Expressing support for designation of the week beginning on the second Sunday of September as Arts in Education Week.

Madam Speaker, as the gentlewoman from California is not here yet, who is the primary sponsor of this legislation, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 275.

I want to commend both Mr. Polis and Mr. Petri for their very succinct words.

I know firsthand the benefits that our children receive from a robust arts education program, whether it is music, theater, visual arts, photography, poetry, or dance. This is not simply an outlet. This is part and parcel of the essential features of what a good education is all about. Unfortunately, the current state of the economy has now put these classes and the further enrichment of our students at risk, and I would ask us to address this issue.

What is the first to be cut? Go right across the Nation. Arts, libraries and sports--the things our kids love best. Arts are not just sought to get away from things. Arts are part of their lives. They enrich them. They contribute to one's total being when one has an appreciation of the arts.

I taught an arts course, History through the Arts. They were mostly students who could care less about American history; so I had to find a way to get to them. I taught the course by going through all of those fine arts I just talked about. I asked them to learn about our Nation through different periods of time through the artwork, the poetry and the music of that individual time, not unlike what we would do when studying the Renaissance.

This is particularly evident in New Jersey. The city of my district, West Orange, has announced its intentions to cut its music and arts departments in addition to laying off almost 90 staff members in order to reduce its budget. It is forced to do that. Yet we take no action. Last year, in the stimulus package, we saved a lot of jobs, necessary jobs. This year, we are reluctant to do that. We are frightened. The word ``deficit'' is in all capital letters. Yet for 8 years we saw this accumulate and accumulate and said nothing.

In my town of Paterson, where I grew up and still live, 50 music teachers and 38 art teachers got their pink slips. John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson performed just its second spring musical in 30 years in April. Talk about austerity. Due to the cuts, it could be another 30 years. I'm not exaggerating. These are the numbers. You can't make this stuff up.

Before this crisis a 2007 study found out more than 75,000 students in New Jersey have been attending school every day with no arts education. If we want to encourage arts in education, then we can't talk out of both sides of our mouths. So it is nice to recognize the arts in a week, a month, a year. That's fine. That's great. If we were to fire all the arts teachers, what would that be like?

It looks like the Senate has decided to strip the $10 billion that this House voted for to keep our teachers in their classrooms. I don't know what is happening at the other end of the building. By failing to provide our children with

opportunities to supplement their classes, we are robbing them of a complete education. We must consider the arts, which enrich our lives, the lives of our youth, which spark a life-long love and passion for creativity, not as a secondary priority in our educational system but as an essential pillar of its foundation.

So I urge the support of H. Con. Res. 275, which expresses the support for the designation of this week beginning on the second Sunday of September, and I urge the Senate to keep up with the House on some issues at least.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 275) expressing support for designation of the week beginning on the second Sunday of September as Arts in Education Week, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I request 5 legislative days during which Members may revise and extend and insert extraneous material on House Concurrent Resolution 275 into the Record.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of House Concurrent Resolution 275, which expresses support for designating the week beginning on the second Sunday of September as Arts in Education Week.

The arts serve a critical role in the advancement of our students' education, creativity, and intellectual development. A well-rounded education that includes arts education is extremely important in our schools and communities, helping students think creatively and critically. When students leave the classroom, they use their understanding of dance, music, theater, literature, design, and visual arts to communicate in new ways, to build intellectual capital, to express themselves within and across cultures and mediums. The arts also add a new dimension of thinking to social and hard scientists, in keeping with Albert Einstein's assertion that ``the greatest scientists are artists as well.''

Arts education has a positive effect on students' academic careers. Many studies have shown that students participating in visual and performing arts had better grades and a lower likelihood of dropping out. Students who participate in arts programs are at least three times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement, elected to class office within their schools, participate in a math and science fair, win an award for school attendance, or win an award for writing an essay or a poem. These students also maintain more positive attitudes about school and are more likely to go on to college. And yet, despite the proven benefits of arts education, the 2008 National Assessment of Educational Progress, the NAEP result, found that only 58 percent of eighth-graders attended schools where music instruction was offered at least three times a week, and only 47 percent attended schools where visual arts were offered more than three times a week.

Arts in Education Week helps us highlight the importance of giving our students expanded opportunities to participate in the visual and performing arts in school. I took advantage of those opportunities growing up myself, participating in several school plays, and throughout lower school, in elementary school, in a music program. I know that I take many of those lessons today that have helped make me a better rounded person and a more effective representative in Congress for the people of Colorado.

I strongly encourage my colleagues to join Representative Speier, the sponsor of this bill, in supporting Arts in Education Week.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, it is my honor to yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).

Madam Speaker, once again, I want to thank Representative Speier of California for introducing this concurrent resolution, and I, once again, express my strong support for designating the week beginning on the second Sunday of September as Arts in Education Week.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution of arts in education.

I yield back the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 275, expressing support for designation of the week beginning on the second Sunday of September as Arts in Education Week.

Arts in Education Week highlights the benefits of exposing students to the arts, and it recognizes that arts can play a role in educating youth. Many localities have rich art communities. Exposing youth to the museums, artists, and workers of art within these communities can help to provide cultural experiences, foster creativity, and support classroom learning about the arts.

Many States and communities are taking efforts to ensure students are exposed to the arts. Most States, specifically 43 States, require schools to provide art instruction, and many schools have integrated art education into their other areas of study. Many instructors in schools take advantage of the local art industry by introducing students to the various points of access to the arts within their communities.

Parents play a vital role in exposing youth to the arts as well. Weekend trips to a local art museum or a night out to see a local play are just two examples of ways in which parents can educate their children about and ensure their children's participation in the arts.

I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee be discharged from further consideration of H. Con. Res. 275, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate, and any statements related to the measure be printed in the Record.