In this speech Congressman Pucinski reviews the outlook for bilingual education in the United States. He reminds us that the gains that have been made in the past two or three years "are impressive in their intent," but that we must renew our dedication to this ideal or lose "the initial momentum which has been so long in the making." Although there were programs for non-English speakers underway in several states, and although Federal committees were working at the national level to study bilingual problems, the Bilingual Education Act of 1967 was a milestone of progress toward bilingual-bicultural education. Wide bipartisan support was given the bill and 310 preliminary applications for aid were filed under its provisions, proving that bilingual education was an idea whose time had come. The fiscal realities of the year 1969 were to prove disappointing, however. Although $30 million was authorized for 1969, only $7.5 million was finally available. "The need has been recognized but the legislation has yet to be translated into a real fiscal commitment." We must therefore concentrate our efforts and resources on three major problems: changing state laws forbidding instruction in languages other than English, developing suitable bilingual materials, and, most importantly, preparing teachers to participate in bilingual programs. The public should support Congressional action to fund such projects. (JD)