[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 144 (Monday, October 12, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S12357-S12358]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page S12357]]
                         THE EDUCATION PRIORITY

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I wish to address the Senate briefly this 
afternoon on an issue of which the President, Senator Daschle, and 
Congressman Gephardt, and other members of Congress, have spoken on so 
many different occasions, and most particularly during the last several 
days--the negotiations on appropriations which are taking place, even 
as we meet here this afternoon, on whether we are going to give the 
education the priority that it deserves. I believe families all over 
this country want us to get education funding high priority.
  Families across the country want the federal government to be a 
helping hand in improving public schools. This year, the nation will 
set a new record for elementary and secondary school enrollment. The 
figure has reached an all-time high of 53 million students--500,000 
more students than last year. Communities, states, and Congress must 
work together to see that these students receive a good education.
  Local communities are doing the very best they can to keep up with 
the increasing demand for good facilities and high academic standards. 
States are helping. But the issue today is whether we at the Federal 
Government are going to be a partner in helping to improve public 
schools for communities and families across the country. I believe we 
must be a strong education partner. The President believes we must be a 
strong education partner. We are very hopeful that the final 
negotiation allocate scarce resources to strengthening the education of 
the children of the nation.
  Mr. President, we know at the outset that money in and of itself is 
not the answer, but it is a pretty clear indication about what a 
nation's priorities are. If we look over what the budget was for 1998, 
we will see that only 2 percent of the Federal budget was actually 
appropriated in for education. I think most Americans would believe 
that that percentage ought to be a great deal higher. I certainly do. 
The President does.
  I rise this afternoon to commend the President for making the case he 
has made in ensuring that in this final funding agreement, we give high 
priority to education. Some may wonder why we have to be concerned 
about federal support for education?
  I want to review just for a few moments, Mr. President, the decision 
that was made by the Republican leadership in the House of 
Representatives in the earlier part of the year that shows why we have 
to stay here and fight for education funding. If Americans are 
wondering why the President continues to make statements about the 
importance of education, let's just review for a few moments how 
Republicans in the House of Representatives cut funding for education 
in June of this year. They cut $421 million below the President's 
request for title I.
  Now, it is important to try to understand what the title I program 
is. The role of the Federal Government in education is to target the 
children in our country that need the most help. We have made a 
commitment to children from economically distressed families that they 
would get extra help in order to help them increase their academic 
achievement. We can see the need reflected in a wide variety of 
indicators. In reading, for example, 40 percent of fourth graders are 
reading below grade level. We decided as a nation that we would give 
extra help in reading, math, and other academic subjects, to those 
children who would qualify. That has been a time-honored program. An 
increase in support for the program was in the President's budget and 
it was paid for. But our Republican friends decided to cut the program 
by $421 million below President Clinton's request. I think that cut was 
a mistake, but that was a decision made by the House of 
Representatives.

