Congressional Record—Senate S1888
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
S1888 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE March 8, 2006 the International Partnership on Avian vancement Act—is so important. This violent video games has a negative ef- and Pandemic Influenza. bill will create a single, coordinated re- fect on youth. We know that these Additionally, the administration search program at the Center for Dis- games are damaging to children. We should identify particularly vulnerable ease Control. It will study the impact need to take the decision to buy them regions or countries, and provide de- of electronic media on children’s—in- out of the hands of children and put tailed plans for how the international cluding very young children and in- that decision back in the hands of par- community can support efforts in these fants’—cognitive, social and physical ents. That is what S. 2126 would do, and regions or countries through both bi- development. I look forward to working with my col- lateral and multilateral mechanisms to The CAMRA Act will help answer leagues in the Senate to move that bill. help mitigate or alleviate the potential critical questions about the myriad ef- I am so pleased that we are taking impact of avian flu. fects media has on childhood develop- this step forward today with CAMRA, Assisting the countries of Africa in ment. One area we need to look at par- and I am hopeful that it will be speed- preventing more widespread trans- ticularly is the effect of exposure to ily approved by the full Senate. It is mission of the deadly H5N1 virus media on infants. Research tells us one step to ensure that children in should be a critical priority. It is in the that the earliest years of a child’s life America grow up safely. interest of millions of the world most are among the most significant for his f vulnerable populations in some of the or her brain development. But we need INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION AND poorest countries, and it is also in our to know what forms of media—if any— FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES interest that we help prepare regions contribute to healthy brain develop- like Africa to head off a humanitarian ment for babies. Is it OK to put a baby Mr. SARBANES. Mr. President, I tragedy that could easily spread to our down in front of the TV? Are videos take this time to draw to the attention own backyards. helpful or harmful when it comes to of my colleagues a significant report, f children’s cognitive and emotional de- released on February 9, 2006 in Wash- CHILDREN AND MEDIA RESEARCH velopment? Today we don’t know. ington, DC, by the Committee for Eco- ADVANCEMENT ACT In December the Kaiser Foundation nomic Development, CED, a group of published a report finding ‘‘no pub- some 200 business leaders and several Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, I lished studies on cognitive outcomes university presidents. thank Chairman ENZI and Senator from any of the educational videos, The CED statement, ‘‘Education for KENNEDY for placing S. 1902, the Chil- computer software programs, or video Global Leadership: The Importance of dren and Media Research Advancement game systems currently on the market International Studies and Foreign Lan- Act CAMRA, on the calendar today. I for children ages 0–6.’’ These products guage Education for U.S. Economic and appreciate their commitment to the are more and more popular. You can National Security’’, asserts that the health and welfare of children. I also United States will be less competitive want to thank the co-sponsors of this see them marketed to new parents ev- erywhere. We should know what their in the global economy because of a bill, Senators LIEBERMAN, BROWNBACK, effect is on young children and infants. shortage of strong foreign language SANTORUM, BAYH, and DURBIN for being The CAMRA Act will also spur re- and international studies programs in such leaders on this issue, and my fel- search on the effect of media on chil- our colleges and high schools and low Senators on the HELP Committee dren’s physical development. Since warns, too, that the lack of Americans for their support for this legislation. In educated in foreign languages and cul- addition, I thank two groups, Common 1980, the proportion of overweight chil- tures is hampering efforts to counter Sense Media and Children Now, for dren has doubled and the rate for ado- terrorist threats. raising awareness of the effect media lescents has tripled. During that same time period, the number of advertise- The cochairs of the CED sub- has on children’s development. And fi- committee that produced the report nally, I express thanks to two research- ments for unhealthy food that children are Charles E.M. Kolb, President of ers, Dr. Michael Rich of the Center for see annually has exploded. CED; Alfred