[Pages H3267-H3271]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

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RECOGNIZING AND SUPPORTING GOALS AND IDEAS OF AMERICAN YOUTH DAY

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
concurrent resolution (H.R. 124) recognizing the importance of children
in the United States and supporting the goals and ideas of American
Youth Day.
The Clerk read as follows:

H. Res. 124

Whereas national evidence indicates that America's youth
are faced with oppressive issues, such as violence, drugs,
abuse, and even family stress, causing the future of the
youth of the United States, and therefore the future of the
Nation, to be at risk;
Whereas youth in America, regardless of their economic
status, ethnic or cultural heritage, or geographic location,
are experiencing the pressures caused by contemporary
society;
Whereas although Americans realize the challenges of
today's busy lifestyles and balancing work schedules and
youth activities, they remain committed to education,
physical fitness, and civic-mindedness;
Whereas it is imperative that the people of the United
States act willfully and purposely to secure a positive
future for the Nation by devoting time to youth, sharing
traditions, and communicating values to children in an effort
to sustain ongoing relationships with caring adults;
Whereas America's Promise--The Alliance for Youth, founded
by Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, is one of the Nation's
most comprehensive nonprofit organizations dedicated to
building and strengthening the character and competence of
youth by mobilizing the Nation to fulfill the organization's
``Five Promises'' for young people:
(1) ongoing relationships with caring adults;
(2) safe places with structured activities during nonschool
hours;
(3) a healthy start and future;
(4) marketable skills through effective education; and
(5) opportunities to give back through community service;
Whereas the citizens of the United States will celebrate
American Youth Day and encourage all youth organizations to
participate annually on a Saturday near the beginning of the
school year; and
Whereas American Youth Day will provide opportunities for
America's youth to reclaim the values which foster trust and
build better communication and which will encourage parents,
grandparents, and extended families to recognize the
importance of being involved in the physical and emotional
lives of their children: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) recognizes the importance of youth to the future of the
United States;
(2) supports the goals and ideas of American Youth Day; and
(3) encourages the people of the United States to
participate in local and national activities that seek to
fulfill the Five Promises to America's youth, as established
by America's Promise--The Alliance for Youth.

The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shays). Pursuant to the rule, the
gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle) and the gentleman from California
(Mr. George Miller) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle).

