[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 154 (Thursday, November 4, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H11484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IT IS TIME THE LIBERAL DEMOCRATS SUPPORT FLEXIBILITY FOR LOCAL SCHOOL 
                               DISTRICTS

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks).
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, there is a Latin phrase that applies to 
those liberal Democrats who constantly believe that Washington always 
knows best: via ovicepitum dura est. For the engineers, ``The way of 
the egghead is hard.''
  Mr. Speaker, it is time our liberal colleagues support the education 
opportunities that grant our local school districts the flexibility to 
decide how to spend their Federal education funding.
  We are all aware of the Administration's plan to hire 100,000 new 
teachers, and we can all agree that hiring more qualified teachers 
should be a priority. But what about books? What about computers? What 
about the basic things, like pencils and papers? What right do 
Washington bureaucrats have to deny school districts the option of 
using these funds for these necessities?
  Mr. Speaker, we can do more to improve the education of our children 
by giving local school districts the flexibility and tools needed to 
make those improvements. Let us give our children the best education 
opportunity we can. Let us cut the Federal purse strings.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back all the egg-headed, cookie-cutter, liberal 
funding theories which cannot possibly meet the diverse needs and 
educational needs of our children.

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