[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 139 (Wednesday, October 8, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H8636]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUPPORT PUBLIC SCHOOLS

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, Democrats strongly oppose spending taxpayer 
dollars on private and religious schools and have argued for making the 
necessary improvements in public schools instead. This week the 
Republicans hope to pass a bill that would make Washington, DC the 
first victim in a grand scheme to undermine public schools through 
taxpayer funded vouchers for private or religious schools. As much as 
$45 million in Federal funds would be made available to pay for private 
education for about 3 percent of the District of Columbia's students.
  Mr. Speaker, in my opinion it makes no sense to take away $45 million 
that could be made available to the city of Washington to improve basic 
skills or to fix deteriorated buildings in the public schools and 
instead use this money for private schools. With 9 out of 10 children 
in America attending public schools, Democrats understand that we need 
to rebuild and reform public schools, not destroy them and waste public 
funding on private schools. I hope that my Republican colleagues will 
join us in moving a positive agenda for public education rather than 
wasting our time on vouchers.

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