General Leave

Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on H. Res. 124.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Delaware?
There was no objection.
Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Res. 124, a
resolution which recognizes the importance of children and supports the
goals and ideals of American Youth Day, offered by the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Crenshaw), my colleague.
In the next 24 hours, 1,439 teens will attempt suicide; 2,795 teenage
girls will become pregnant; 15,006 teens will use drugs for the first
time; and 3,056 teens will run away. That is within a 1-day period.
Without a doubt, teens cope, as we all did, with major physical
changes, emotional ups and down, peer pressures and a changing
identity; but they are also confronted by a more complex and impersonal
society where drugs and alcohol are easily available and tragedies,
such as violence and disease, often strike close to home.
In this time of growth and uncertainty, I strongly believe that our
children need a caring adult to help them resist negative influences
and make positive life choices.
America's Promise, the Alliance for Youth, is one organization which
recognizes the importance of strong, positive relationships between
young people and adults. Chaired by Secretary of State Colin Powell,
America's Promise is based on five promises designed to help strengthen
the character of our children and give them the opportunity to mature
into successful and responsible adults.
The promises are simple enough. They seek to ensure that every young
person has an ongoing relationship with caring adults, but they also
attempt to provide every child a safe place to go before and after
school, a healthy start into the future, a quality education, and an
opportunity to build their neighborhoods and schools through community
services.
Of course, a warm and caring family atmosphere is the most important
factor in helping our young people resist negative influences, but
researchers have found that many relationships are needed in a child's
life. In fact, recent studies have demonstrated that youth who have
relationships with older role models outside the family, such as
teachers, coaches and neighbors, can help develop the broad spectrum of
personal resources they need to become healthier and more caring
adults.
Like many States across the Nation, the number of single-parent and
two working-parent families in my State of Delaware is increasing. As a
result, there is a growing need for mentors and our mentoring programs,
in cooperation with organizations like Big Brothers/Big Sisters and
local businesses are organizing a campaign to ensure that every child
in Delaware who wants a mentor gets a mentor.
According to the Delaware youth who participated in these programs,
having a mentor means having a trusted friend who cares about them,
listens to them. Not surprisingly, children that have mentors or adults
involved in their lives are 46 percent less likely to start using
drugs, 27 percent less likely to start using alcohol, and 53 percent
less likely to skip school.
If we are to continue to enjoy unprecedented freedom and prosperity
as a Nation, we need to look at our collective future through the eyes
of our children, for they will be responsible for navigating the
challenges and opportunities of the new century. Only through the
encouragement, structure, and caring provided by parents, adults and
organizations such as America's Promise can we help our children
realize their potential and make the world a better place for us all.
Mr. Speaker, this resolution rightly recognizes the importance of our
children and the need for all Americans to mark American Youth Day
through the formation of new relationships with the young people in
their lives.
Mr. Speaker, I commend the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Crenshaw) for
his resolution, and I urge an aye vote.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such
time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Crenshaw), my colleague, for bringing H. Res. 124 forward today.
The ideals embodied in this resolution promoting American Youth Day
that children and youth are to be valued and that we have a
responsibility to provide them with the resources they need to secure a
healthy and promise future are not to be taken lightly.
Too often, Congress overlooks the needs of our Nation's young people.
We somehow fail to make the issues of young people a priority, and we
somehow fail to make an adequate investment in their development and
well being.
Too often, we also find public programs for young people focus on the
problems of youth. In turn, we wind up with a lot of programs and
policies that react to the negative behaviors, like juvenile
delinquency or teenage pregnancy.
That is not to say that we should ignore these problems, nor can we.
In the communities across the country, children are faced with numerous
obstacles which prevent them from reaching their full potential.
If you just look at the children in this Nation who are impoverished,
in

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1999 there were over 12 million youth under the age of 18 who were
poor. In spite of low unemployment, my own State of California has one
of the highest rates of child poverty among the States, ranking 45th
out of the 50 States and the District of Columbia. The gap between
high- and low-wage earners in California is the fifth largest among the
States.
With much of the job growth that we have in the next 5 years
concentrated in low-paying positions, six out of 10 of those jobs are
expected to pay under $8 an hour, many working families will continue
to have a difficult time making ends meet and to provide for their
children.
Affordable housing, nutritious food, quality childcare, quality
health care, in fact, are out of reach of many of these families.
In the area of health care, California youth have less access to
health care than their counterparts in other States; 21 percent of the
children and teens are uninsured as compared to 15 percent nationally.
Less access to health care means that children are less likely to be
immunized and less likely to receive well-child care. One study found
that uninsured children are 3\1/2\ times as likely as insured children
to go without needed health care, including medical, surgical, dental
care, prescription drugs, eyeglasses and mental health care, all of the
things that we know are important to children performing well in our
schools, to take an advantage of the opportunities for success that
were presented to them.
Without this kind of health care coverage, without access to this
kind of diagnosis, these children's chances to succeed are greatly
diminished.
Two out of three California youth in need of mental services do not
receive those services. The teen unemployment rate for youth is 13.1
percent; particularly troubling is the unemployment rate for black
teens of 24.7 percent.
In 1999, one out of six of the 16-year-olds to 19-year-olds in
California who were looking for work could not find a job. That is why
this resolution is important to call attention to these matters.
In the area of youth crime, nationally we see the juvenile crime rate
is declining; but yet again, my home State of California ranks 48 out
of 50 States and the District of Columbia for the percentage of youth
detained in the California Youth Authority, county camps, juvenile
halls, and private institutions. For too many of these youth, this
incarceration will greatly diminish their chances in later life.
Twenty-two percent of the violent crimes in the U.S. are juveniles,
and children under the age of 12 make up approximately a quarter of the
juvenile victims known to police.
Tomorrow, the Subcommittee on Select Education will begin work on
reauthorizing the Juvenile Justice and the Delinquency Prevention Act
to address several of these issues. Yet the need for these programs
take a more positive approach to youth still exists.
We must accentuate the positive possibilities that we can bring to
these children's lives. An overwhelming body of research has
demonstrated that we need to do more to foster positive youth
development, to build social and emotional competence and to link young
people with adult mentors.
H. Res. 124 is a step in the right direction, and Congress has the
opportunity to do even more to ensure that all of these children and
the purposes of this resolution are carried out and have access to the
core five principles stated in this resolution.
H.R. 17, the Younger Americans Act, which I have introduced with the
gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Roukema), represents the next step.
The Younger Americans Act was built around the same five pillars of
youth development as found in H. Res. 124, helping youth to access
ongoing relations with caring adults, to have safe places, to have a
healthy start and future, and education and community service
activities.

