Dollars and Cents -- March 8, 2012

A Note from Congressman Carson

Dear Friend:

As we sit around our dinner tables, the most common conversations for American families often revolve around money. Families talk about how they'll meet their financial goals, how they'll pay their bills, or how they'll pay for college for their kids or retirement for themselves. It's a complicated discussion to have, and it's filled with challenges.

According to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, more than half of American adults rate themselves as only "fair" or "poor" in terms of financial literacy (their understanding of personal finance and money management.) Problems with financial literacy are often passed down to children by parents who think students are learning financial skills in school, when, in reality, only 30% of teachers are actually incorporating these lessons into the curriculum.

That's why earlier this week, I introduced the Young Americans Financial Literacy Act – a bill that would promote the development and implementation of effective financial literacy curricula and educational models for students ages 8-24.

I believe that by strengthening financial literacy throughout the country, we take important steps towards improving our economy and empowering Americans. You can learn more about this bill by clicking below. Please feel free to write me back and share your thoughts on the legislation.

Best,

André

The Inside Scoop

New Legislation

Congressman Carson has introduced H.R. 891, the Young Americans Financial Literacy Act – a bill that seeks to promote the development and implementation of effective financial literacy education through grants provided by the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Grants would be available to partnerships of universities, non-profits, school systems, and financial institutions that collaborate to strengthen financial literacy curricula and education programs. For the full release on the Young Americans Financial Literacy Act, click here.

Congressman Carson has also introduced H.Res. 91, calling for a nationally designated Rare Disease Day in the U.S. Each year in February, the international community comes together to recognize the importance of drug research and development and to raise awareness about the effects that rare diseases have on families. Learn more about Rare Disease Day here.

Try Your Hand at Balancing the Federal Budget

Think you can balance the Federal Budget? Give it a try with American Public Media's Budget Hero, a budget-balancing simulator that lets you try out fiscal policies to see how they'll play out over the next 20 years.

White House Tours Put on Hold

Due to staffing reductions resulting from sequestration, the White House Visitors Office has announced that all White House Tours will be canceled effective Saturday, March 9, 2013. Unfortunately, affected tours will not be able to be rescheduled. The Office of Congressman André Carson will not be able to take White House Tour requests until further notice.