[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 26, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E317]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              ON EDUCATION

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 26, 1997

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to raise the 
issue of our commitment to our young people. What can we in Congress 
really do to help them into the 21st Century? What can we do to make 
sure they have a future? What will we do to make sure they are ready to 
compete in a global economy?
  Mr. Speaker, you know what we have to do. Everyone in this chamber 
knows what needs to be done. Education, Education, Education. Fix our 
schools infrastructure, make our schools safer and give our schools 
standards that make sense.
  With all this talk of bipartisanship politics--and I have to admit 
the members on the other side of the aisle have come a long way from 
the last Congress when they proposed the largest education cuts in 
history and wanted to abolish the Department of Education--maybe we can 
do something this term for our young people. Maybe we can agree that 
Pell grants need be raised. Maybe we can agree that we can give hope to 
our young people that they have a chance to go to college if they want 
to go--that their parents will get a break from the huge financial 
burden of sending their children to college.
  Mr. Speaker, we know what we have to do this term, we know what the 
American people want us to do for our schools and their children. Let's 
get about the people's business and get it done, let's get going for 
the sake of our children and for the sake of the future of this 
country.

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