In the 106th Congress, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee included FLAP in its mark-up of S.2, its ESEA reauthorization bill. However, the House did not include it in any of their five separate reauthorization bills. Last November, the Senate Subcommittee on International Security, Proliferation and Federal Services held two hearings on the nation's foreign language crisis. Representatives from the CIA, FBI, and the State and Defense Departments testified on the crisis our nation faces in addressing future language requirements and the importance of improving language education in schools as a crucial stepping-stone in the development of the language proficiency the nation requires. Former Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley and education professionals highlighted the value of early language education and current programs such as FLAP in developing proficiency at the levels needed by federal agencies.
Language also plays a crucial role in today's economy.
In an increasingly global world, Americans who speak multiple languages will have an edge in the international job market. For our children to succeed in the 21 st century, they need to speak other languages and know other cultures. The Foreign Language Assistance Program is a step in this direction. FLAP is an important, successful program. I am writing to ask you to support FLAP during the reauthorization process.