[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 13 (Wednesday, February 5, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H303]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




PRESIDENT CORRECTLY PLACES NATION'S EDUCATION SYSTEM AT THE TOP OF OUR 
                             PRIORITY LIST

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Pallone] is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, in his State of the Union address last 
night President Clinton announced an ambitious plan to strengthen our 
Nation's education system and in so doing rightly placed the issue of 
educating our children at the top of the Nation's most important 
priorities.
  The President's plan spans across the entire spectrum of education. 
He had 10 points. For the youngest children, he called for an expansion 
of Head Start; for elementary schoolchildren, a program to ensure that 
they can read independently by the third grade; for our high school 
students innovative incentive programs to encourage them to obtain at 
least 2 years of college; and for parents and students alike, 
struggling to meet the runaway costs of college, a variety of tax 
breaks and adjustments to existing loan programs that will make 
everyday life a little bit easier.
  Last year, Mr. Speaker, when the President sent his budget to 
Congress, the Republicans responded by offering the largest education 
cuts in history. To demonstrate the seriousness of their opposition to 
the President's education agenda, they then proceeded to shut down the 
Federal Government two times while calling for the abolition of the 
Department of Education.
  Their attacks on the education system continued throughout the 
election cycle, with GOP leaders, most notably Bob Dole, picking fights 
with the teachers unions.
  In announcing his education plan last night, the President rightly 
called for Republicans to leave their partisan agenda at the classroom 
door. It is my hope that the Republicans will accept the President's 
invitation and join congressional Democrats in our efforts to provide 
quality, affordable education to every American.
  I know, Mr. Speaker, that we will be dealing with these education 
issues for a long time, and certainly dealing with them in the next few 
weeks and the next few months, but I think that the President's call 
that we should put our partisan differences at the classroom door was 
really crucial. Education is the most important issue facing this 
Nation and the President's 10-point plan really is a significant 
beginning to solving the problem of making sure that we provide an 
adequate education system for every American.

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