March 2, 1999 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð Extensions of Remarks E303 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS PUT THE DECENNIAL CENSUS 1999. This act, a companion to my Family cation back in the hands of citizens and local BACK ON TRACK Education Freedom Act, takes a further step communities by sponsoring the Education Im- toward returning control over education re- provement Tax Cut Act of 1999. HON. PHILIP M. CRANE sources to private citizens by providing a f OF ILLINOIS $3,000 tax credit for donations to scholarship INTRODUCING THE GRATON IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES funds to enable low-income children to attend RANCHERIA RESTORATION ACT Tuesday, March 2, 1999 private schools. It also encourages private citi- zens to devote more of their resources to Mr. CRANE. Mr. Speaker, I come to the helping public schools, by providing a $3,000 HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY floor today in opposition to the plan of the tax credit for cash or in-kind donations to pub- OF CALIFORNIA Census Bureau to use sampling techniques in lic schools to support academic or extra cur- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES the Decennial Census. ricular programs. The situation is clear: we must abide by the Tuesday, March 2, 1999 I need not remind my colleagues that edu- Constitution as we have in every census for cation is one of, if not the top priority of the Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, today I am over 200 years. As we all know, Article I Sec- proud to introduce legislation that would re- tion II says that ``an actual enumeration'' must American people. After all, many members of Congress have proposed education reforms store federal recognition for the Federated In- be done every 10 years. Now, for the first time dians of Graton Rancheria, which is primarily in our history, this is not good enough. Some and a great deal of their time is spent debat- ing these proposals. However, most of these composed of the Coast Miwok and Southern feel that counting part of the population and Pomo tribal members. This is a matter of sim- guesstimating the rest is better than actually proposals either expand federal control over education or engage in the pseudo-federalism ple justice, because in 1966 the United States counting the population head by head, as the government terminated the tribe's status under Constitution requires. of block grants. I propose we go in a different direction by embracing true federalism by re- the California Rancheria Act of 1958. The Director of the Census Bureau, Ken- My bill, the Graton Rancheria Restoration neth Prewitt, said last Wednesday he would turning control over the education dollar to the American people. Act, restores all federal rights and privileges to abide by the Supreme Court ruling by using the tribal members. It reinstates their political two sets of numbers in the Decennial Census. One of the major problems with centralized control over education funding is that spending status and makes them eligible for benefits Recognizing part of the Court's decision, now available to other federally recognized Prewitt plans to use enumeration for appor- priorities set by Washington-based Represent- tribes, such as Native American health, edu- tionment. However, the Census Bureau plans atives, staffers, and bureaucrats do not nec- cation, and housing services. The bill also to create a second set of numbers, using sam- essarily match the needs of individual commu- specifically prohibits gambling on tribal lands pling techniques, for redrawing House districts. nities. In fact, it would be a miracle if spending affected by the bill. Although they were not asked to rule on the priorities determined by the wishes of certain The earliest historical account of the Coast constitutionality of sampling, four Justices said politically powerful Representatives or the Miwok peoples, whose traditional homelands that using sampling for a census is illegal. But, theories of Education Department func- include Bodega, Tomales, Marshall in Marin the Administration continues to include sam- tionaries match the priorities of every commu- County and Sebastopol in Sonoma County, pling techniques in the Decennial Census, de- nity in a country as large and diverse as dates back to 1579. Today there are 355 spite the contradictory rulings of several America. Block grants do not solve this prob- members of the Federated Indians of Graton courts. lem as they simply allow states and localities Mr. Speaker, this plan will only create more to choose the means to reach federally-deter- Rancheria. problems. Holding two censuses, which is ex- mined ends. Legislation passed by Congress in 1992 and actly what the Bureau is doing by creating two Returning control over the education dollar later amended in 1996, established an Advi- figures, will double costs, lead to an increase for tax credits for parents and for other con- sory Council in California to study and report in litigation with discrepancies over figures, cerned citizens returns control over the ends on the special circumstances facing tribes and increase the chance that the census will of education policy to local communities. Peo- whose status had been terminated. The Coun- not be done in a timely fashion. For the past ple in one community may use this credit to cil's final report, which was submitted to Con- six years, the Census Bureau was against a purchase computers, while children in another gress in September 1997, recommended the two-figure census for the very same reasons. community may, at last, have access to a restoration of the Federated Indians of the This dual-track census is wrong, and they quality music program because of community Graton Rancheria. know it. leaders who took advantage of the tax credit Mr. Speaker, the tribes of the Graton We in Congress have the responsibility to contained in this bill. Rancheria are a rich part of the North Bay's stand up for the American people. They do not Children in some communities may benefit cultural heritage. Terminating their status was want two versions of how many people live in most from the opportunity to attend private, wrong then, and it would be wrong now for us our nation, and have to deal with the resulting parochial, or other religious schools. One of to continue to deny them the recognition that confusion for ten years. I encourage my col- the most encouraging trends in education has they deserve. leagues to consider this dual-track census been the establishment of private scholarship f plan as we consider releasing funding for the programs. These scholarship funds use vol- HONORING THE LIFE OF JUDGE ED Commerce, State, and Justice Departments untary contributions to open the doors of qual- J. HARRIS that is set to expire on June 15. This may be ity private schools to low-income children. By the last opportunity to put the Decennial Cen- providing a tax credit for donations to these sus back on track. programs, Congress can widen the edu- HON. GENE GREEN f cational opportunities and increase the quality OF TEXAS INTRODUCING THE EDUCATION of education for all children. Furthermore, pri- HON. NICK LAMPSON IMPROVEMENT TAX CUT ACT vately-funded scholarships raise none of the OF TEXAS concerns of state entanglement raised by pub- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES licly-funded vouchers. HON. RON PAUL There is no doubt that Americans will al- Tuesday, March 2, 1999 OF TEXAS ways spend generously on education, the Mr. GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, my col- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES question is, ``who should control the education league (Mr. LAMPSON) and I ask all of our col- Tuesday, March 2, 1999 dollarÐpoliticians and bureaucrats or the leagues in Congress to join us in paying trib- Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce American people?'' Mr. Speaker, I urge my ute to an outstanding individual, Judge Ed J. the Education Improvement Tax Cut Act of colleagues to join me in placing control of edu- Harris. Ed passed away on February 10th · This ``bullet'' symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. E304 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD Ð Extensions of Remarks March 2, 1999 after leading a long and distinguished life of HONORING OUR NATION'S BEST Chairman LIVINGSTON'S leadership skills and public service and civic duty. AND BRIGHTEST productive energy will be sorely missed on ap- Ed Harris devoted his professional and pri- propriations and in the House. I know that oth- ers have praised BOB for his humor and his in- vate life to serving his home state of Texas. HON. GARY L. ACKERMAN OF NEW YORK tellect. I want to echo those words while I add After graduating from Southwestern University IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that BOB LIVINGSTON is also a very good in 1941, Ed entered the United States Navy to Tuesday, March 2, 1999 friend. bravely fight for his country for six years dur- Since I came to Congress, he has been a ing World War II. Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to mentor and much more. He has provided honor and congratulate four outstanding high campaign support when I needed it, but more After devoting his energy towards comple- school students from my Congressional Dis- tion of both his law degree and master's de- importantly he has assisted me with profes- trict, who were recently named as finalists in sional guidance as I learned the ropes in the gree, Ed joined the law firm of Martin, the Intel Science Talent Search.