[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 13374]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           NATIONAL ADULT EDUCATION AND FAMILY LITERACY WEEK

  (Mr. ROE of Tennessee asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, today marks the start of National 
Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, and we must renew our efforts 
to help ensure every American is literate.
  Today, 93 million American adults function below a high school level 
of literacy, lacking the most basic skills needed to compete in the 
21st century economy. The unemployment crisis falls most heavily here--
14.3 percent of Americans without a high school diploma are unemployed; 
among high school graduates with no additional education, the rate 
drops to 9.6 percent.
  By supporting efforts to expand literacy, we can extend a hand to 
individuals and families across America. Making sure adults can read to 
their child or understand printed material at work isn't just good for 
them, it's essential for competing in the global economy.
  Learning is a lifelong process. It doesn't stop the day you leave 
school. So let's renew our efforts to promote adult and family literacy 
both for the good of families and for the good of the country.

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