Working to Address Treaty Enforcement Rapidly for Texas Act

Mr. President, today I introduce with my colleague, Senator Grassley, the Prescribe-a-Book Act. I thank Senators Stabenow, Cowan, and Blumenthal for joining us as original cosponsors of this bipartisan bill.

Literacy skills are the foundation for success in school and in life. Developing and building these skills begins at home, with parents as the first teachers.

Our legislation would create a federal pediatric early literacy grant initiative based on the long-standing, successful Reach Out and Read program. The program would award grants on a competitive basis to high- quality non-profit entities to train doctors and nurses to discuss with parents the importance of reading aloud to their children and to give books to children at pediatric check-ups from six months to five years of age, with a priority for children from low-income families. It builds on the relationship between parents and medical providers and helps families and communities encourage early literacy skills so children enter school prepared for success in reading.

The pediatric literacy model implemented by Reach Out and Read has consistently demonstrated effectiveness in increasing family engagement and boosting children's reading proficiency. Research published in peer-reviewed, scientific journals has found that parents who have participated in the program are significantly more likely to read to their children and include more children's books in their home, and that children served by the program show an increase of 4-8 points on vocabulary tests. I have seen up-close the positive impact of this program on children and their families when visiting a number of Rhode Island's Reach Out and Read sites.

The Prescribe a Book Act would leverage federal dollars to expand pediatric literacy initiatives so that more young children reap the developmental benefits of having books at home and being read to by their parents. Federal grant funding for Reach Out and Read through the Department of Education helped build a successful public-private partnership that has been matched by tens of millions of dollars from the private sector and state governments. The Prescribe a Book Act would establish a formal authorization for activities modeled on this type of successful partnership.

I urge our colleagues to join us in cosponsoring the Prescribe a Book Act, and to work to include its provisions in the upcoming reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Mr. President, today I introduce with my colleagues Senators Cochran, Murray, and Whitehouse, the Strengthening Kids' Interest in Learning and Libraries Act.

Since 1965, more than 60 education and library studies have produced clear evidence that school libraries staffed by qualified librarians have a positive impact on student academic achievement. Knowing how to find and use information are essential skills for college and careers. A good school library, staffed by a trained school librarian, is where students develop and hone these skills.

Our bipartisan legislation would reauthorize and strengthen the Improving Literacy through School Libraries program of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the only federal

initiative explicitly dedicated to supporting and enhancing our nation's school libraries. The key improvements to the program include ensuring that elementary, middle, and high school students are served; expanding professional development to include digital literacy instruction and reading and writing instruction across all grade levels; focusing on coordination and shared planning time between teachers and librarians; awarding grants for a period of three years; and ensuring that books and materials are appropriate for and gain the interest of students with special learning needs, including English learners.

The SKILLS Act would also strengthen Title I by asking state and school district plans to address the development of effective school library programs to help students gain digital literacy skills, master the knowledge and skills in the challenging academic content standards adopted by the state, and graduate from high school ready for college and careers. Additionally, the legislation would broaden the focus of training, professional development, and recruitment activities under Title II to include school librarians.

Absent a clear federal investment, the libraries in many of our high poverty schools will languish with outdated materials and technology, and in turn, students would be cut off from a vital information hub that connects them to the tools they need to develop critical thinking and research skills necessary for success. This is a true equity issue, which is why I will continue to fight to sustain our federal investment in this area and why renewing and strengthening the school library program is of critical importance.

I urge our colleagues to join us in cosponsoring the bipartisan Strengthening Kids' Interest in Learning and Libraries Act, and to work together to ensure that it becomes a part of the upcoming reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Mr. President, scientific studies continue to show cause for concern about the chemical Bisphenol-A, BPA, especially the effects on babies and young children. Endocrine disrupting chemicals alter the function of the body's hormonal system. BPA is a synthetic estrogen, which means that it mimics this hormone when in the body. While studies continue to examine the exact effects this endocrine disrupting chemical has on humans, consumers deserve more information. They have the right to know if it is in the food products they purchase for their families.

The BPA in Food Packaging Right to Know Act requires that food packaging that uses BPA include a clear label informing consumers. The label would read, ``This food packaging contains BPA, an endocrine- disrupting chemical.'' This basic message would allow individuals to make informed decisions about the products they purchase.

BPA is most commonly found in food products, such as the lining of cans. Parents are busy enough caring for their children and juggling what feels like a hundred things at the same time. Having factual information about whether the food they are buying at the grocery store contains BPA, a potentially harmful chemical, shouldn't be one more thing they have to go to great lengths to figure out.

This legislation also directs the Department of Health and Human Services, HHS, to do a safety assessment of food containers containing BPA to determine if there is reasonable certainty that no harm will come from long-term low dose exposure to BPA as well as high dose exposure.

This safety standard would also be used to evaluate proposed uses of alternatives to BPA. There is no use in replacing BPA in products if what we are replacing it with is just as bad or worse for human health.

The President's Cancer Panel focused on reducing the environmental cancer risk in its 2008- 2009 Annual Report. BPA is just one of many chemicals

that pose a potential environmental cancer risk, with links to various cancers and also potentially affecting how well cancer treatments work. This panel, appointed by former President George W. Bush, decided that even though studies are ongoing, they had enough information to state that ``the true burden of environmentally induced cancer has been grossly underestimated.''

I agree with this finding and strongly believe that as scientific studies continue to seek definitive answers to the role of chemical exposure in adversely affecting human health, the very least that consumers deserve is the right to know what chemicals, such as BPA, are in the products they are purchasing. The panel specifically mentions concern that even though studies continue to link BPA with a variety of diseases, it still remains in products.

I am particularly concerned about the negative health effects to children who are exposed to chemicals both while they are developing in the womb and in the first few years of their lives. Children are particularly susceptible to toxins while their bodies are developing at such a rapid pace. A recent study by researchers at the University of California, Berkley, stated that fetuses and pregnant women may be particularly susceptible to BPA exposure. The study found that exposure to BPA may have an effect on thyroid function, and suggests continued studies to confirm these findings.

An article published in Health Affairs in 2011 estimated that the annual cost of diseases that can be attributed to negative environmental exposures was more than $76 billion per year in 2008. The incidence of endocrine system-related diseases continues to rise, and animal studies have shown adverse health effects in connection with exposure to BPA.

A recent study by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health examined a link between BPA exposure and an increased risk for asthma in young children. They found that there was an elevated risk associated with BPA exposure and more research is needed to determine specific links.

BPA is one of the most pervasive chemicals in modern life. This chemical is used in thousands of consumer products and the most common exposure is through the lining of food packaging- like cans of green beans and ready-made soups. As with so many other chemicals in consumer products, BPA has been added to our products without knowing if it is safe or not.

I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the BPA in Food Packaging Right to Know Act to stand up for the right of consumers to make informed choices about the food products they buy for their families. I look forward to working with my colleagues on this important issue.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.