[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 104 (Wednesday, July 29, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H6515]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  REAL EDUCATION REFORM FOR AMERICANS

  (Mr. PAPPAS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. PAPPAS. Mr. Speaker, on July 21, the President vetoed a bill that 
would have helped millions of American families save for the education 
needs of their children. I would like to invite my colleagues on the 
other side to listen carefully, because this issue crystallizes 
beautifully the differences between the two parties.
  I said that the bill that the President vetoed would have helped 
``millions of American families.'' We make no reference to the income 
of families because the bill would help all families save, rich or 
poor. The President and the Democrats, of course, on this and other 
issues, immediately turned the issue into a class warfare issue, and if 
a single family of wealth would benefit, brand the bill as a tax break 
for the wealthy.
  The Democrats cannot, on principle, support a bill that will help 
families, families plain and simple, even if millions of middle class 
and poor families would benefit, because the idea that a wealthy family 
might also benefit is simply unacceptable. Children of middle class 
parents will be the losers and real education reform will continue to 
be nothing more than class warfare rhetoric.

                          ____________________