Madam President, literacy opens the door for lifelong opportunity and economic success. But in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have a lot of work to do to help kids catch up. The National…
Madam President, literacy opens the door for lifelong opportunity and economic success. But in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have a lot of work to do to help kids catch up. The National Assessment of Education Progress results show the terrible toll the pandemic has taken on students' literacy skills. Reading scores for 9-year-olds dropped by five points, the steepest decline since 1990. We need urgent action to ensure that all children have the means and the right to read. That is why I am pleased to join Congressman Raul Grijalva in introducing the Right to Read Act.
The Right to Read Act will require States and school districts to have policies protecting the right to read, which includes access to evidence-based reading instruction, access to effective school libraries, access to developmentally and linguistically appropriate materials, reading materials at home, family literacy support, and the freedom to choose reading materials.
The Right to Read Act will ensure that low-income, minority children, English learners, and students with disabilities are not disproportionately enrolled in schools that lack effective school libraries. This is a matter of equity. Data show that school libraries make a big difference in giving kids the skills and inspiration to become proficient and enthusiastic readers. Students who utilize school libraries have 73 percent higher literacy rates than students who do not, and the positive impact of effective school libraries is highest for marginalized groups, including students experiencing poverty, students of color, and students with disabilities. But not every student has access to library services. The U.S. Department of Education reports that 2.5 million students are enrolled in districts where there are no school libraries. An estimated 1 out of 10 schools in America does not have a school library, and 30 percent higher of U.S. public schools do not have full-time librarians. Students experiencing the highest levels of poverty are 30 percent more likely to attend a school without a school library.
While school libraries are most effective when they offer resources that resonate, engage, and empower students and that align with their First Amendment rights, a recent PEN America report found that 182 school districts across 37 States are facing bans on books that disproportionately limit access to titles with LGBTQ+ characters and characters of color. Last month, the American Library Association reported a record number of attempted book bans in 2022, nearly doubling the 2021 total.
The Right to Read Act will address the disparities in access to school library resources. It supports the development of effective school libraries, including the recruitment, retention, and professional development of State-certified school librarians. It will also increase the Federal investment in literacy by reauthorizing comprehensive literacy State development grants at $500 million and the Innovative Approaches to Literacy Program at $100 million, targeting critical literacy resources in high-need communities. Importantly, the bill protects access to quality reading materials and provides the resources needed to create a foundation for learning and student success.
In developing this legislation, Congressman Grijalva and I worked closely with the library community, including the American Library Association and the American Association of School Librarians. We are also pleased to have the support of the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association, the National Council of Teachers of English, and PEN America. These are the experts in helping kids become lifelong readers and learners. I appreciate their insight and assistance on this bill, and I urge my colleagues to join us in cosponsoring this legislation to ensure that all students have a right to read.
Madam President, I am joined by Senator Van Hollen in introducing the Consumer Credit Control Act, which gives consumers greater control over when and how their consumer reports are shared by consumer reporting agencies.
Our current consumer reporting system is backwards. Consumer reporting agencies collect massive amounts of personal information on consumers, often without their knowledge, in order to compile consumer reports. These reports are then shared with financial institutions and others, often without consent.
Following Equifax's failure several years ago to secure valuable personally identifiable information it collected on approximately 147 million Americans, it remains clear that this system needs to change. Indeed, the National Consumer Law Center's Chi Chi Wu stated in testimony before the House Financial Services Committee that the Equifax breach ``means half of the US population and nearly three- quarters of the consumers with active credit reports are now at risk of identity theft due to one of the worst--if not the worst--breaches of consumer data in American history. These Americans are at risk of having false new credit accounts, phony tax returns, and even spurious medical bills incurred in their good names.'' To make matters worse, the risks of identity fraud may only increase with time. As Ed Mierzwinski, U.S. PIRG's Federal Consumer Program Director, explains ``unlike credit card numbers, your Social Security Number and Date of Birth don't change and may even grow more valuable over time, like gold in a bank vault. Much worse, they are the keys to `new account identity theft.' ''
The Consumer Credit Control Act aims to address these concerns and fix the current upside down system. Our legislation, at no cost to the consumer, seeks to give Americans greater control over when and how their consumer reports are released when applying for new credit, a loan, or insurance. It also requires consumer reporting agencies to verify a consumer's identity and secure the consumer's permission before releasing consumer reports in instances that are particularly susceptible to identity theft and fraud. Additionally, our legislation requires every consumer reporting agency to take appropriate steps to prevent unauthorized access to the consumer reports and personal information they maintain.
These changes are intended to make it tougher for criminals to open new fraudulent credit or insurance accounts in other people's names. They will also dramatically cut down on so-called ``trigger leads,'' where the credit reporting bureaus sell the fact that a consumer is shopping for a mortgage to other lenders. That causes prospective homebuyers to get inundated with hundreds of calls offering alternative mortgages. The credit bureaus say that these ``trigger leads'' help consumers by making sure they have access to the most attractive financing, but in reality they are a nuisance and add unnecessary stress to the already stressful process of buying a home.
I urge our colleagues to cosponsor the Consumer Credit Control Act, and I thank Senator Van Hollen, the National Consumer Law Center, on behalf of its low-income clients, U.S. PIRG, the Center for Digital Democracy, Consumer Action, the Consumer Federation of America, Consumer Reports, the National Association of Consumer Advocates, and Public Citizen for their support.