H.R. 17 provides communities the resources they need to achieve the
very goals we are setting out for them in today's resolution. H.R. 17
has 49 cosponsors, Democrats and Republicans; and there is a companion
measure in the Senate.
The Younger Americans Act establishes a national policy on youth
development and assists communities in developing an infrastructure and
network for local initiatives that promote the positive goals and
outcomes for youth.
The Younger Americans Act promotes youth development programs that
work, such as mentoring, teen employment programs, after-school
learning activities, and recreational activities.
It encourages youth-led activities that encourage self-esteem and
character development. It does not create new programs; instead, it
reinforces, reinforces youth development initiatives that already exist
at the local levels in the communities all across this country.
The bill has a vast national coalition of supporters, including
Secretary of State and former Joint Chiefs of Staff Colin Powell, the
Boys and Girl's Club of America, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the National
Urban League, America's Promise, the Child Welfare League of America,
the United Way, the National Mental Health Association and many, many
other organizations.
The Younger Americans Act ensures that all children and youth can
benefit from youth development programs and have access to education,
health and economic resources they need to realize their potential.
Mr. Speaker, if we are to call upon the communities to celebrate
American Youth Day, then Congress must do its part.
This resolution should be just the beginning, and I commend the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Crenshaw) for his efforts; and I hope that
this resolution will receive unanimous support in the House of
Representatives today. Mr. Speaker, I also invite the gentleman and
many of our other colleagues to join me and the gentlewoman from New
Jersey (Mrs. Roukema) in supporting the next step, passage of the
Younger Americans Act.
The Younger Americans Act will ensure that every day is American
Youth Day. This is a commitment that this Nation must make. It is a
commitment that this Nation cannot afford not to make. Mr. Speaker, I
want to again say how much I appreciate this resolution being brought
to the floor, because it is time for this Congress to stop, think and
to reflect, and for this Nation to stop, think and reflect about the
opportunities, the potential that exist in each of our children as they
are born; and then the question will be whether or not that child will
be in a position to take advantage of the opportunities for success.
Because almost each and every one of these children is capable of doing
that.
Mr. Speaker, if they do not have the access to a caring adult, if
they do not have access to health, to education, to civic involvement
in our communities, then their chances for those opportunities and
taking advantage of those opportunities are greatly diminished. That is
why we should pass this resolution today, and that is why the Congress
should then take the next step, which is the passage of the Younger
Americans Act.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Crenshaw), the sponsor of the resolution.
Mr. CRENSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to offer for House
consideration H. Res. 124. This simple proposal encourages communities
all across the Nation to set aside 1 day each year to honor
organizations and individuals that take the time to help young people,
especially those who are vulnerable to negative influences and at risk
of falling through the cracks, help these young people fulfill their
dreams.
For all its wealth and prosperity, in recent years America has been
suffering from what I call problems of the soul, where courts and
Congress do not have any jurisdiction. So many of our neighbors have
lost their moral compass and need help finding their way again when it
comes to moral values. This is most true when it comes to our young
people.
Nowadays, children are exposed to serious drug and alcohol use,
violence, gang influences, and sexual activity at younger and younger
ages. Popular culture through music, videos, television and the movies
often exposes young people to images and ideas that would have been
unthinkable for their age group only a few years ago.
There no longer seems to be a period in young people's lives when
kids can

