[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 28 (Tuesday, March 5, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H1669]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        GOP RECORD ON EDUCATION

  (Mr. KLINK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KLINK. Mr. Speaker, in the 103d Congress, the Congress that 
preceded this, I had the honor of serving on a committee then known as 
the Committee on Education and Labor. We were known collectively in the 
103d Congress as the education Congress. We had done school to work 
transition, goals 2000, reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary 
Education Act.
  Now in this Congress, the 104th, the GOP piecemeal governing strategy 
is threatening to wreak havoc on our educational system and on the 
local school districts. The constant uncertainty about Federal funding 
has meant nothing short of chaos for school districts across this 
Nation who are awaiting final word on the future funding levels for 
elementary and secondary education programs.
  This uncertainty, coupled with the likelihood of sharply reduced 
funding, has made it difficult for schools to plan for next year. The 
result could be fewer teachers, larger classes, and a decline in the 
quality of education, and that is not what Americans want for their 
children.
  The GOP record this year so far has been the largest education cuts 
in the history of this Nation. If congressional Republicans decide to 
extend their current short-term budget for the remainder of the year, 
the result would be the largest setback in education in the history of 
this country. These cuts would include basic reading, math skills, drug 
and safe schools, and vocational education. We cannot afford this.

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