[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 1 (Wednesday, January 4, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E10]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                         FORCED BUSING MUST STOP

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                           HON. BILL EMERSON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, January 4, 1995
  Mr. EMERSON. Mr. Speaker, the Clinton administration recently decided 
that over $1.3 billion of Missouri tax dollars are not enough. Since 
1981, taxpayers in the State of Missouri have watched as their money 
constructed an Olympic swimming pool, supported fencing teams, and 
financed court-ordered forced busing. And now, when nearly everyone in 
Missouri has come to agree that desegragation efforts have failed 
miserably, the Clinton Administration wants the State to do more than 
spend money, it wants the State to show results for students.
  Unfortunately, the administration does not understand what people 
have been saying for years: increased education spending does not 
automatically lead to increased learning. At the same time that the 
State of Missouri has been struggling to meet its court-ordered 
obligations in Kansas City and St. Louis, children in the rest of the 
State have gone without in their schools. Enough is enough.
  I am extremely concerned that instead of admitting that forced busing 
does not work, the administration wants to broaden desegragation 
efforts. In fact, the Clinton administration is working against 
Missouri's efforts before the Supreme Court because it is worried that 
if the Supreme Court sides with the people of Missouri, it could become 
easier for dozens of other jurisdictions nationwide to end school 
desegragation cases. This is wrong, and once again I am introducing 
legislation to amend the U.S. Constitution and prohibit any 
governmental entity--including Federal courts--from compelling a child 
to attend a public school other than the public school nearest the 
student's residence.
  While I am hopeful that the Supreme Court will correctly decide in 
favor of the State of Missouri and against the Clinton administration, 
this legislation is necessary to ensure children, parents and 
communities are protected from liberal civil rights lawyers, Federal 
courts and Washington bureaucrats. I urge my colleagues to join me in 
supporting this resolution. If court-ordered desegragation is not 
currently happening in their districts, it is most likely only a matter 
of time before they find themselves in the same situation as the people 
of Missouri. This resolution will prevent this disastrous situation 
from repeating itself across the Nation.


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