[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 120 (Thursday, September 11, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S9133]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           ORDER OF PROCEDURE

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, for the information then of all Senators, 
that is three judicial nominations that have been cleared on both sides 
of the aisle, although recorded votes will be required, and then two 
U.S. attorneys that have been on the calendar for some time, U.S. 
Attorney Sharon Zealey of Ohio and U.S. Attorney James Hurd of the 
Virgin Islands. We also have two nominees for the Corporation for 
Public Broadcasting that we are able to confirm.
  With these nominations moving forward, I think it is very positive 
for the Senate. I want the Senators to be aware that there will be 
three back-to-back votes beginning at 2 p.m. today.
  Also, I am very pleased we are going to be able to get clearance for 
all committees to meet during the afternoon hours and the rest of this 
morning.
  I believe, Mr. President, we will momentarily be prepared to go to 
opening statements with regard to the Food and Drug Administration 
reform. Senator Jeffords and Senator Kennedy are here ready to proceed.
  Mr. President, with regard to the comments made by Senator Harkin, 
the fundamental difference in his position and our position with regard 
to education funds is that we just believe that the people at the local 
level and people at the State level want good education in their 
schools. I am a big advocate of vocational education, but I just happen 
to believe that if the State of Mississippi had more discretion in how 
those funds are to be used, they probably would put more money in 
vocational education in our State and less money in some of the 
programs they are mandated to do by the Federal Government.
  We want good vocational education. We want safe schools. The 
difference is we just think that parents and teachers at the local 
level would do a better job of deciding how to educate their children 
than dictates from Washington, DC, and the Federal bureaucracy. It has 
not worked. We spent billions of dollars on education, and the test 
scores and the quality of education and the safety of the schools and 
parental involvement has gone down, down, down, down.
  It is time we try something else to really improve education in 
America. That is what we are trying to do.
  I yield the floor, Mr. President.

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