[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 139 (Wednesday, October 8, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H8637]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             CONGRESS SHOULD NOT ABANDON OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS

  (Mr. RODRIGUEZ asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. RODRIGUEZ. Mr. Speaker, they are at it again. The House majority 
has planned to help only a select few of the students that exist. Nine 
out of ten students attend our public school system. Once again, 9 out 
of 10 students attend our public school systems. We have to be 
responsive to those individuals, and our obligation as elected 
officials is to those people that attend our public school system.
  We have to assure that they have the resources. We have to make sure 
our teachers have the training that is required. We have to make sure 
that our buildings are adequate and, at the same time, we have to make 
sure that they have access to the latest technology.
  As taxpayers, our obligation is to the public schools, not to the 
private or religious schools. The majority's plan to abandon our public 
schools is not an option. Vouchers are not the answer. Abandoning our 
public schools will only make it worse.
  What we need is a commitment of repairing our buildings, a commitment 
to our students that are out there, commitment to our teachers, a 
commitment to our communities. We must work for all our students that 
are out there. Let us not abandon our schools.

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