[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 107 (Monday, August 3, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H6884]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PRESIDENT VETOES BILL ALLOWING TAX-FREE EDUCATION SAVINGS ACCOUNTS

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, H.G. Wells once said, ``Human history 
becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe.''
  Well, two weeks ago special interests, liberals, and the President 
gave in to catastrophe, putting our children's education, their future, 
and this Nation at risk.
  On July 21 of this year, the President dashed the hopes of millions 
of Americans, the parents of millions of children, by vetoing a bill 
that would have allowed parents to set up tax-free education savings 
accounts.
  It is truly a shame that giving parents more of an opportunity to 
save for their children's education is now a partisan issue.
  This unfortunate veto reminds me of a saying from one of my high 
school Latin classes: ``Via ovicipitum dura est.'' For you rocket 
scientists out there who never took Latin, ``the way of the egghead is 
hard.''
  The President is now on record as thinking that parents who save for 
their children's education are doing a disservice to them. This is 
truly a ridiculous notion.
  Let us support our children. Let us support their future. I urge all 
my colleagues not to let catastrophe win but to override the 
President's veto on education savings.

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