Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2020

Floor Speech

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Mr. CICILLINE. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, a recent study found that only about 36 percent of Americans would be able to pass a multiple choice test with questions from the U.S. citizenship test on it, while another study found that only 26 percent of Americans are able to name all three branches of government.

These numbers are not only startling on their own, but they also correspond with historically low opinions of the Federal Government and record low voter turnout rates. Currently, only nine States in this country require students to complete 1 year of education in civics or government, while 10 States have no civics education requirement at all.

Across the country, school districts are expressing concern over the need for greater civics education. Last year, 74 percent of superintendents expressed that preparing students to become engaged citizens was a challenge.

In African American and Hispanic communities, students are twice as likely to score low on national civics assessment tests as White students. And a similar gap exists between wealthy and poor communities as well.

These are all signs that point to a growing crisis in civic and political engagement in younger Americans, and unless action is taken against students engaged in their government, disenchantment with the electoral process and disinterest in the issues that will increasingly shape their future and the future of our Nation will continue to grow.

Congress needs to show a commitment to strengthening civics education programs throughout our country in order to reverse the trend. My amendment would provide an additional $500,000 for national activities in civics and history education under title 2 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

Evidence demonstrates that effective civics education can have a significant impact on young people. Students who receive effective civics education develop strong critical thinking skills, are more likely to take an active role in their government, and are much more likely to volunteer or become more involved in their communities. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, students who participate in civics education during high school are significantly more likely to graduate from college.

I am hopeful that this modest increase will show that we are ready to move in the direction of preparing young people in this country to be more engaged with the world around them and ensure that they are invested in strengthening our democracy.

I urge my colleagues to adopt the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield the balance of my time to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee).

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