[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 48 (Thursday, March 25, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E569]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




APPOINTMENT OF CONFEREES ON H.R. 800, EDUCATION FLEXIBILITY PARTNERSHIP 
                              ACT OF 1999

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                               speech of

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 23, 1999

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the 
Clay motion to instruct. Mr. Speaker, the Ed-Flex bill in its current 
form lacks the efficiency and accountability needed to protect what 
took two decades to correct. Mr. Speaker, America understands that all 
students benefit where there is an appropriate ratio of students to 
teachers. Therefore, I echo America's call and ask that this Congress 
support initiatives to reduce class size by providing 100,000 new, 
qualified teachers.
  I believe we can do both, support class size reduction, IDEA, and 
support local control of education. Some of my colleagues suggest we 
should just vote for the Ed-Flex bill and decide on the other matters 
during other discussions. But as I listen to the debate here we are not 
talking about one bill or one instance, we are deciding the direction 
this nation will follow for the next millennia. I am aware of the 
attempt to cut funding from K-12 programs to pay for the recommended 
increase in IDEA. Let's not disguise these attempts by suggesting we 
should only deal with what is in front of us.
  Mr. Speaker we must debate these issues now because we may never have 
another chance. I submit that this bill will affect all programs that I 
support. Programs like IDEA, Title I, help for disadvantaged students, 
Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities, Technology for Education 
programs, Innovative Education Strategies (Title VI), Emergency 
Immigrant Education, and the Perkins Vocational Education Act.
  Let's not play politics. Let's get together and include a real bill 
for our children. I urge all members not to support this bill and 
support the Clay motion to instruct.

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