[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 24 (Tuesday, February 27, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H1297-H1298]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            URGING SUPPORT FOR THE COMMUNITY RENEWAL PROJECT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida [Mr. Weldon] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, this morning I attended a press 
conference held by Jim Talent and J.C. Watts to announce a community 
renewal project that will empower low-income communities. This bill was 
formulated and designed by the communities that it will effect. 
Congress went to the community leaders and asked them what will help 
them in their renewal projects. This initiative is what came out of 
those conversations.
  I want to first of all commend Jim Talent and J.C. Watts for meeting 
with these community leaders and for 

[[Page H1298]]
listening to them as they formulated the legislation that will help 
these communities to become strong.
  A major component of this empowerment initiative is title II, which 
allows these communities to implement school choice. Not surprisingly, 
most of these community leaders made school choice a top priority in 
their list of essential components for the renewal of their 
communities.
  According to the Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, 70 percent of 
low-income parents, who were aware of school choice opportunities, were 
supportive of school scholarships for their children. Their No. 1 
comment was that in order to improve their communities, they must be 
able to have quality educational choices for their children.

  I'd like to direct Members' attention today's Washington Times, page 
A3. The Associated Press is calling today the super Tuesday of school 
choice. There are a number school choice events happening today. Today 
in the other body, they voted on cloture of debate on the D.C. 
appropriations bill which includes choice scholarships for the low-
income students of the District of Columbia. Unfortunately that vote 
failed by six votes.
  In Milwaukee, Parents for School Choice is defending the Milwaukee 
plan before the Wisconsin Supreme Court and in St. Paul, MN, Governor 
Carlson's choice initiative will be debated.
  In some parts of this great country, the state of education continues 
to decay. Despite solutions of more money, more bureaucracy, more 
regulation, and greater Federal intrusion into our schools, we would 
all agree things have gotten worse, not better.
  Our children need the opportunity to pursue a good education. If this 
educational opportunity is outside their school district, they should 
have chance to take advantage of it and find their American dream 
through quality education.
  A good education is a key ingredient in ending the cycle of poverty 
that entraps so many of our Nation's children. This empowerment 
initiative will liberate the parents of low-income children to choose a 
school that meets the educational needs of their children.
  Mr. Speaker, the 104th Congress has been accused of not looking out 
for the poor and less advantaged, and simply being a voice for the 
rich. Well, Mr. Speaker, this bill will dispel that myth. In fact, it 
challenges these critics to match their rhetoric with their support for 
this proposal. This bill is targeted to the low-income families and 
communities--to the people who most need the opportunities of choice in 
education.
  In an article in the Washington Times, Carol Innerst reported that 
public school teachers in troubled urban districts are much more likely 
to send their children to private schools than other Americans. A 
surprising 12.1 percent of all public school teachers and 
administrators send their children to private schools. In those public 
school systems considered the worst, an average 32 percent of the 
public school teachers and administrators send their children to a 
school outside of the district they work in, frequently to a private 
school.
  I want to encourage my colleagues to seriously consider supporting 
the Community Renewal Project when it is introduced on the House floor. 
It is a wonderful project that spans both ideological and political 
platforms. it is a bill that well help Americans pursue the American 
dream.

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