[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 4, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H5766]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    CHILDREN DID NOT RUN UP THE DEBT

  (Mrs. SCHROEDER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. SCHROEDER. Mr. Speaker, I rally thank the wonderful citizens 
around America who came this weekend to stand for children. We have 
heard some speeches this morning about how the best thing we can do for 
children is not run up a debt. That is absolutely right. We should not 
run up a debt. But let us also remind people that children did not run 
up the debt that is already there.
  Mr. Speaker, we should not try to balance the debt on the backs of 
children, because children are going to be the ones that inherit this 
debt and are going to have to pay it off. The things that we 
desperately need for children are to make sure that they have the 
educational skills that they can get out and compete globally in the 
21st century and make enough money so they can pay this off and get 
this country going the right way.
  So to cut student loans, to cut aid to education, to cut after-school 
programs and summer programs, to cut math and science programs are all 
terribly shortsighted. Those who cause the debt should pay for the 
debt, not the children.

                          ____________________