Page images
PDF
EPUB

I also believe that a limited federal role is appropriate. This is especially true when the presence of the federal governnment directly affects a local school district's ability to raise revenue. Such is the case with impact aid. When the U.S. Congress passed Public Law 81-874 in 1950, it recognized the need to provide basic quality education to children whose parents live and/or work on federal lands. These federally secured properties are not taxable by local units of government, and this prevents school districts from generating revenue through property taxes. The effect of this tax exemption hits Idaho school districts particularly hard because approximately two-thirds of the state is owned by the federal government. In Idaho, 38 school districts are federally impacted and qualify for impact aid. This includes 2,575 "a" students and 11,203 "b" students, for a total of over $4.8 million in aid. Without the impact aid funds, these students would be deprived of an education equal to that of students in neighboring schools. The local property tax base simply would not be able to provide the necessary funds for a basic education. In the Lapwai School District, located in north central Idaho within the boundaries of the Nez Perce Indian Reservation, more than 50 percent of the students are native Americans, and more than 70 percent of the district's entire enrollment is eligible for free or reduced lunches. Impact aid therefore represents a significant portion of Lapwai's budget.

These students could be referred to as "at risk" children. However, because of impact aid, the Lapwai School District is able to provide them with a quality education. They have shown improvement over their entering first grade scores, and that improvement has continued as they move through higher grades. The dropout rate in the Lapwai schools is one of the lowest in the nation among schools with a significant Indian population (20 percent or more). According to school officials, it is the Public Law 81-874 funds, that account for the Lapwai School District's low dropout rate and high graduation success. Lapwai is only one example of the importance of impact aid and its positive effects in Idaho and throughout the nation.

Mr. Chairman, among my top priorities in Congress has been reducing federal spending and requiring Congress to balance the budget. However, it is essential that Congress understand the fundamental difference between unwarranted spending programs and impact aid. Impact aid funding is not just given to any school district rather, it is given to local educational agencies which are demonstrably affected by a federal presence. Impact aid is compensation for federal use, not another federal give-away program. This is an important distinction.

I have always been a strong advocate of state funding for education, but to the extent that such funding is hampered by federal activities, the federal government must compensate school districts. Failure to fund impact aid at the fullest level possible would result in nothing less than breaking faith with the American people. Destroying this understanding that has existed for decades one that many school districts depend upon for survival-would endanger the adequate education of our youth.

It is for these reasons I urge the subcommittee to continue to fulfill the federal government's obligation to federally impacted school districts.

Turning to another topic, the Displaced Homemakers Self Sufficiency Act was authorized during the 101st Congress (Public Law 101-554) at a level of $35 million for fiscal year 1991 and such sums as may be necessary for each succeeding fiscal year. While President Bush requested $527 million for dislocated workers under the economic dislocation and worker adjustment assistance program, no fiscal year 1992 funding was requested for the Displaced Homemaker Self Sufficiency Act.

In Idaho, six "centers for new direction" use displaced homemaker funds. These centers provide career information, retraining, and, ultimately, take people off welfare and place them in the work force. These services are important to those who are forced out of the home due to separation, divorce, widowhood or the disability of a spouse.

An appropriations level of $25 million would assure that Idaho and every other state received funding from the program. I encourage you to give every consideration to funding this program, provided that the funding level is consistent with a reasonable domestic budget.

The national school lunch program has sustained great losses due to the decrease in the bonus commodities program and a general rise in costs. I request that you carefully consider the importance of this program, as well, and support a reasonable budget appropriation to maintain it. The school lunch program is important not only to the needy, but to all children.

The national youth sports program (NYSP) is another program that deserves adequate funding during fiscal year 1992. In Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College (LCSC) runs an outstanding youth sports program. Each summer, up to 300 economically disadvantaged children are given the opportunity to come to the LCSC campus and

articipate in sporting events, receive nutritious meals, learn about the dangers of rugs, get a head start on educational and career opportunities, and make lifetime riends. This is an invaluable community service provided by LCSC and its athletic director, Ken Woody. It is made possible only through funding from NYSP and the generous support of Lewiston area citizens.

During 1990, LCSC's program was recognized by NYSP for an exemplary award, along with several others around the nation, and the program is only improving. Nationwide, the NYSP provides a unique opportunity for more than 65,000 ecoThomically disadvantaged youngsters to be exposed to a college environment and reSeive a variety of important services and opportunities each year, similar to those Kat LCSC.

The NYSP, which is funded as a community services block grant program, is a oint effort of the federal government, 150 colleges and universities, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Because the NYSP generates about twice the Samount of the federal appropriation from state, local and private sources, it is a very cost-effective use of federal funds. The NYSP is a low-cost/high yield program with a 23-year record of success.

