[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 145 (Tuesday, October 13, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H10673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      THE REASON WE ARE HERE TODAY

  (Mr. MILLER of California asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, the reason we are here today 
is because of the differences between the Republicans and the Democrats 
about our children's education. We believe, as the American people do, 
that our local districts need help in rebuilding crumbling schools, 
that our schools ought to be made safe, that children should no longer 
go to school in made-over closets and made-over teacher lounges, in 
made-over storage areas. They ought to have a safe and decent place to 
go to school.

                              {time}  1030

  We believe that we ought to make every effort to try to help 
districts lower the teacher/pupil ratio so that teachers can spend more 
time with individual students. That is the important work that ought to 
be done here. It should have been done earlier, but the Republicans 
were so excited about impeachment that they forgot America's children. 
That work has to be done.
  The problem is there are even differences within the Republican Party 
about this education program. We believe that this money ought to make 
sure that we can, in fact, reduce class size. We can, in fact, build 
new schools and repair schools and make a difference for America's 
children as opposed to trying to provide a program that allows 
governors to walk off with the money

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