[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 143 (Wednesday, October 22, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S10997]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      GIVING CHILDREN IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL A CHANCE TO SUCCEED

 Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, last week, a remarkable event 
took place while Congress was in recess. Two private citizens gave 
1,000 low-income children in the District of Columbia a chance.
  On Monday, October 13, 1997, Ted Forstmann, the newly elected 
chairman of the Washington Scholarship Fund, and John Walton, director 
of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., each contributed $3 million for students in 
the District to receive a quality education. The Washington Scholarship 
Fund currently provides private school scholarships to 460 low-income 
District students. With the contributions from Mr. Forstmann and Mr. 
Walton, the Washington Scholarship Fund will be able to provide these 
needed scholarships to an additional 1,000 low-income students.
  Mr. Forstmann made it very clear that this initiative is not a 
political statement for or against public education in the District. 
This is simply a commitment to give children a chance to succeed. In 
describing the prospects of many of the District's children to William 
Raspberry of the Washington Post, Mr. Forstmann said, ``It's like being 
born already dead. There are too many children like that, and I just 
feel we have to do what we can for them.''
  In praising this powerful gesture for children, my hope, Mr. 
President, is that corporate America will follow Mr. Forstmann and Mr. 
Walton's example. Responsible business investments include investing in 
human capital and the value-added impact of a quality education. There 
is no better investment than America's children. 

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