[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 120 (Thursday, September 11, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H7202]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     WHY LOOK TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO MAKE BAD SCHOOLS BETTER?

  (Mr. HEFLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HEFLEY. Mr. Speaker, as the Washington Post reported last month, 
despite a booming economy and a soaring stock market, most Americans 
think America is on the wrong track. They are deeply mistrustful of the 
Government's ability to solve the problems that most concern them.
  My question is, if 75 percent of Americans do not trust the 
Government to solve the problems that most concern them, why, why do 
liberals keep turning again and again to the Government to solve the 
problems? Most astonishingly of all, why would liberals look to the 
Federal Government in Washington to somehow make bad schools good or 
mediocre schools better?
  Mr. Speaker, certainly the education of our children is one of the 
most important issues on the minds of those who have kids in school, 
and certainly we can all agree that if there is one thing Government 
excels at, it is mediocrity.
  If our goal is mediocrity, then, yes, we should sing the praises of 
the Federal Government's wonderful powers to make bad schools better. 
But if we care about excellence, then look to school choice, local 
control, parents, educational savings accounts, and more competition to 
produce better schools for our children.

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