T. Mockett, CED trustee, Media and Child Health at Harvard In the 1970s, children saw 20,000 com- former chairman and CEO, CGI–AMS, University Medical School, and Dr. mercials a year. Today, they see 40,000. Inc.; and another CED trustee, Dr. Sandy Calvert of the Children’s Digital Is this a coincidence or is there a direct John Brademas, president emeritus of Media Center at Georgetown Univer- link? We need answers to these ques- New York University and former Mem- sity. Both Dr. Rich and Dr. Calvert tions. In December, the Institute of ber—1959–1981—of the U.S. House of have been great advocates for CAMRA. Medicine called for ‘‘sustained, multi- Representatives from Indiana. I thank them for sharing their exper- disciplinary work on how marketing Dr. Brademas brought long and dis- tise and support. influences the food and beverage Last year the Kaiser Family Founda- choices of children and youth.’’ tinguished experience to his respon- tion released a report showing dra- CAMRA will help get us there. sibilities as cochair of the CED sub- matic changes in the way young people The bill I introduced with Senators committee. A member of the House of consume media, and confirming that LIEBERMAN, BROWNBACK, SANTORUM, Representatives from 1959 to 1981, he children use electronic media an ex- BAYH, and DURBIN included pilot served throughout those years on the traordinary amount. On average, chil- projects to look at the effect of media House Committee on Education and dren are spending 45 hours a week— on young children, and to look at food Labor and for 10 years chaired its Se- more than a full-time job—with media. marketing and obesity. Although those lect Subcommittee on Education. He Young people today are not just projects were not included in this man- played a major role in writing the land- watching television or playing video ager’s package, I continue to be very mark education legislation of that pe- games, they are increasingly ‘‘media pleased with the bill. It’s a step for- riod, including the Elementary and multi-tasking,’’ using more than one ward for children. And I look forward Secondary School Act and the Higher medium at a time and packing a grow- to working with my colleagues in other Education Act, and he was the author ing volume of media content into each venues to ensure that the pilot projects of the International Education Act of day. According to Kaiser, a full quarter get done. 1966. of the time children are using media, But CAMRA is just one step. We need The recommendations in the CED Re- they are using more than one type at to do more so children grow up in a port include teaching international once. safe media environment. In December content across the curriculum and at This new pattern of media consump- Senators LIEBERMAN, BAYH, and I in- all levels of learning, to expand Amer- tion presents twin challenges. Parents troduced S. 2126, the Family Entertain- ican students’ knowledge of other face new obstacles to monitoring their ment Protection Act, which would pre- countries and cultures; expanding the children’s media consumption. And vent children from buying and renting training pipeline at every level of edu- children are exposed to a media envi- ultra violent and pornographic video cation to address the paucity of Ameri- ronment with an unknown impact. games. cans fluent in strategic languages, es- That is why the CAMRA Act—the There is enough research out there pecially critical, less commonly taught Children and the Media Research Ad- now to show conclusively that playing languages; national leaders—political VerDate Aug 31 2005 02:13 Mar 09, 2006 Jkt 049060 PO 00000 Frm 00030 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G08MR6.033 S08MRPT1 ycherry on PROD1PC64 with SENATE March 8, 2006 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S1889 leaders as well as the business and phil- I add that the tragedies of 9/11, Madrid, national studies and the history, languages anthropic communities and the London, Bali and Baghdad must bring home and cultures of other nations.’’ media—should educate the public to us as Americans the imperative, as a mat- President Clinton and then First Lady Hil- lary Rodham Clinton accepted our Commit- about the importance of improving ter of our national security, of learning more about the world of Islam. tee’s recommendation to hold a White House education in languages other than Here I note that only one year ago, the US Conference on ‘‘Culture and Diplomacy’’. English and in international studies. Department of Defense, recalling the launch NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR DEMOCRACY Mr. President, I ask unanimous con- by the Soviet Union of Sputnik in 1957, As for seven years, chairman of the Na- sent to have printed in the RECORD the brought together leaders from government, tional Endowment for Democracy, the feder- remarks of Dr.