Finally, TRIO pre-college programs, including educational opportunity centers, Talent Search and Upward Bound, are successful in Idaho and need adequate funding. Fortunately, Congress has made an honest attempt to fund these programs in recent years, but there is still much room for improvement. In Idaho, TRIO programs exist at all of the major four-year universities and assist a number of collegebound students.

Congress established these programs to help disadvantaged students enter college, graduate and move on to participate more fully in America's economic and social life. TRIO programs helps disadvantaged students overcome barriers to higher education by providing information, counseling, academic instruction, tutoring, assistance in applying for financial aid, encouragement and support. The price paid by the federal government for these programs has been a relatively small one and I urge the subcommittee to support them.

Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, I hope you will give these comments due consideration, and I thank you for your time.

Senator HARKIN. Senator Craig, thank you very much for your appearance here. Your statement, I did not say before, will be made a part of the record in its entirety. I just repeat to you what I said to Senator Exon about impact aid. Obviously it is a Federal responsibility, and especially in States like yours where the Federal presence is so heavy in terms of land ownership, displacing the taxing base of the States. So, I am sure that we will do our best to meet our responsibilities in that area.

In some of these other areas, again, it is just a question of competing dollars with other programs. The TRIO Program has had a lot of support from members of this subcommittee on both sides, over a long period of time. There is a slight increase in the budget request for next year. There is no cut in national youth sports. It is left, basically, the same as last year. With displaced homemakers, there was no request for any funding there, but we are going to look at that. It passed last year-very late in the year? Senator CRAIG. Yes.

Senator HARKIN. We could not get anything into it, but we are going to take a look and see if there might be something this year. Senator CRAIG. Good.

Senator HARKIN. But, again, I plead with you as I do everyone else. The budget constraints are almost impossible on this subcommittee in trying to meet health, education, human services, and other requirements, it gets pretty tough.

Senator CRAIG. All important.

Senator HARKIN. Yes; all important. I appreciate your testimony and your support of these programs very much, Larry. Thank you. Senator CRAIG. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.

Senator HARKIN. Thank you, Senator Craig.

STATEMENT OF AMBASSADOR HARRY G. BARNES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CRITICAL LANGUAGES AND AREA STUDIES CONSORTIUM Senator HARKIN. The next witness is the Honorable Harry G. Barnes. Ambassador Barnes is executive director of the Critical Language and Area Studies Consortium. And welcome, Ambassador Barnes, to the subcommittee, I appreciate seeing you again, Harry.

Ambassador BARNES. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Those of us who have served in the Foreign Service like to believe that we learn the value of time, and therefore, brevity and precision. Although, as diplomats, we are sometimes accused of not being able to give a straight answer to a straight question. I prefer to say that we try to express ourselves as accurately and clearly as possible, which is what I want to try to do today.

To put it bluntly, we Americans know too little about the rest of the world, and all to often, neither understand others nor, make ourselves understood. There is no doubt now about the importance of Japan, nor certainly for the last 8 months, at least, of the Middle East. Both areas represent languages that are difficult to master and cultures not easy to understand. So the study needs to start much earlier than college. And yet there are not more than a few dozen high schools that teach Arabic, and only about 600 that teach Japanese.

I know from my own experience of learning languages how much difference it makes to be able to communicate in someone else's language, and we will simply fool ourselves if we think the rest of the world will go on learning English indefinitely, or that we cannot sell better in another language, whether it is ideas or goods and services.

There are a number of organizations which have been working to stress the importance of Americans becoming competent in other languages such as the Joint National Committee on Languages. The Critical Languages and Area Studies Consortium, which I represent, for its part, is focusing specifically on four of the most critical: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian. We have already undertaken, with foundation support, innovative programs in Arabic and Chinese.

Your committee, Mr. Chairman, recognized the importance of this area in last year's bill by appropriating funds under general existing legislation for critical language training, and urging that funds be made available for programs of the consortium. On both matters, however, the Department of Education has yet to act. This session, bills have been introduced in both Houses with provisions to authorized more targeted attention to critical languages and area studies. Given the need for more young Americans to be able to communicate around the world in areas critical to our country, I ask the committee to continue the consistent support for critical languages training, and also to provide funding for demonstration grants, once they are authorized, hopefully later this year.

Mr. Chairman, I hope that fits within the time limits.

Senator HARKIN. I appreciate it very much, Mr. Ambassador. Just reviewing what we did on this last year, we put in the report

language and funds were provided, $1 million for critical languages and area studies programs. Now we have legislation pending now, right, authorizing language?

Ambassador BARNES. There is new authorization language in the works, yes.

Senator HARKIN. And that would be coming through both our committee on the Senate side, my committee there, and then from the House side.

Ambassador BARNES. It is a question-excuse me, Mr. Chairman-of both existing general legislation, but new authorizing legislation which would be more specific.