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just be kids. Mr. Speaker, it make no difference what their race, their
gender, their ethnicity. These negative images and influences make no
distinction and no prejudices; all young people are fair game.
So it is incumbent on each and every one of us to offer our time and
energy and love to children to provide positive role models and
influences to young people to give them guidance and hope.
American Youth Day would honor those who have already made this
commitment and encourages others to do the same. In particular, the
resolution focuses on an organization that has captured the imagination
and sparked the enthusiasm of millions of Americans with its little red
wagon symbol that I am wearing on my lapel. It is called America's
Promise, the Alliance for Youth.
America's Promise was founded by Secretary of State Colin Powell as
an outgrowth of the President's Summit for America's Future in 1997.
Then General Colin Powell answered the call of his Nation, as he has
done before in uniform, and founded an organization that would partner
with businesses, government, and nonprofit organizations to make and
fulfill five promises for all of America's youth.
And since then, more than 550 communities and State partners have
joined with America's Promise to act on this commitment. In addition,
nearly 500 national organizations representing diverse interests,
purposes, and locations have partnered with America's Promise.

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America's Promise, the Alliance for Youth, is building and
strengthening the character and competence of youth by mobilizing the
Nation to fulfill five simple promises. Each of us has organizations
and individuals in our communities that exemplify the commitment to
these promises. In my district in northeast Florida, there are hundreds
of groups that expend their time and energy for this good cause,
fulfilling these promises to America's young people. I would like to
name just a few outstanding examples of how they live up to each of
these promises.
The first promise is providing young people ongoing relationships
with caring adults. Since opening its center in Flagler and Volusia
Counties, the Pace Center for Girls has served over 300 girls, helping
them to recognize their own self-worth.
The second promise is providing safe places with structured
activities for young people during non-school hours. This year the
Jacksonville Children's Commission will provide over 3,000 children
with scholarships to attend the summer camps of their choice.
The third promise, giving young people a healthy start and future. At
the I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless, young people can see
pediatricians and pediatric nurses, many from the University of Florida
Pediatric Residency Program, and get the special care they need.
The fourth promise, helping young people gain marketable skills
through effective education. A group called PowerUP tries to connect
people to the Internet and give them access to technology and
technology-related education and opportunity to explore computers that
ordinarily would not have a chance to do that.
And the fifth promise, providing opportunities to give back through
community service. There is an Optimist Club in northeast Florida that
sponsors youth antidrug campaigns and public speaking contests with
special emphasis on fostering responsible citizenship and activity
within the community.

ongoing relationship with caring adults

It is no longer purely anecdotal that just having a caring and
involved adult in his or her life can make a real difference for the
future of a young person. Youth with mentors are 46% less likely to
start using drugs; 27% less likely to start using alcohol; 33% less
likely to hit others; and 52% less likely to skip school.
Flagler and Volusia Counties: Pace Center for Girls, Inc.--Young
girls sometimes face added negative pressures from society which
severely impact their self-esteem. Unfortunately, just as with young
boys, the lack of a feeling of value to those they look up to is often
just the beginning of their troubles. In particular, it can lead to
promiscuous sexual activity, which in turn can end in pregnancy or
disease, changing the path of that girl's future forever. Since opening
its center in Flagler and Volusia Counties in July 1996, the Pace
Center has served over 300 girls, helping them to recognize their own
self-worth. The Pace Center's volunteers and trained staff show them
through example and friendship how to ``celebrate a life defined by
responsibility, serenity, and grace.'' In fact, one of my staff in
addition to raising her own two sons, gives her time and love to the
girls at the Pace Center.

