[[Page 23584]]

should have the highest priority for funding by the Department of 
Education within the discretionary funds of the Fund for Innovation in 
Education, the Character Education Program, the Civics Education 
program, or the Fund for Improvement in Post-Secondary Education.
  Freedom's Answer is a totally nonpartisan program, begun by long-time 
political professionals Mike McCurry and Doug Bailey. Its National 
Advisory Council is co-chaired by the Republican Leader in the Senate, 
Bill Frist, and the Democratic Leader in the House, Nancy Pelosi. The 
chairs of the Republican and Democratic National Committees both sit on 
its National Advisory Council.
  Started after the 9/11 tragedy, Freedom's Answer urged high school 
students in over 2,500 high schools throughout the country to seek 10 
voting pledges each in the 2002 election, not for any particular party 
or candidate, but rather to honor the servicemen and women serving our 
country and risking their lives daily for our freedom.
  These students didn't just help set a mid-term voter turnout record--
nationally and in 27 different states--they learned first hand the 
power of political involvement. Even before they could vote, they 
learned the power not just of each and every vote, but also of 
collective involvement in the political process. It may well have been 
as good a civics lesson as they could ever receive--one certain to make 
them voters in the years ahead.
  Our young people owe it to us to be part of America's democracy. And 
we owe it to our young people, regardless of party, philosophy, 
religion, income, race or State to enable them both to know how the 
system works and how to be part of it. Freedom's Answer is a powerful 
way we can meet that commitment, and I join my colleagues in 
encouraging the Department of Education to consider using discretionary 
funds in the 2004 budget we will pass to help make this wonderful 
civics lesson come alive in every high school in the land.
  Mr. KENNEDY. I commend the leadership of my colleague from Tennessee. 
He's a strong advocate for better education in both history and civics. 
We need to do much more to broaden students' understanding of American 
history and encourage them to participate in the democratic process.
  Freedom's Answer is an excellent model. It is a nonpartisan program 
founded by Mike McCurry and Doug Bailey to involve high school students 
in elections. The mission of Freedom's Answer is ``to turn today's 
students into tomorrow's voters.''
  The program was launched after the tragic events of 9/11. It was 
organized in over 2,500 high schools across the Nation, asking each 
student to line up 10 pledges from others to vote in the 2002 
election--not for a particular candidate or party, but in tribute to 
the servicemen and women serving abroad whose commitment to our country 
is safeguarding our national security.
  Their participation was a worthwhile factor in enhancing voter 
turnout in the 2002 elections. These young students learned the power 
of each individual vote, as well as the importance of greater 
involvement in the political process. It was an extraordinary civics 
lesson for them and for their families and neighbors, too, and it will 
encourage them to vote as soon as they become eligible to do so.
  I'm confident that this program will generate even greater election 
participation in coming years. Their participation will enrich our 
country and help to inspire the next generation of leaders.
  Freedom's Answer is the kind of innovative and practical idea that 
will strengthen our democratic process and the Nation as a whole, and 
it deserves our strong support. I commend Senator Alexander for his 
impressive leadership on this impressive initiative.

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