Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions
During a Senate session for statements on newly introduced bills, Democrats introduced several measures. Senator Schumer introduced S. 5632, which would prohibit the closure of federal records centers. Senator Durbin introduced S. 5634, and Senator Padilla spoke in support of the Supporting Providers of English Language Learning (SPELL) Act, which would provide additional student loan forgiveness for bilingual teachers and teachers of English learners, saying about ten percent of public school students are English learners and more trained teachers are needed in high-need schools. No debate or opposing remarks occurred during these introductions.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .
“I am introducing a bill to stop federal records centers from closing, and I want the text printed in the official record.”
“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, as follows: S. 5632. A bill to amend title 44, United States Code, to prohibit the closure of Federal records centers, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.”
Official Congressional Record
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, as follows: S. 5632. A bill to amend title 44, United States Code, to prohibit the closure of Federal records centers, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
“I am introducing a bill to give more student loan forgiveness to bilingual teachers and teachers of English learners. I ask that the bill be printed in the Record.”
“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, as follows: S. 5634. A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide additional amounts of loan forgiveness to teachers of English learners and teachers of bilingual and dual language immersion students, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.”
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, as follows: S. 5634. A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide additional amounts of loan forgiveness to teachers of English learners and teachers of bilingual and dual language immersion students, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
“I want the Senate to pass my bill to forgive up to $17,500 in student loans for teachers who work with English learners in high-need schools. Many students are learning English, but we do not have enough trained teachers for them. This bill will help bring more teachers into these classrooms.”
“Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the Supporting Providers of English Language Learning, SPELL, Act, which I introduced today. English learners are one of the fastest growing student populations in the country. Across the United States, about 10 percent of all publc school students are English learners. In California alone, nearly 19 percent of all public school students identify as English learners. Yet we are facing a devastating shortage of teachers with the skills needed to support these students. If we do not address this shortage, the achievement gap for this vulnerable group of students will continue to grow. Educating students learning English requires specialized instruction and unique teacher strategies. If we are going to meet the needs of these students, we need to facilitate the training and retention of high-quality teachers for our English learners. The SPELL Act, would amend the Higher Education Act to provide up to $17,500 in Federal student loan forgiveness for teachers of English learners, bilingual students, or dual immersion students in high-need schools. This would match the level of loan forgiveness offered to teachers of other in-demand subjects such as math, science, and special education. By lessening the financial burden on prospective English learner teachers, we can help incentivize a greater number of passionate and highly qualified teachers to enter and stay in the classroom. As a Senator representing one of the most diverse States in the country with the most English learners and as an English learner myself, I am proud to work with my colleagues to push forward legislation to support our teachers. I want to thank Representative Espaillat for introducing this bill in the House, and I hope our colleagues will join us in supporting our English learner teachers and students.”
Official Congressional Record
Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the Supporting Providers of English Language Learning, SPELL, Act, which I introduced today. English learners are one of the fastest growing student populations in the country. Across the United States, about 10 percent of all publc school students are English learners. In California alone, nearly 19 percent of all public school students identify as English learners. Yet we are facing a devastating shortage of teachers with the skills needed to support these students. If we do not address this shortage, the achievement gap for this vulnerable group of students will continue to grow. Educating students learning English requires specialized instruction and unique teacher strategies. If we are going to meet the needs of these students, we need to facilitate the training and retention of high-quality teachers for our English learners. The SPELL Act, would amend the Higher Education Act to provide up to $17,500 in Federal student loan forgiveness for teachers of English learners, bilingual students, or dual immersion students in high-need schools. This would match the level of loan forgiveness offered to teachers of other in-demand subjects such as math, science, and special education. By lessening the financial burden on prospective English learner teachers, we can help incentivize a greater number of passionate and highly qualified teachers to enter and stay in the classroom. As a Senator representing one of the most diverse States in the country with the most English learners and as an English learner myself, I am proud to work with my colleagues to push forward legislation to support our teachers. I want to thank Representative Espaillat for introducing this bill in the House, and I hope our colleagues will join us in supporting our English learner teachers and students.
