[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 147 (Thursday, October 15, 1998)]
[House]
[Page H10920]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      SCHOOL MODERNIZATION INITIATIVE STILL NEEDED IN BUDGET DEAL

  (Mr. PALLONE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, we are still likely to be here a few more 
days as we hammer out this budget agreement, but I want to say that I 
am very proud of the Democrats who have stuck it out and demanded that 
this budget agreement address education initiatives. It appears, and I 
say it appears because we do not know for sure, but it seems like the 
Republicans finally have agreed to our proposal for 100,000 teachers 
that are going to be hired across the country with Federal dollars. I 
just want to say it is only because Democrats have kept insisting that 
this education initiative be in the budget that we may finally realize 
that hope of having those 100,000 extra teachers spread around the 
country to reduce class size.
  But we still do not have the modernization initiative. The 
Republicans should agree to this as well. This is the initiative that 
says that we will spend Federal dollars to try to improve schools 
around the country, to renovate schools, to put in new roofs, to also 
upgrade, if you will, schools for technology, for computers and other 
things of that nature. I think it is very important that we continue to 
stay here until that initiative is also included in this budget.
  I know the Republicans do not want to hear it. They keep saying that 
this is unnecessary, but it is important.

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