Senator HARKIN. Well, as I have told you before in private, it is an area that you are right on target on this. I do not know why we fall so far behind in some of these critical languages. I understand that during the Middle East crisis, it was a scramble just to find people that even understood some of these basic languages over there.

Ambassador BARNES. That is correct.

Senator HARKIN. The State Department could not even find them. They were scrambling around looking for people that understood these languages.

Ambassador BARNES. It makes every sense to try to begin to make an investment now. We should have done it some years ago. Senator HARKIN. And in the critical areas of the Far East, where more and more—we are going to be dealing with Pacific rim counthes, and those languages, as you say, are somewhat complex, although I do not think Japanese is all that complex, and maybe Chinese. But we are just not teaching those languages. So I side with you and I hope that we can get the authorizing language done, and hopefully we can keep this effort going.

PREPARED STATEMENT

Ambassador BARNES. I hope so, too. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity. It is a pleasure to see you again in this incarnation.

Senator HARKIN. Thank you very much, Mr. Ambassador. [The statement follows:]

STATEMENT OF HARRY G. BARNES JR.

Mr. Chairman, those of us who have served in the Foreign Service like to believe that we learned the value of time and therefore of brevity and precision, though as Epsomats we are sometimes accused of not being able to give a straight answer to a straight question. I prefer to say that we try to express ourselves as accurately and clearly as possible, and that's what I want to do today.

To put it bluntly, we Americans know too little about the rest of the world and ali too often can neither understand others nor make ourselves understood. There ano doubt about the importance of Japan nor, certainly for the last eight months, of the Middle East. Both areas represent languages that are difficult to master and Litures not easy to comprehend, so that study needs to start much earlier than colege And yet there are not more than a few dozen high schools that teach Arabic and approximately six hundred that teach Japanese. I know from my experience of warning languages how much difference it makes to be able to communicate in someone else's language. And we will simply fool ourselves if we think the rest of the world will go on learning English indefinitely or that we can't sell better in another language whether it is ideas or goods and services.

There are a number of organizations which have been working to stress the im portance of Americans becoming competent in other languages, such as the Joint

National Committee on Languages. CLASC, which I represent, is focusing specifically on four of the most critical: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and Russian; and we have already undertaken, with foundation support, innovative programs in Arabic and Japanese. Your committee, Mr. Chairman, recognized the importance of this area in last year's bill by appropriating funds under more general existing legislation for critical languages training, which however, the Department of Education has not yet acted upon. In addition, bills have been introduced in both houses this session with provisions to authorize more targeted attention to critical languages and area studies. Given the need for more young Americans to be able to communicate around the world in areas critical to our country, I ask the committee to continue its consistent support for critical languages training and to provide funding for demonstration grants once they are authorized, hopefully later this year.

Senator HARKIN. We welcome Senator Gorton to the subcommittee.

Senator GORTON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

STATEMENT OF GERALDINE DIETZ FOX, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FRIENDS OF NIDCD, INC.

ACCOMPANIED BY:

RACHEL DUBIN, STUDENT, THE PARK SCHOOL, BALTIMORE, MD CAITLAND PARTON, STUDENT, NEW YORK CITY, NY

MELODY JAMES PARTON

Senator HARKIN. Next is Geraldine Dietz Fox, accompanied by Rachel Dubin and Caitlin Parton, Friends of NIDCD.

Well, welcome again to the subcommittee, Geraldine. Your statement will be made a part of the record in its entirety. We want to welcome Rachel again.

Ms. DUBIN. Thank you.

Senator HARKIN. You have new glasses. So do I. And this is Caitland?

Miss JAMES. Caitland Parton.

Senator HARKIN. Caitland Parton. Hi, Caitland.

Miss PARTON. Hi.

Senator HARKIN. Well, Geraldine, welcome to the subcommittee. Please proceed.

Ms. Fox. Thank you, Senator Harkin, Senator Slade Gorton, and staff, Mike Hall, Margaret Stuart, Peter Reineke, Bobby Silverstein, Craig Higgins, Bettilou Taylor, Nancy Anderson, and Santo Manos. It is wonderful to back here. This is my fifth year of testifying and I am always grateful for your kindness and your generosity in supporting the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Thanks to your faith in us, and your nurturing of this Institute, this year we are expecting an explosion of 560 applications for grants. And this is double what it was when we started 2 years ago. And this will allow us a success rate of 42 percent of funding approved grants.

The professional judgment budget is $201 million and as I say, it will allow us a success rate. Our Director, Dr. James B. Snow, Jr., has said that, "We are in the midst of an accelerating period of discovery." And my written testimony discusses all of the things that we have accomplished this year. But I have brought special guests to you, and I do not want to take a lot of time today.

Rachel, you know. And she is hear to introduce 52-year-old Caitland Parton. Rachel?

Miss DUBIN. Good morning, Chairman Harkin. Today I am pleased to be here for my third appearance before this sub

« PreviousContinue »