safe places with structured activities during non-school hours

The most influential time in a young person's life occurs every day
between the hours of 3 and 8 PM. It is then, when parents are often at
work, that children are most vulnerable to the influences of popular
culture and peer pressure. If we can just give them a safe place to be
during those hours with positive influences and productive activities,
such as tutoring, arts and crafts, or sports, we can teach them
behaviors and attitudes that they will carry with them for years to
come.
Duval and Nassau Counties: Boys and Girls Clubs of Northeast
Florida.--There are more than 2,850 Boys and Girls Clubs nationwide.
They provide young people of all ages with an environment flooded with
positive influences, strong adult role models, and constructive
activities. In Northeast Florida, these clubs work with their local
school boards to put a particular emphasis on learning. In fact, many
of the tutors and mentors who participate in their programs as
volunteers are teachers by profession. Their success has been
phenomenal. Most of the 8th Grade students who participate in the
programs in Nassau County have seen such vast improvements in their
testing scores, that their school's state-conferred grade rose from a C
to an A. And, since learning does not always mean sitting down and
reading from a book or solving a math problem, at the Boys and Girls
Club in Nassau County, which was only established a year ago, the
volunteers and supporters are working with the County to establish a
10-acre park for the young people they serve.
Duval County: Jacksonville Children's Commission.--The Commission
primarily serves as an umbrella organization helping groups all around
the Jacksonville area provide services to young people. But one program
that they have undertaken themselves has proven enormously popular and
successful is their Summer Camperships Program. This year, the
Commission will provide over 3,000 children with scholarships to attend
the summer camps of their choice. The children must earn this
scholarship by getting good grades, but the lure of summer camp can be
a powerful incentive to work hard. The Summertime offers just that many
more hours for getting into mischief. The Summer Camperships gives
children who would otherwise have no other options than hanging around
on the street corner the chance to participate in structured and fun
activities.

a healthy start and future

Young people who lead healthy and active lives are better prepared to
learn in school and better prepared to begin down the road to a
productive adult life.
Duval County: I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless.--There is
perhaps no group of young people facing an uphill battle than those who
are homeless, and homelessness has been noted to be a direct predictor
of specific childhood illnesses. In fact, homeless children are found
to be in fair or poor health twice as often as other children, suffer
50% more ear infections, and are hospitalized twice as much. At the
I.M. Sulzbacher Center for the Homeless, young people can see
pediatricians and pediatric nurses--many from the University of Florida
Pediatric Residency Program--and get the special care that they need.
The staff there help the parents to gain access to Medicaid and SCHIP
and other government programs for which their children qualify but they
don't even know about. They also provide back to school physicals so
homeless children can meet school requirements for entry. Furthermore,
the Center teaches young people about the importance of proper
nutrition and exercise, which can lead to long-term behavioral changes
and healthier, longer lives.
Flagler and Volusia Counties: Pace Center for Girls.--In addition to
teaching girls to love themselves and have hope for their futures, the
Pace Center shows girls the value in living a healthy and drug-free
life with its outdoor adventure program. This program helps young girls
to incorporate exercise into their daily lives. The Pace Center also
has a pregnancy prevention program, as well as an intervention program
to help young girls who are already pregnant or parenting. The Pace
Center takes an holistic approach to their intervention program,
involving the fathers of the girls' babies as well to ensure the best
possible outcome for the young parents and their child.

marketable skills through effective education

Education--whether it is to purely academic or also vocational
training--really is the key to a brighter future. But, that's not
always the message that young people are getting. This is particularly
true for young people who come

