[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 21 (Thursday, March 5, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H854]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   DEMOCRATS UNVEIL EDUCATION AGENDA

  (Ms. PELOSI asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. PELOSI. Mr. Speaker, every day all across America we tell 
children that education is very important to their future. But we send 
them a contradictory message in the condition of American schools. If 
we truly want to convince children of the importance of education, we 
must improve the schools at which they learn and reduce class size. 
Just a few weeks ago, the Democratic leadership of the House and the 
Senate joined with President Clinton in rolling out a Democratic agenda 
which calls for smaller classes, it calls for 100,000 new teachers to 
teach in these smaller classes, and an initiative to repair old schools 
and build new schools. This initiative of President Clinton's which I 
hope the entire Congress will join in calls for a $20 billion 
initiative on tax-free bonds for local communities to rebuild their 
schools. The schools our children learn in are in some cases 
environmental hazards. In many cases the classrooms are overcrowded. In 
all cases there is need for reconstruction. Send a clear, consistent 
message to children that education is important by placing an 
importance on their schools.

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