[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 51 (Thursday, April 30, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H2613]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            LISTEN TO THE VOTERS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to be here with 
my daughter for a day, Demika, who is a student at Brown Middle School; 
and I am here this morning because I wanted us to have a reasonable 
debate, Mr. Speaker, on this very important question of vouchers in 
schools.
  Mr. Speaker, I think it is extremely important that we are reasonable 
because, if we are not reasonable, then we do not help those young 
people who, in fact, need to be educated. When one of our colleagues 
across the aisle compares public school education to communism, then we 
are unreasonable.
  When the schools in D.C., private schools, cost on an average 
$12,000, a $2,000 voucher is not going to happen and not going to help 
children. In fact, it is $3,200. Only 2,000 children are going to be 
able to be helped. This drains money from our public school system.
  Mr. Speaker, the District of Columbia has already voted against 
vouchers; and if I was to ask those in the District of Columbia, I 
would imagine, Mr. Speaker, they would ask us to help them educate 
their children, help them support public schools. I would ask that we 
listen to the voters of the District of Columbia and not vote for D.C. 
vouchers.

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