The US House of Representatives formally recognized this year's celebration of National Arts in Education Week during a session on September 11, 2019. Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine, who also serves as co-chair of the bi-partisan Congressional Arts Caucus, offered the following remarks to mark the occassion:

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize Arts in Education Week. As children return to school from their summer vacations, I’m reminded that true education must go beyond language arts and math. It must include daily access to creative subjects like dance, poetry, visual arts, and theatre. 93% of Americans agree. The arts are a vital part of a well-rounded education. And when schools make the investment, we see ripple effects across students’ lives. A student involved in the arts is four times more likely to be recognized for academic acheivement. They are three times more likely to win an award for school attendance and are elected to class office more than three times as often as their peers. We must do much to ensure that every child can access arts education. In the most recent appropriations bill passed by this chamber, we included a $6 million increase for arts in education at the Department of Education. I’m proud to work with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to support this program and will push to preserve strong increase in any final spending bill. Thank you.”