ACTION ALERT

Update On Riggs Anti-Bilingual Education Bill

 

HR 3892 " The English Language Fluency Act"

 

HR 3892, "The English Language Fluency Act" was scheduled to be voted on by the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, August 6, 1998. The bill was suddenly pulled from the list of scheduled bills around 9:00 p.m. Thus, Congress adjourned for the August recess without voting on the bill.

 

We anticipate the bill will be taken up for a vote sometime between September 10 and October 9, 1998. The bill already went through the Rules Committee. The following amendments to the bill will be considered:

 

1) Riggs (R-CA) amendment includes a

 

· Hold Harmless provision (still abolishes all current grantees but allows money to continue to the states)

· Evaluation measures of programs will be designed to assess oral language proficiency;

 

2) Bonilla (R-TX) amendment strikes the requirement mandating testing of all LEP students with English Standardized Achievement Tests;

 

3) Hayworth (R-AZ) amendment adds a sentence stating the Act will not limit the preservation or use of Native American languages as defined in the Native American Languages Act;

 

4) Mink (D-HI) amendment clarifies that a state educational agency may also serve as a local educational agency;

 

5) N. Smith (R-MI) amendment allows for providing family literacy services;

 

6) Scott (D-VA) amendment strikes the section voiding all past consent decrees/voluntary compliance agreements; and

 

7) D. Young (R-AK) amendment defines an English Language Learner as "a Native American or Alaska Native who is a native resident of outlying areas and comes from an environment where a language other than English has had a significant impact."

 

The full text of the amendments can be accessed at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d105:HR03892:@@@L

 

Although there have been a number of amendments offered, NO AMENDMENT or number of amendments can fix this bill. LULAC opposes the bill in its entirety.

 

Status of Support Among Members in Congress

 

The following Democrats are reported to be leaning towards voting FOR (supporting) the bill:

 

Virgil Goode (VA)

William Lipinski (IL)

Brad Sherman (CA)

The following Democrats are reported to be undecided:

 

Rep. Rick Boucher (VA)

Rep. Bud Cramer (AL)

Rep. Bart Gordon (TN)

Rep. James Maloney (CT)

Rep. Collin Peterson (MN)

Rep. Owen Pickett (VA)

Rep. Gene Taylor (MS)

Rep. James Barcia (MI)

Rep. Pat Danner (MO)

Rep. John Dingell (MI)

Rep. Lee Hamilton (IN)

Rep. Mike McIntyre (NC)

Rep. Lynn Rivers (MI)

Rep. Norman Sisisky (VA)

Rep. James Traficant (OH)

Rep. Peter Visclosky (IN)

Rep. Sidney Yates (IL)

 

The following Democrats are reported to be leaning toward opposing the bill but have not given a commitment:

Rep. Marion Berry (AR)

Rep. Allen Boyd (FL)

Rep. Eva Clayton (NC)

Rep. Peter DeFazio (OR)

Rep. Jane Harman (CA)

Rep. Joseph Kennedy (MA)

Rep. McCarthy (MO)

Rep. Paul McHale (PA)

Rep. James Moran (VA)

Rep. Earl Pomeroy (ND)

Rep. Nick Rahall (WV)

Rep. Ike Skelton (MO)

Rep. Jim Turner (TX)

 

No Republican member of Congress has committed to oppose this bill. The following Republican members voted AGAINST establishing English as the official language of the U.S. in 1996:

 

Henry Bonilla (TX)

Lincoln Diaz-Balart (FL)

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL)

Connie Morella (MD)

Joe Skeen (NM)

 

The following Republicans should be contacted given the demographics of their district:

ARIZONA

Matt Salmon (Tempe)

Bob Stump (he is a co-sponsor of the bill)(Phoenix)

John Shadegg (Phoenix)

Jim Kolbe (Tucson & Sierra Vista)

J.D. Hayworth (Mesa, Flagstaff)

 

COLORADO

Scott McInnis (Pueblo, Grand Junction, Durango)

Bob Schaffer (La Junta, Ft. Collins, Greeley)(already voted for the bill twice in committee)

 

FLORIDA

Bill McCollum (Orlando)

Clay Shaw (Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach)

 

NEVADA

John Ensign (Las Vegas, Henderson, won by 50% )

 

NEW MEXICO

Heather Wilson (Albuquerque) (Stated in her election platform she was opposed to English-Only)

Bill Redmond (Santa Fe)

Joe Skeen (Roswell, Las Cruces)

 

TEXAS

Kay Granger (Ft. Worth)

Mac Thornberry (Amarillo, Wichita)

Henry Bonilla (San Antonio, Laredo, Del Rio)

Larry Combest (Lubbock, Amarillo, Odessa)

 

CALIFORNIA

Richard Pombo (Stockton, Rancho Cordoba)

George Radanovich (Fresno)

California Cont.

