[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 75 (Thursday, June 11, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H4481]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      CHILDREN'S SCHOLARSHIP FUND

  (Mr. GINGRICH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GINGRICH. Mr. Speaker, I simply want to take a moment to praise 
two great Americans who are taking positive action to help educate the 
children of America. Ted Forstmann and John Walton announced Tuesday 
the creation of the Children's Scholarship Fund, a $200 million 
matching funds scholarship program that will allow children in grades K 
through 12 to attend schools they and their parents choose, schools 
that will give them the best possible education and the best possible 
chance to succeed in life.
  They set up this fund in a unique way. They have invited the mayors 
of 310 cities in America, all with populations over 75,000, to 
participate by finding local partners to contribute funds for 
scholarships for needy children. Forstmann and Walton will match these 
local partners with $100 million of their own money.
  I want to first recognize them and thank them for their commitment to 
helping students here in our Nation's capital, and I stand here today 
because I am enthused that they have taken this tremendous next step.
  But I want to drive two points home: No child anywhere in America 
should be trapped in a bad school with a bad education with a bad 
safety record. No child anywhere, of any background, in any 
neighborhood should be trapped. It is tragic that the Federal 
Government does not meet the citizenship of Mr. Forstmann and Mr. 
Walton.
  Second, I praise their generosity and the spirit of Tocqueville's 
Democracy in America. Their commitment, as citizens, of their own 
money, voluntarily, because they care, is what America is really all 
about. That is why, when we cut taxes, it is to increase the take-home 
pay of citizens so citizens can then be active in their community, 
because they have more time and more take-home pay.
  I would simply say that Mr. Forstmann and Mr. Walton are models of 
the kind of citizenship we are supporting.

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