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form disadvantaged backgrounds or families that are trapped in a cycle
of illiteracy and stunted education or schools that fail to provide
them with a safe and effective learning environment. These young people
even more than their peers need to be reminded that it's not where you
come from, but where you want to go; that they can achieve most any
goal they set so long as they put their minds and souls into it; and
that there are people in their neighborhoods who want to help them
succeed.
Duval County: Communities in Schools.--The Communities in Schools
program serves young people in nearly 300 communities in 28 states
across the country. In Jacksonville, Florida, the effort includes
mentoring children in several public middle schools and vocational
programs. The volunteers who make this program so successful operate
under the motto: ``Help young people learn, stay in school, and prepare
for life.''
Duval County: PowerUP.--It cannot be denied that skills and
experience in information technology and other high-tech resources are
needed to compete in the job market. But, those resources are
expensive, and parents who lack financial wherewithal to provide their
children with access to them need help. Those children lack access to a
bright new world of possibilities. PowerUP is dedicated to bridging the
digital divide by giving children who would otherwise lack access to
technology and technology-related education the opportunity to explore
computers, the Internet, and new technologies. The State of Florida--
which was recently named fifth in the nation in the number of high-tech
jobs created in 2000 by the American Electronics Association, was
PowerUP's first public partnership. Earlier this year, Governor Jeb
Bush announced 24 sites where PowerUP programs will be available to
young people between the ages of 6 and 18 in our inner cities. One of
those sites which will soon be up and running is in Jacksonville, which
is in the midst of a severe shortage of just this kind of skilled
labor.

opportunities to give back through community service

It can be as simple as providing a positive role model. By showing
young people how good it makes us feel to lend them a guiding hand,
those young people may turn around and seek that same feeling by
helping others around them. But sometimes, it is an orchestrated effort
to instill in young people a positive vision for their communities and
a desire to really make a difference.
Nassau County: Fernandina Beach Optimist Club.--The Optimist Club
considers itself a ``friend to youth.'' Its members raise money to
provide children with a wide variety of important programs to improve
young attitudes and minds, such as scholarships and team sports. But,
they also sponsor youth anti-drug campaigns and public speaking
contests with a special emphasis on fostering responsible citizenship
and activity within the community.
Mr. Speaker, many of us recognize the little red wagon that Colin
Powell chose as the symbol for America's Promise as a reminder of a
more innocent time when children were given a chance to be children.
Giving every child a little red wagon might make them happy for a day
or two, but giving them the moral equivalent of that little red wagon,
a caring adult, a nurturing environment, and hope for a brighter future
can make them happy for a lifetime.
In closing, I would like to read from a letter I recently received
from Governor Marc Racicot, the new Chairman of the Board for America's
Promise. He said, ``I was grateful to learn of your support of
America's Promise and the work we are doing. As you know, our goal is
to make youth the number one national priority, and House Resolution
124 will help accomplish that. I also appreciate you shaping the bill
around the framework of the five promises in America's Promise. We
truly believe this will work.''
Finally, Mr. Speaker, just let me thank my colleagues for their
strong support. I encourage each of us to make a commitment to honor
the groups and individuals in their communities that have made a
commitment to young people by celebrating American Youth Day in their
districts.
Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record the letter from Governor Racicot
I just referred to.

