[Page H7605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   RECOGNIZING ARTS IN EDUCATION WEEK

  (Ms. PINGREE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. PINGREE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Arts in Education Week.
  As children return to school from their summer vacations, I am 
reminded that true education must go beyond language arts and math. It 
must include daily access to creative subjects like dance, poetry, 
visual arts, and theater.
  Ninety-three percent of Americans agree: The arts are a vital part of 
a well-rounded education, and when schools make the investment, we see 
ripple effects across students' lives. A student involved in the arts 
is four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement; 
they are three times more likely to win an award for school attendance 
and are elected to class office more than three times as often as their 
peers.
  We must do more to ensure every child can regularly access arts 
education. In the most recent appropriations bill passed by this 
Chamber, we included a $6 million increase to support Arts in Education 
at the Department of Education.
  I am proud to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to 
support this program and will push to preserve a strong increase in any 
final spending bill.

                          ____________________