[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6042]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1010
                  SUPPORTING FINANCIAL LITERACY MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize this April as 
Financial Literacy Month.
  Each year my good friend and fellow chair of the House Financial and 
Economic Literacy Caucus, Mr. Hinojosa, and I work to bring Financial 
Literacy Month to Capitol Hill. In that effort we are joined by our 
longtime Senate allies, Senator Akaka and Senator Enzi.
  Traditionally, we have offered a resolution as a way to showcase the 
latest trends in financial and economic literacy. This year, however, 
the House is taking an understandable break from debating commemoratory 
resolutions in order to focus attention on pressing items like the 
budget.
  Nonetheless, I want to take a brief opportunity today to encourage my 
colleagues to take part in this year's Financial Literacy Month. It's a 
time when nonprofits, educational institutions, financial 
organizations, government agencies, and others work together to protect 
consumers and prepare our children to prosper in today's sophisticated 
marketplace.
  For example, from April 17 through 23, America's credit unions will 
hold National Credit Union Youth Week, which focuses on teaching young 
Americans about the benefits of setting goals and saving to reach them. 
In a parallel effort, the American Bankers Association Education 
Foundation held Teach Children to Save Day on April 12. It's an annual 
event during which America's banking professionals have volunteered to 
teach money skills to 4 million young people.
  Madam Speaker, this is a trend we should applaud, one that I 
encourage my colleagues to participate in by joining the Financial and 
Economic Literacy Caucus. Members and their staffs can also join us 
this Friday in the Cannon Caucus Room from noon to 3 for a Financial 
Literacy Day Fair featuring information and constituent outreach 
materials from 55 of the Nation's leading financial literacy 
organizations, including the Jump$tart Coalition, Junior Achievement, 
and the Council for Economic Education.
  Madam Speaker, too many Americans continue to enter the workforce 
unprepared to handle money, buy a home, or save for retirement. 
According to the Jump$tart Coalition's most recent survey, our high 
school seniors are now scoring lower on financial literacy than they 
have during any years since 2000; and yet, according to a 2009 survey 
from the Council for Economic Education, only 34 States require school 
districts to include personal finance in their education standards for 
students K-12.
  These are troubling numbers, and that's why we must work together to 
give Americans the tools they need to prepare against economic 
uncertainty, recognize deceptive practices, build credit, and make 
dozens of other day-to-day financial decisions. These are skills that 
everyone must learn to prosper in today's complex marketplace, and 
that's what Financial Literacy Month is all about.
  So I encourage my colleagues who are interested in learning more to 
join us this Friday from noon to 3 in the Cannon Caucus Room for our 
annual Financial Literacy Day Fair.

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