[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 7 (Thursday, February 5, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H338]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRESS MUST WORK TO PRESERVE AND STRENGTHEN AMERICA'S PUBLIC SCHOOLS

  (Ms. DeLAURO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. DeLAURO. Madam Speaker, in last week's State of the Union, 
President Clinton challenged this body to pass legislation to improve 
America's public schools. Democrats are eager to get to work, reducing 
class size, repairing crumbling schools, putting computers in every 
classroom.
  But my Republican colleagues on the other side of the aisle are 
saying no. They bring unnecessary legislation today that would block 
national tests to ensure that every American child meets higher 
standards in math and in reading, that would make schools and teachers 
more accountable.
  It is our public schools that have made this Nation strong and have 
put the American dream within the reach of all of our children. We 
should be working to ensure accountability, quality, and discipline in 
our schools, not passing legislation that would prevent teachers from 
using the tools that they need to teach our kids.
  Republicans do not believe that our country and our Federal 
Government should have a role in education. They are wrong. I call on 
my colleagues to work with us to preserve and to strengthen America's 
public schools.

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