America's Promise,

Alexandria, VA, June 8, 2001.
Hon. Ander Crenshaw,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Congressman Crenshaw: Thank you for your kind letter
welcoming me to America's Promise. I am delighted and honored
to lead an organization doing such important work for young
people.
I was grateful to learn of your support of America's
Promise and the work we are doing. As you know, our goal here
is to make youth the number one national priority, and H.
Res. 124 will help accomplish that.
I also appreciate you shaping the bill around the framework
of the Five Promises and America's Promise. We truly believe,
and research proves, that this is the right solution. Your
bill will help us share our message with millions and we are
thankful for the opportunity.
Thank you for your dedication to youth and for your
leadership in Congress on this important national priority. I
very much look forward to working with you on legislation to
build the character and competence of our nation's young
people.
With best wishes,
Sincerely,
Marc Raciot,
Chairman.
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance
of my time.
Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Keller), and wish to thank our earlier speaker, the
sponsor of the bill, another gentleman from Florida (Mr. Crenshaw).
Mr. KELLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the resolution
introduced by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Crenshaw), a fellow
Floridian.
Today we are recognizing the importance of children in the United
States and supporting the goals and ideas of American Youth Day.
America's Promise, the nonprofit organization created by Secretary of
State Colin Powell, is dedicated to building and strengthening the
character of children by fulfilling five promises.
The first of those promises is to provide mentoring programs
throughout this country, and it is that promise that I would like to
direct my remarks to today. Specifically, I would like to talk about
the educational and crime prevention benefits of mentoring.
First, the educational benefits, and I will tell my colleagues why it
is so important to me. I had the happy privilege of serving as the
volunteer chairman of the board of the Orlando/Orange County Compact
Program, which is the largest mentoring program in the State of
Florida. I also had the privilege of serving as a mentor myself to two
students at Boone High School. From these experiences, I learned
firsthand how important mentoring is.
In the State of Florida, we had a big problem. We had the worst
graduation rate in the country, with only 53 percent of our students
graduating from high school. We decided to do something about it by
starting this Compact Mentoring Program, which matches up students at
risk of dropping out of high school with business people, sort of like
a Big Brother, Big Sister program. The results were dramatic. Over the
last 10 years, 95 percent of the children in the Compact Mentoring
Program have graduated from high school, The number one graduation rate
in the country.
Let me give an example, so we are not just dealing with statistics. A
young man, 16 years old, African American, named Lenard, went to an
inner-city school called Jones High School. He had been arrested for
selling drugs, was making D's and F's, was skipping school, and said he
was going to drop out. He said he would be in the Compact Mentoring
Program on one condition; ``Just don't give me a white mentor.''
Well, to help Lenard reach out a little bit, we assigned him a white
mentor, an AT&T executive named Paul Hurley. He worked with Lenard
every week, developed a friendship and, to make a long story short, by
his senior year, Lenard's grades went up, his attendance went up, and
he went on to become Orange County Student of the Year for the Compact
Program.
In his senior year, Lenard won two tickets to the Orlando Magic
basketball game. He called his mentor and said, ``Hey, I just won two
front row tickets to the big game tonight.'' His mentor said, ``That's
great. Why don't you invite your best friend.'' Lenard said, ``That's
why I called you.''
Mentoring truly does make a difference one person at a time. That is
why I joined with the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Osborne), or Coach
Osborne, earlier this year in sponsoring the Mentoring for Success Act,
which now will become law, as it passed in H.R. 1 over in the Senate as
part of the President's education reform will.
In summary, recognizing America's Youth Day and fulfilling the five
promises will make a meaningful difference

[[Page H3271]]

