[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 111 (Thursday, July 31, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H6621]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   A GENUINE COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION

  (Mr. BLAGOJEVICH asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BLAGOJEVICH. Mr. Speaker, it was Abraham Lincoln who said, ``Upon 
the subject of education, I can only say that I view it as the most 
important subject which we as a people may be engaged in.''
  Mr. Speaker, most of us, if not all of us, agree that education is 
essential for the next generation of Americans to compete in the global 
economy. But education is not only about multinational competition. At 
root, providing educational opportunities is a moral issue, for it is 
our obligation to the next generation and our obligation to the future 
of this country.
  This budget is a step toward honoring Abraham Lincoln's commitment to 
education. It calls for a $31 billion investment in our Nation's 
schools. It contains a $500-per-child tax credit that will make it 
easier for more families to send their children to college. It 
increases funding for Pell grants, offers tax relief for new college 
students, and takes several other steps at lightening the increasingly 
heavy burden of college tuition costs on working families.
  For the millions of American children who will now be able to make it 
to college, this budget offers a step toward providing new 
opportunities for them.

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