Julia Brownley: “My amendment, the Biliteracy Education Seal and Teaching Act, would amend H.R. 5 to encourage and incentivize bilingual…”

“My amendment, the Biliteracy Education Seal and Teaching Act, would amend H.R. 5 to encourage and incentivize bilingual education for our students across the country. Specifically, my amendment would establish a grant program at the Department of Education to provide resources for States to create or to expand State biliteracy seal programs to recognize high school seniors who achieve a high level of proficiency in writing, reading, and speaking in English and in a second language. Students who speak more than one language have a competitive edge in the American job market. As businesses look to expand into overseas markets and serve a wider range of customers and as the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the demand for students with valuable language skills is increasing. It is not only the private sector that needs young people with language skills. The Federal Government also has a direct and compelling interest in ensuring that our young people become proficient in foreign languages. Our military, our diplomats, and our intelligence agencies are increasingly seeking to recruit young people with proficiency in a foreign language.…”