Editorial Notebook: Congress Should Not Forget the Young

It is a sad commentary on American society when it takes a rash of school violence--on the level of that seen at Columbine High--for our Congressional leaders to truly understand the degree to which our young people are calling out for help. One out of five Americans under the age of 18 now live in poverty, a level as high as that of 1968, despite the tremendous economic prosperity we are experiencing. And government efforts to provide services to young people have been too limited to make a significant impact.

In this context, it is even more sad that the Republican Congress is still dragging its feet on meaningful legislation that would make a real difference in the way that our government is administering youth services in America. They still have a chance, however, in the approaching lame-duck congressional session--only the ninth such session convened this century--to make constructive progress on this issue. Now is the not the time to squander the opportunity or the hard work that has gone into moving toward a positive solution.

The introduction of the Younger Americans Act this September was a promising start to shaping a policy for the federal government that is thoughtful, comprehensive and holistic in its support of our nation's young people. The bill, which is widely supported by youth development groups, social service providers and community-based organizations would add some teeth to Congressional rhetoric about valuing future generations. In fact, it would appropriate $5.75 billion dollars over the next five years to the development and execution of more effective programs in the areas of substance abuse, depression, teen apathy, eating disorders, youth violence and a whole host of other concerns that cause crises in the lives of younger Americans.

Even if the $5.75 billion figure is too much for the Republican leadership to stomach, the spirit of the bill is crucial at this time of national crisis. Congress has the opportunity to give real direction and cohesion to the often-haphazard national youth development policies, that have been managed by the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development and Justice without much collaboration or united vision.

Indeed, one of the most meaningful aspects of this important legislation is the creation of an Office of National Youth Policy within the Executive Office of the President. This office would have an Advisory Council with four of its 12 members to be under 21. Finally, our nation would display a real commitment to listening to young people themselves instead of simply postulating as to the issues that are affecting their lives.

Furthering its credibility as a viable piece of legislation is the fact that this bill has bipartisan support. It brought together some strange bedfellows in the liberal Sen. Edward M. Kennedy '54-'56 (D- Mass) and the conservative former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Colin Powell, director of the community-centered service organization America's Promise.

That these thinkers have joined together to support this bill serves as a testament to the overarching nature of the problem and the urgency that Congress should employ as it undertakes this pressing endeavor.

There is no doubt that the time for action is now. However, we are coming dangerously close to missing our chance. Within weeks Congress will reconvene for a final lame duck session. However, the bill is currently stuck in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension Committee as well as the House Education and the Workforce Committee, both of whose Republican chairs have failed to the get the bill to the floor.

It is time for the 106th Congress to put its commitment where its rhetoric lies, and report these bills out to full session. After these years of devastation and heartbreak, that is the least that our young people deserve. Or was Columbine not enough?