William Thomas (Visalia, Bakersfield)

Elton Gallegly (Oxnard)

Buck McKeon (already voted for bill twice)

James Rogan (Pasadena)

David Dreier (Covina)

Steve Horn (Lakewood)

Ed Royce (Fullerton)

Jerry Lewis (Redlands)

Jay Kim (Ontario, Yorba Linda)

Ken Calvert (Riverside)

Mary Bono (Palm Springs, Mareno Valley)

Dana Rohrabacher (Huntington Beach)

Christopher Cox (Newport Beach)

Ron Packard (Vista, San Clemente)

Brian Bilbray (San Diego)

Randy "Duke" Cunningham (Escondido)

Duncan Hunter (El Cajon, Imperial, Ramona)

 

Talking Points on HR3892

 

HR 3892 is the bill sponsored by Rep. Riggs (R-CA) which:

 

• Eliminates Federal Support for Teacher Training Programs
• Lowers Standards and Expectations for Limited-English Proficient Students
• Repeals the Immigrant Education Act
• Replaces Title VII, the Bilingual Education Act with a Loosely-Structured Block Grant to States.
  The bill block grants Title VII funds to states based on the number of LEP/immigrant children in the state. Under this proposal, needy school districts will receive even less money as the bill does not require states to distribute funds in accordance with need or merit.
• Violates the Civil Rights of Language- Minority Children HR 3892 would void all past and current voluntary compliance agreements regarding bilingual education.
• HR 3892 Infringes the Ability of Local Schools to Make Critical Decisions on Appropriate Curriculum and Assessments
• HR 3892 creates a federal mandate requiring all LEP students to "master the English language" in two years. A two-year time limit sets artificial and arbitrary limits that would prevent classroom teachers and local administrators from doing what is best for each child and are contrary to research on the time needed for children with limited English proficiency to achieve the mastery of English necessary for academic success.
• Eliminates Technical Support for Local Schools, Parents, and Teachers. The bill eliminates the National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education, which is an invaluable resource for teachers, administrators, parents and students. NCBE's website is contacted 3 million times a year for information.

 

Fiscal Year 1999 Funding for Bilingual Education Programs

 

Congress is currently in the process of allocating funding for important domestic programs like education. For fiscal year 1999 (FY99), the President requested $387 million for ESEA Title VII, a $33 million increase in funding ($232 million for bilingual programs, $150 million for immigrant education, and $5 million for foreign language instruction).

The Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill denied the $33 million increase requested by the President's budget. The increase would have boosted instructional services by $8 million and professional development by $25 million.

 

The bill also placed RESTRICTIONS on bilingual education programs. The appropriations bill:

 

·deletes the provision in current law limiting to 25% the amount of funding that can be used for programs that do not use the student's native language. The appropriations bill restricts funding to programs that emphasize a "rapid transition" to English.

 

·limits any student's participation in a federally-funded bilingual education program to two years. Two additional one year extensions are permissible based upon a student-by-student waiver by the Secretary of Education.

 

·gives preference for issuing new and continuation grants under current law to programs that successfully transition students with limited English proficiency into all English-only classes within two years.

 

You can see the complete bill and House report at Http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d105:HR04274:@@@L|/bss/d105query.html|

The full House of Representatives will vote on HR 4274 in September. The Senate Appropriations Committee will consider their appropriations bill on September 1, 1998. The full Senate will likely vote on their version of the education funding bill by September 10, 1998. The Labor, HHS, and Education appropriations bill should be signed into law by October 1, 1998, the start of the 1999 fiscal year.

 

Now is the time to send the message that education must be a priority in this Congress

 

During the month of September, contact your representatives in Congress and urge them to support increased funding for bilingual education and to oppose the House restrictions on bilingual education. It is especially important to contact the following Senators on the Appropriations Committee:

 

Senate Appropriations Committee

S-128 Capitol Building, Washington, DC 20510 (202) 224-3471

Internet Home Page: http://www.senate.gov/~appropriations/

 

Republicans (15)

Ted Stevens, AK, Chairman

Thad Cochran, MS

Judd Gregg, NH

Arlen Specter, PA

Robert Bennett, UT

Pete V. Domenici, NM

Ben Nighthorse Campbell, CO

Christopher "Kit" Bond, MO

Larry Craig, ID

Slade Gorton, WA

Lauch Faircloth, NC

Mitch McConnell, KY

Kay Bailey Hutchison, TX

Conrad Burns, MT

Richard Shelby, AL

 

Democrats (13)

Robert Byrd, WV, Ranking Member

Daniel Inouye, HI

Tom Harkin, IA

Ernest Hollings, SC

Barbara Mikulski, MD

Patrick Leahy, VT

Harry Reid, NV

Dale Bumpers, AR

Patty Murray, WA

Frank Lautenberg, NJ

Byron Dorgan, ND

Barbara Boxer, CA

Herbert Kohl, WI

 

Action Needed

 

Members of Congress have gone home to work in their districts from August 7, 1998 through September 9, 1998. Please contact your own representative and urge him/her to OPPOSE HR 3892. Contact the members of Congress listed above and urge them to OPPOSE HR3892.

• Invite your Member of Congress to tour a school or college. Let Members see for themselves the positive contributions federal dollars make to your school. Simply send a short letter of invitation, and follow up with the district office scheduler.
• Contact your local media.
• Write a letter-to-the-editor, call radio talk shows, or generate interest in the issue among local newspaper, radio, or television news reporters.
• Share this information with students, teachers, parents and other education and community leaders.
• Generate community action by making a presentation at a local meeting, speaking with friends and colleagues, and simply distributing this packet.
• Contact other organizations you belong to and urge them to actively oppose HR3892.
• Many LULAC members belong to other membership organizations or professional associations such as the teacher's unions, school boards associations, etc. Please urge your other organizations to actively oppose this legislation. Request a copy of any correspondence sent to Congress.
• Participate in the Stop The Squeeze On Education-Invest in America's Future
• Call-in Day, Tuesday September 15, 1998

Congress is poised to squeeze needed increases in education funding out of the fiscal year 1999 budget. America's students need your help. Contact your Representative, Senators and the President to let them know that increased investment in education must be a top budget priority. On Tuesday, September 15, 1998, join education advocates across the country to send the message: stop the squeeze on education, invest in America's future. Click here for a sample letter.