in the lives of young people, will prevent crime, will save us money,
and I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this important resolution.
Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished
gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Roukema).
(Mrs. ROUKEMA asked and was given permission to revise and extend her
remarks.)
Mrs. ROUKEMA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Delaware (Mr.
Castle) for yielding me this time, and I do want to identify myself
with the compelling statements made by both the gentleman from Delaware
(Mr. Castle) and the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller).
They made compelling statements for the need for this resolution, and
not only this resolution but going on to other legislation that can
help implement our goals here. Certainly they have been outlined very
well here, the critical resources that we need, and identified in
America's Promise, founded by Secretary of State Colin Powell.
As people can observe, we have been referencing the little red wagon,
but it is important to understand that this is more than just a symbol.
It is a way of translating into action. And to quote Secretary Powell,
he said, ``The little red wagon could be filled with a child's hopes
and dreams or weighed down with their burdens. Millions of American
children need our help to pull that wagon along. Let us all pull
together.'' That is a good way of stating it. And of course I want to
congratulate the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Crenshaw) for spotlighting
this need.
I want to stress, as I believe the gentleman from California (Mr.
George Miller) stressed, and I want to identify myself with the next
step. This is only a first step. The next step, the really promising
step, is to implement the legislation H.R. 17, the Younger Americans
Act, and put into law the rhetoric of this particular resolution.
I want to advise the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller)
that I will do everything I can to work with my House leadership on
this side of the aisle to expedite consideration of the Younger
Americans Act and hopefully get it enacted this year or in this
Congress.
Again, I thank the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle), I thank the
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Crenshaw), and all those working here, but
it has to be more than rhetoric. We have to translate this into action
and promise for America's youth.
Mrs. CLAYTON. Mr. Speaker, today's youth are the future of this
country. However, the children of this country today are faced with
many more difficult and dangerous situations than any previous
generation. They are in need of strong guidance and leadership from
adults in their community. America's Promise helps the children of
America develop the skills they need in order to be the leaders of
tomorrow.
American Youth Day will provide an opportunity for citizens to
recognize one specific day as a day to devote to the youth of this
country. It will allow the communities to become aware of the ``Five
Promises'' that America's Promise has made to our children.
Each one of the ``Five Promises'' represents an essential way to
assist the youth of this country. Children need to build strong
relationships with caring adults in order to learn how to become caring
adults themselves. They need places to go and things to do during
nonschool hours so that they are not left alone without supervision.
They deserve a healthy start and an equal opportunity for a prosperous
future. They need the chance to learn the types of skills that they
will need in the job market. And they need to learn the joy of giving
back to the community through service.
We must do all that we can to support the youth of this country. They
need more than just the guidance of their parents. They need the
support of their communities. And they need an education system that
will recognize each child as an individual, one that will adapt to the
specific needs of each child.
One way to allow the education system to meet the needs of a greater
number of people is the reform of the GED program. The GED does not
give individuals the increased earning power that a high school diploma
gives. We need to improve the GED program to allow those individuals
who decide to pursue a GED the types of skills that employers look for
today.
The youth of today need our assistance. I rise today in strong
support of H. Res. 124 and American Youth Day and I urge my colleagues
to do the same.
Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the resolution
introduced by Representative Crenshaw to establish American Youth Day.
As a long-time teacher, mentor, and coach of young people, I have seen
the difference that caring adults can make in the lives of our young
people. I believe that the principles set forth by H. Res. 124 will
help our country to provide a better environment for the development of
young people.
This resolution would encourage communities to set aside a Saturday
prior to the beginning of the next school year in order to participate
in activities that highlight our children and share their successes in
our communities where there is a commitment to youth. One of the
commitments our communities can make to youth is to provide support
through mentoring. A mentor can make an enormous difference in the life
of a child by providing a strong positive role model for that child.
I have known many young people who testify that they have become the
successful people they are today because caring, involved, qualified
mentors took the time to get involved in their lives. I was recently
able to help include a mentoring program that I introduced in H.R. 1,
the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. This
program would provide $50 million in competitive grants to mentoring
programs across the nation that work to link children with mentors who
have undergone background checks and are interested in working with
youth. Although ESEA and the appropriations process is far from over, I
hope that several hundred thousand young people will benefit from this
grant program.
This resolution would also serve to highlight the accomplishments of
hundreds of youth organizations around the country--including 4-H and
others--that work full-time, year round to provide healthy
opportunities for young people. Additional investment in programs that
serve young people and provide them with healthy, constructive
activities--the type of investment encouraged by the Younger Americans
Act, of which I am a cosponsor--would help extend opportunities to even
more of our country's youth.
Investment in our children is probably the best investment we can
make. While a child's potential and self-esteem cannot be measured by a
bottom-line, the cost of incarceration and absenteeism far outweighs
the cost of investing in youth programs. In my state of Nebraska, it
costs $21,219 per year to incarcerate an offender in the Nebraska State
Penitentiary and $29,200 per year to house an arrested juvenile.
Supporting our young people as they navigate the challenging terrain
of becoming adults is such a worthwhile and rewarding effort. H. Res.
124 is a great first step. I strongly support H. Res. 124 to create an
American Youth Day and I encourage my colleagues to do the same.
Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the
balance of my time.
Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shays). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Delaware (Mr. Castle) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, House Resolution 124.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.

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