  Then, the cut a time-honored piece of legislation known as the 
Eisenhower Teacher Training Program--a program that helps teachers 
upgrade their skills so they will be more effective teaching science 
and math--by $50 million below last year. I believe very strongly that 
one of our main objectives as a nation should be to have a well-
qualified teacher in every classroom in this country. The Eisenhower 
Teacher Training Program has played a very important and significant 
role in helping communities meet that goal. Nonetheless, that program 
was significantly cut back.
  I think all of us understand there are political leaders--Members of 
Congress, those who are running for Governor, those who are running in 
local communities--who are talking about the importance of new 
technology in their schools.
  We in Massachusetts were 48th out of 50 States in access to the 
Internet just 4 years ago. Then, in Massachusetts, we formed what was 
called Net Day, a cooperative effort between the private sector and the 
public sector, to improve children's access to technology. Now 
Massachusetts ranks 10th in the country in schools wired to the 
Internet. That was done by a cooperative effort of the software 
industries, labor, educators, business and communities. 50 miles of 
cable were laid down in Boston, voluntarily. All of the people who 
helped wire those schools understand the importance of having new 
technology and having Internet access.
  Therefore, it is difficult for me to understand why, the House of 
Representatives cut education technology programs by $137 million below 
the President's program, and zeroed out the Star School Program, which 
brings distance learning to rural and underserved communities.
  With the school budgets being cut back, critical programs are often 
eliminated such as music, the arts, and health programs. In addition, 
rural and underserved communities often have difficulty finding 
qualified math and science teachers. So, we developed a Star School 
Program so that all communities would have access to the best teachers 
who would be able to enter those schools through satellite. It was an 
overwhelming success. It has been evaluated and reevaluated and it has 
been one of the most effective programs that we have, particularly in 
rural areas --in urban areas as well, but particularly in rural areas. 
But the Star Schools program was zeroed out.
  They even cut support for after-school programs. After-school 
programs have an important impact on providing children opportunities 
for constructive activities, such as doing their homework with the 
assistance of a tutor. It also benefits families because when children 
go home and see their parents who have been working hard all day, the 
parents will not be in the situation where they must say, ``Go upstairs 
and do your homework,'' but they might have some quality time with 
their children.
  After-school programs also help keep children safe, drug-free and out 
of trouble. We know that juvenile crime peaks in the after-school hours 
between, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. By developing afterschool programs, we 
enhance education but we also have a dramatic reduction in juvenile 
crime and delinquency. The 21st Century Community Learning Center 
program is a modest program to help create models for other communities 
in the best practices for after-school programs. But, the Republicans 
cut the program by $140 million below the President's level.
  Beyond that, Republicans in the House eliminated the Summer Jobs 
Program. A program that provides summer jobs for children who are in 
some of the most difficult educational and economic situations. A 
program that is a lifeline in so many communities across this country. 
Yet they zeroed it out--they didn't' just cut it by a quarter, or cut 
it in half, or cut it by three-quarters, but they eliminated it.
  If you go to Chicago--and I see our friend, Senator Durbin, from 
Illinois, who is an expert about this--to find out what is being done 
to reform their schools, you will find that they are providing academic 
enrichment and work experiences to children during the summer vacation. 
But, the Republicans zeroed out every single nickel for the Summer Jobs 
Program.
  If you are asking, as we have heard the Speaker asking and the 
Republican leader asking, Why should we be suddenly so concerned about 
education? We need to be concerned because families across the nation 
want us to help improve education, but instead, Republicans cut the 
title I program that help the neediest children. They cut the 
Eisenhower Teacher Training Program. They eliminated the Summer Jobs 
Program. They cut $130 million from the technology programs for 
schools. They cut the afterschool program. That is why these hours are 
important; they make a difference.

[[Page S12358]]

  The President has proposed that we make needed investments in 
reducing class size and modernizing our schools. He is making that 
speech against a background of a GAO report that schools have $112 
billion in repair and modernization needs that they cannot address.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The time of the Senator has expired.
  Mr. KENNEDY. I ask for an additional minute and a half.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. KENNEDY. We ought to be doing all we can to repair and modernize 
the nation's public schools.
  What kind of message are we sending to every child in America who 
goes to a school with leaking pipes, exposed wiring, broken windows, 
faulty heating systems, and no air conditioning? The message we are 
sending to every child is, they don't make a difference, they don't 
count.
  We believe, and the President believes, that the children count, and 
it is important to provide them with safe, modern schools. We are here 
in these final days, to make sure that, unlike the Republican judgment 
that was made in the House of Representatives in June of this past 
year, any budget that is going to bear the President's signature or 
have our vote is going to make these needed investments in education 
that are essential for every working family in this country.
  Mr. SARBANES. Will the Senator yield for a question?
  Mr. KENNEDY. I will be glad to yield.
  Mr. SARBANES. Will the Senator agree with me that with this emphasis 
on the global economy, if we don't educate our children to the fullest 
measure of their capacity, we are not going to be able to compete 
internationally? It has assumed a dimension now that we have never 
confronted before in terms of our economic survival in the world 
economy.
  Mr. KENNEDY. The Senator is absolutely correct. By every kind of 
indicator of which countries are going to continue to survive and 
prosper in a world economy, education is the linchpin for these 
initiatives.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The time of the Senator has expired.
  Mr. GORTON addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.

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