[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 24, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H7737]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             EDUCATION POLICY FROM A REPUBLICAN STANDPOINT

  (Mr. PAPPAS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. PAPPAS. Mr. Speaker, I was home in my district this past weekend 
and was introduced to someone by a friend. The person I met with told 
me something that I found very troubling. She told me, ``Hi, I'm a 
strong conservative and an enthusiastic supporter of the Republican 
Party, but I'm also very pro-education.''
  ``But?'' I said.
  She said that she had to admit that she was very upset by all the 
things she had heard about us cutting education. Then I had to admit 
that I was very troubled to hear her say this.
  Mr. Speaker, it is Republicans who believe that education is 
primarily a task that is best handled by local school boards and not by 
the Federal Government. It is Republicans who believe that parents 
should have the most control over their children's education, not 
bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. We must continue to stand up to the 
liberals who want to federalize education and bring Washington, D.C. 
into curriculum decisions that are best made by those in the local 
community, school boards, teachers, and parents.

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