[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 118 (Tuesday, September 9, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H7020]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           NATIONAL STANDARDS

  (Mr. ROGAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROGAN. Mr. Speaker, the issue du jour for the Clinton 
administration is to create national education testing standards. I 
find this ironic in light of today's newspaper account: Former Democrat 
Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Joe Califano has just 
published a comprehensive report on America's schools. He described 
them as a ``candy store'' for illegal drugs being available to our 
Nation's school children.
  The Clinton Department of Education's response to this report was, in 
typical ostrich fashion, to ignore it. They replied that our schools 
are essentially safe and drug free, so ``let's get back to the issue of 
national standards.''
  Mr. Speaker, it seems to me that the bipartisan ``national education 
standard'' we ought to be working for is safe schools that are drug 
free. How else can we guarantee our children a world-class education? 
That should be the first priority of President Clinton and his 
administration. We Republicans will happily work with him to achieve 
this national standard that we can all be proud of, and pass on a 
legacy to children that will endure the test of time.

                          ____________________