[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 146 (Wednesday, October 14, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H10839]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IS THIS WHAT WE WANT FOR OUR KIDS?

  (Mr. MENENDEZ asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, as we meet here today, hundreds of 
thousands of American children are beginning their school days in 
overcrowded classrooms with poor lighting, ceilings that are literally 
crumbling apart, lead pluming systems and barely enough money for 
textbooks and basic supplies, and what we, as Democrats, want to do is 
to make sure those local school districts have the opportunity with 
federal assistance to leverage and to have their own decision-making to 
make a difference in those classrooms with 100,000 school teachers 
which they will put in classrooms. We want to make sure that in fact we 
end up hiring 100,000 school teachers and not spending money on things 
that will not reduce class size or will not improve the leaking roof 
over their head. Mr. Speaker, if it were up to Republicans, they just 
simply would not support these initiatives.
  Is that what we want for our kids?
  Republicans say stop throwing money at the problem. For God's sake, 
Mr. Speaker, it takes money to repair a roof, it takes money to buy a 
modern heating system, it takes money to hire new teachers, and schools 
like these can be found in urban, suburban and rural areas alike.
  Every child deserves a good school and a good education, and that is 
why we are still here fighting on a budget to make sure that happens.

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