October 13, 1998 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE H10819 can build the bridges of learning for ISSUES YET TO BE SOLVED IN penny of the surplus until the Social our students to cross over this bridge THE DO-NOTHING CONGRESS Security Trust Fund is strengthened to the 21st Century like we are building The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under through the 21st Century. infrastructures, roads, and bridges in the Speaker's announced policy of Jan- But the Republicans did not want to our towns and in our cities. uary 7, 1997, the gentleman from New deal with that. They did not want to Yes, the President's initiative is one Jersey (Mr. PALLONE) is recognized for deal with Social Security. They did not that we embrace, members and com- 60 minutes as the designee of the mi- care about Social Security. They just missioners on the National Commis- nority leader. wanted to get some quick tax breaks, sion on Teaching and America's Fu- Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I would again primarily for the wealthy. ture, a think tank that speaks to edu- like to spend the hour this evening The second thing I wanted to men- cation, because we want to make sure with some of my Democratic col- tion tonight, and I know that most of that our children do have the quality leagues basically reiterating what we my colleagues are going to talk about, of qualified teachers, reduce class sizes have been saying the last few days or the Democrats education initiative, where there will be more individualized the last few weeks; and that is that, be- the school modernization program, the training, after-school programs where cause of the Republican leadership's in- proposal to add 100,000 teachers to they can further this training and also attention, if you will, to the budget bring class size down. enhance their knowledge, and, yes, and to the needs of the American peo- These are really the two issues that school construction. ple, and because of their unwillingness we insist must be addressed before this Children must have an environment to reach out and deal with some of the Congress adjourns. But what I wanted that is conducive to learning. Our chil- most pressing issues that the public is to point out very briefly is that, not dren deserve no less, and our Nation really crying out for this Congress to only did the Republican leadership not has no recourse if we are to prepare our address, we are now faced here with an- address these important education ini- future leaders for this global work- other day and another continuing reso- tiatives, but they spent a tremendous place. lution because there is no budget be- amount of time this last year trying to cause the Republican leadership has take away money from public schools f not passed a budget and is basically and give it to private schools in the The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. trying to get out of town, have this form of vouchers. HILL). Under a previous order of the Congress adjourn, without addressing I consider this one of the most ex- House, the gentleman from Minnesota some of the major concerns that we as treme parts of the GOP agenda, this (Mr. MINGE) is recognized for 5 min- Democrats feel should have been ad- anti-public education agenda they have utes. dressed and still could be addressed if been pursuing over the last 2 years. (Mr. MINGE addressed the House. His the Republican leadership would only Even the conservative Washington remarks will appear hereafter in the take them up. I just mention a few like Times acknowledges, and I just want to Extensions of Remarks.) HMO reform, education initiatives, the quote, ``that the ground breaking school voucher provision is the first f need to address concerns about Social Security. step in a larger Republican effort to The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a I just wanted to point out that, due shift Federal aid away from public previous order of the House, the gen- to excessive partisanship, we have seen schools while making it easier for par- tleman from Connecticut (Mr. SHAYS) the Republican leadership waste time ents to send their children to private is recognized for 5 minutes. on a very extremist agenda in this Con- schools. School vouchers use scarce (Mr. SHAYS addressed the House. His gress and not deal with the issues that taxpayer dollars to subsidize attend- remarks will appear hereafter in the really should be dealt with. ance of private and religious schools Extensions of Remarks.) I just wanted to mention two tonight rather than improving the public f before I introduce and yield time to schools.'' I am going to use a quote from one of The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a some of my colleagues. One is this raid my colleagues, a Republican, the gen- previous order of the House, the gentle- on the Social Security Trust Fund to pay for tax breaks, if you will, pri- tlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. ROU- woman from New York (Mrs. MCCAR- marily for the wealthy, and the second KEMA) because some of the Republicans THY) is recognized for 5 minutes. on the other side share the Democratic (Mrs. McCARTHY addressed the is school vouchers. What we saw just a few weeks ago view on this, although the leadership House. Her remarks will appear here- was really the most alarming of the ex- was clearly against us. after in the Extensions of Remarks.) tremist proposals passed by the Repub- The gentlewoman from New Jersey f lican Congress, and that was H.R. 4579, (Mrs. ROUKEMA) said, and I quote, ``ul- The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a the GOP tax break bill. This raided the timately these school vouchers will re- previous order of the House, the gen- Social Security Trust Fund to pay for sult in gutting the public school sys- tleman from New Jersey (Mr. an $80 billion election year tax break. tem. Because vouchers will be sending PASCRELL) is recognized for 5 minutes. The House Republicans passed their more and more of our scarce financial (Mr. PASCRELL addressed the tax, their tax cut bill on September 26 resources out of the public system and House. His remarks will appear here- by a vote of 229 to 195, and they said into the private system.'' after in the Extensions of Remarks.) they were using the surplus for tax Mr. Speaker, this is just the begin- cuts. ning of what the far right wants to do f But what the Republicans failed to to destroy public education. They The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a point out was that, without the Social wanted to eliminate the Department of previous order of the House, the gentle- Security Trust Fund, there was no sur- Education, and they want to take woman from Oregon (Ms. FURSE) is rec- plus. Indeed, 98 percent of the surplus money from the public schools and give ognized for 5 minutes. from fiscal year 1999 through fiscal it to the private schools. (Ms. FURSE addressed the House. year 2008 comes from the surplus in the Just an example of a couple of ex- Her remarks will appear hereafter in Social Security Trust Fund. pressions that have been made by some the Extensions of Remarks.) That is virtually all the surplus re- of the far right proponents, if you will, flects, anticipated buildup in the So- who are advocates of this. This is a f cial Security Trust Fund to pay future quote from Pat Robertson, founder of The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a Social Security benefits. To spend this the Christian coalition. He says, ``the previous order of the House, the gen- Social Security surplus on tax cuts is public education movement has always tleman from Ohio (Mr. BROWN) is rec- to endanger the future benefits of So- been an antiChristian movement.'' Can ognized for 5 minutes. cial Security recipients, our senior you imagine suggesting that somehow (Mr. BROWN addressed the House. citizens and future senior citizens. public schools are antiChristian? His remarks will appear hereafter in Democrats have proposed saving So- Another quote from Jerry Falwell, the Extensions of Remarks.) cial Security first, preserving every founder of the Moral Majority, and I H10820 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE October 13, 1998 quote, ``I hope to live to see the day away? We learned immediately that The reality is that the general public when we will not have any public smaller classes mean training more wants us to protect their environment. schools. The churches will have taken educators, means hiring more teachers, They like clean air, they like clean them over again, and Christians will be and building more classrooms. water, and they like the parks and for- running them. What a happy day that So we have a mandate in California, ests we all treasure. The American peo- will be.'' for grades K through three, 18 is the ple will not tolerate these constant at- Now I do not mean to take away largest class that a school can have; tacks. They not only care about them- from people who want to send they're and they do not have any classrooms selves, they care about their children children to religious schools. I think it and the teachers are not certified. and their children's children and all is great. I have no problem with it So that is why President Clinton has the children in the future. whatsoever. But do not make the pub- asked the Congress to pass legislation Between the Republican attacks on lic school system somehow the devil, if which will allow schools across Amer- education and our environment, per- you will, in something that should be ica to hire and train 100,000 new quali- haps a do-nothing Congress is best be- destroyed.