Statements On Introduced Bills And Joint Resolutions

Floor Speech

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By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr. Burr):

S. 1129. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to local educational agencies to improve college enrollment; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, an educated workforce is crucial to the success of the American economy. A recent report from the consulting firm McKinsey, ``The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America's Schools,'' concludes that if America had raised the educational attainment of our students to those of high-performing nations like Finland and South Korea between 1983 and 1998, U.S. G.D.P. in 2008 would have been between $1.3 trillion and $2.3 trillion higher than it is today. If the gap between low-income American students and American students of higher means had been narrowed, G.D.P. in 2008 would have been $400 billion to $670 billion higher.

If we want to be economically competitive and avoid future recessions, we need to close the achievement gap in education for all Americans. In his first speech to Congress, President Obama set a goal of having the highest college graduation rate in the world by 2020. Too many students are not receiving a college education, and we will have to do far better to reach the President's goal.

Of students who were in eighth grade in 2000, only 20 percent of the lowest-income students will earn a college degree by 2012, compared to 68 percent of the highest income group. Every student who wants to go to college should have that opportunity, and we should provide them with the tools they need.

Today, I am introducing the Pathways to College Act with Senator Burr, which creates grants for school districts to help them increase the number of low-income students who are entering and succeeding in college.

Lack of guidance and information about college has a real effect on students in poor schools. The Consortium on Chicago School Research released a report last year, ``Potholes on the Road to College,'' that looks at the difficulties Chicago Public School students face during the college application process. The Consortium discovered that only 41 percent of Chicago Public School students who wanted to go to college took the steps necessary to apply to and enroll in a 4-year college. Only one-third of students enrolled in a college that matched their qualifications. Of the students who had the grades and test scores to attend a selective college, 29 percent went to a community college or skipped college entirely.

The Pathways to College Act would create a grant program for school districts serving low-income students to increase their college-enrollment rates. The Consortium's ``Potholes'' report found that the most important factor in whether students enroll in a four-year college is if they attended a school where teachers create a strong college-going culture and help students with the process of applying. The Pathways to College Act would provide the funding to help school districts improve the college-going culture in schools and guide students through the college admissions process.

The Pathways to College Act provides flexibility to school districts to achieve higher college enrollment rates, but requires that each school accurately track their results so we can learn from what works. Chicago Public Schools is doing a great job--both in tackling the problem and in documenting progress. Under the leadership of Arne Duncan, Chicago Public Schools responded aggressively to the ``Potholes'' report.

A team of postsecondary coaches were deployed in high schools to work with students and counselors. To ensure that financial aid is not a roadblock, FAFSA completion rates are tracked so that counselors can follow-up with students. A spring-break college tour took 500 students to see colleges across the country. Because Chicago Public Schools tracks its college enrollment rates, we know that their efforts are working.

Half of the 2007 graduating class enrolled in college, an increase of 6.5 percent in 4 years. The national increase was less than 1 percent in the same time-frame. Nationally, the number of African-American graduates going to college has decreased by 6 percent over the last 4 years while the Chicago rate has increased by almost 8 percent.

Applying to college is not easy. Low-income students often need the most help to achieve their college dreams. When schools focus on college and provide the tools to get there, students make the connection between the work they are doing now and their future goals in college and life. Students in those schools are more likely enroll in college and are also more likely to work hard in high school to be prepared for college when they arrive. The bill we are introducing today tries to ensure that lack of information never prevents a student from achieving his or her college dream.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the RECORD

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By Mr. DURBIN:

S. 1143. A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish various programs for the recruitment and retention of public health workers and to eliminate critical public health workforce shortages in Federal, State, local, and tribal public health agencies and health centers; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, the people who work in public health are responsible for some of the most important jobs that protect the lives and health of ordinary Americans. The scope of public health includes preventing the spread of communicable diseases and pandemics, managing the health system's response to biological and chemical attacks, fighting food-borne illnesses, assisting communities in preparing for disasters, and promoting best health practices.

The recent outbreak of Influenza A H1N1 virus reminds us how much we depend on the people who work in public health. This virus has infected thousands of people and caused nearly a hundred deaths worldwide. The American people have looked to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and their State and local health departments to collect data, monitor the threat, provide accurate information, and prepare to respond if the situation worsens. But even when a pandemic or other widespread threat is not imminent, the public health workforce remains on the front lines in promoting healthy lifestyles and preventing chronic disease.

Our ability to prevent, respond to, and recover from a pandemic or other health challenges depends largely on a strong pipeline of public health professionals. Unfortunately, a critical--and growing--shortage of public health workers is putting our nation at risk.

The Association of Schools of Public Health recently reported that there were 50,000 fewer public health workers in 2000 than there were in 1980. In my home State of Illinois, the average Illinois Department of Public Health worker is 48 years old, and 39 percent of the staff will be eligible to retire within 5 years. Compounding this problem is the fact that 13 percent of agency positions are vacant, and when a new hire is found, the average age is 41. The ``graying'' workforce and weak pipeline of new public health graduates are problems across all levels of government. Nearly half of the federal employees in occupations critical to U.S. biodefense will be eligible to retire by 2012.

We cannot stay on the same trajectory in the future. We are not educating enough people in public health to replace retiring public health workers, and the salaries for those who do work in public health disciplines are not competitive with comparable employment in the private sector. The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials reports that in 2004, most of the approximately 6,400 graduates from accredited schools of public health took jobs in the private sector.

I am pleased to introduce the Public Health Workforce Development Act of 2009 today to help address this challenge. This legislation provides several common-sense solutions to develop a strong pipeline of public health professionals. This bill would provide scholarships to students going into public health and provide loan repayment for current public health workers in exchange for a commitment to additional years of service in public health.

The legislation also encourages states to set up their own public health training programs and creates a scholarship program for mid-career professionals to maintain or upgrade their training. Finally, it creates an online clearinghouse of public health jobs available in the Federal Government. Together, these programs will help attract young people to a career in public health and give current public health professionals incentives to remain in the field in the long-term

Our health care system today focuses too much on treating sickness, at the expense of preserving wellness. As the process of health reform moves forward, two key concerns are improving health care quality, while holding health care costs down. To do this, we need to focus on wellness, preventive care, and effective management of chronic conditions, all of which are hallmarks of the public health system. This bill will help maintain a strong and effective public health system by alleviating the dangerous shortage of public health workers

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record

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