Congressional Record—House H9847
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October 12, 1999 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE H9847 about the money spent on our kids, use education funds are made by locally elect- which to revise and extend their re- educating our kids in the classroom. ed school boards, with input from parents, marks on House Resolution 303. As far as the statistics, reading from educators and students. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there the gentleman's own report, he says They don't need Washington, DC telling objection to the request of the gen- that 99 percent, and I will read the them where to spend their money! tleman from Michigan? same sentence, it does not say ``to the Every community in my district already There was no objection. classroom,'' it says, ``distributed over spends the majority of its education funds in f 99 percent of the appropriations from the classroom. FATHER THEODORE M. HESBURGH the 10 programs to the States.'' It does But, sometimes a community needs to CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL not say ``to the classrooms.'' spend funds in other ways, such as teacher ACT Now, if we read down lower on that training activities, educational technology or Mr. BACHUS. Mr. Speaker, I move to page, page 3, it says if we exclude Title coordinated services. suspend the rules and pass the bill I, which is the most efficient program, No matter how much money we spend in (H.R. 1932) to authorize the President and look at the other nine, we have an the classroom, children must come to school to award a gold medal on behalf of the average of 86 percent in those nine pro- ready to learn; teachers need to advance their Congress to Father Theodore M. grams. So from the gentleman's own skills; and students should have the benefit of Hesburgh, in recognition of his out- report, and if the gentleman will look modern educational technology. standing and enduring contributions to on page 10, it graphs each one as far as We have always relied on parents, edu- civil rights, higher education, the what is the administrative cost of the cators and local community leaders to make Catholic Church, the Nation, and the States, the States' use. If we just dis- local education decisions. I urge my col- global community. regard the Federal use and look at the leagues to show their trust in the folks back The Clerk read as follows: State agencies on page 10, only two home by voting against H. Res. 303. H.R. 1932 programs meet the 5 percent or below. Mr. PACKARD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- All the rest are above. That is just urge my colleagues to support H. Res. 303, a resentatives of the United States of America in what the State administrative costs resolution which urges that 95 cents of every Congress assembled, are, not the local administrative costs. federal education dollar be send back to SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. Our resolution states, ``The local where they belongÐin the hands of parents This Act may be cited as the ``Father education agencies should work to- and teachers. The Dollars to the Classroom Theodore M. Hesburgh Congressional Gold gether to ensure that not less than 95 Resolution, H. Res. 303, calls on education Medal Act''. percent of all funds appropriated for agencies at all levels to ensure that 95 per- SEC. 2. FINDINGS. the purpose of carrying out elementary cent of federal spending for elementary and The Congress finds thatÐ (1) Father Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C., and secondary education programs ad- secondary education programs makes it into has made outstanding and enduring con- ministered by the Department of edu- the classrooms of this country. tributions to American society through his cation is spent to improve the aca- The Dollars to the Classroom Resolution activities in civil rights, higher education, demic achievement of our children in recognizes the fact that learning takes place in the Catholic Church, the Nation, and the their classroom.'' a classroom, and thus student-focused ex- global community; So what we are talking about is what penditures on direct learning tools, such as (2) Father Hesburgh was a charter member is really important here. That is the books, computers, maps, and microscopes, of the United States Commission on Civil kids in the classroom. That is what should be prioritized. H. Res. 303 calls on Rights from its creation in 1957 and served as chairperson of the Commission from 1969 to this resolution is all about, how are we education agencies to work together to ensure 1972; going to impact the kids' learning and that federal elementary and secondary appro- (3) Father Hesburgh was president of the give the equipment, the tools to the priations are put to use on instructional pur- University of Notre Dame from 1952 until teachers that directly impact the chil- poses for youth in classrooms. We must make 1987, and has been president emeritus since dren, give them the aid that directly a commitment to send more education dollars 1987; impacts their teaching so our kids can to schools, libraries, teachers, and studentsÐ (4) Father Hesburgh is a national and compete in this world. That is the goal not administrators and federal bureaucrats. international leader in higher education; of this resolution. I urge the Members The Dollars to the Classroom Resolution will (5) Father Hesburgh has been honored with the Elizabeth Ann Seton Award from the Na- to adopt it. require that 95 percent of federal education tional Catholic Education Association and Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield funds be used for classroom activities and with more than 130 honorary degrees; myself such time as I may consume. services. (6) Father Hesburgh served as co-chair- To close the debate, the direction Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to give person of the nationally influential Knight that we are establishing for Federal in- teachers and parents the final authority over Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and volvement for education is that we how education dollars are spentÐnot the fed- as chairperson, from 1994 to 1996, of the want to move towards safe and drug- eral governmentÐand support H. Res. 303. Board of Overseers of Harvard University; free schools. We want local schools Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I yield (7) Father Hesburgh served under President that focus on basic academics. We want back the balance of my time. Ford as a member of the Presidential Clem- ency Board, charged with deciding the fates local control, and we want to drive dol- The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. of persons committing offenses during the lars back to the classroom. That is STEARNS). The question is on the mo- Vietnam conflict; where we believe and that is where we tion offered by the gentleman from (8) Father Hesburgh served as chairman of know we have the most leverage on im- Pennsylvania (Mr. GOODLING) that the the board of the Overseas Development proving our kids' education. House suspend the rules and agree to Council and in that capacity led fundraising This resolution states that. It says the resolution, House Resolution 303, efforts that averted mass starvation in Cam- that as a Federal Government, we are as amended. bodia in 1979 and 1980; committed to moving Federal dollars The question was taken. (9) Father Hesburgh served from 1979 to back to the local level, where we can 1981 as chairperson of the Select Commission Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, on on Immigration and Refugee Policy, which have the most impact. I urge my col- that I demand the yeas and nays. made recommendations that served as the leagues to support this resolution. The yeas and nays were ordered. basis of congressional reform legislation en- Ms. WOOSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I'm amazed The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- acted 5 years later; that my colleagues on the other side of the ant to clause 8 of rule XX and the (10) Father Hesburgh served as ambassador aisle are supporting legislation to tell local Chair's prior announcement, further to the 1979 United Nations Conference on communities how they should spend their edu- proceedings on this motion will be Science and Technology for Development; cation dollars. postponed. and Education in America has always been a (11) Father Hesburgh has served the Catho- f lic Church in a variety of capacities, includ- local issue and I, for one, think it should stay GENERAL LEAVE ing his service from 1956 to 1970 as the per- local. manent Vatican representative to the Inter- In the communities which I represent in Mr. HOEKSTRA. Mr. Speaker, I ask national Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna Congress, Communities in Marin and Sonoma unanimous consent that all Members and his service as a member of the Holy County, California, the decisions on how to may have 5 legislative days within See's delegation to the United Nations. H9848 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð HOUSE October 12, 1999 SEC. 3. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL. of Honor to a very worthy and out- for his leadership and that of the gen- (a) PRESENTATION AUTHORIZED.ÐThe Presi- standing American. Father Hesburgh tlewoman from California (Ms. WA- dent is authorized to present, on behalf of was educated at Notre Dame and the TERS) and, of course, the gentleman the Congress, a gold medal of appropriate de- sign to Father Theodore M. Hesburgh in rec- Georgian University in Rome, for from Indiana (Mr. ROEMER), for bring- ognition of his outstanding and enduring which he received a bachelor of philos- ing this bill before us. contributions to civil rights, higher edu- ophy degree in 1939.