[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 29, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E200]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


   STATEMENT BY THE HONORABLE WILLIAM L. CLAY ON INTRODUCTION OF THE 
          ``PUBLIC SCHOOL REPAIR AND RENOVATION ACT OF 2000''

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM (BILL) CLAY

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 29, 2000

  Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, today, I am introducing the ``Public School 
Repair and Renovation Act of 2000,'' which will allocate $1.3 billion 
to renovate 8,300 public schools in areas of financial need. Emergency 
plumbing, faulty electric, leaking roofs as well as asbestos removal 
and fire safety hazards will be the primary focus of these funds. 
President Clinton proposed this in his State of the Union Address. This 
measure will supplement Representative Rangel's more comprehensive 
school modernization plan providing $24 billion in tax credit bonds 
over two years for school construction.
  Today, over one-third or more than over 28,000 public schools have 
inadequate heating, ventilation, and air condition systems. Over 23,000 
have inadequate plumbing, and more than 20,000 schools have crumbling 
roofs. A report to be released soon by the National Education 
Association documents $307 billion dollars of unmet funding need for 
public school infrastructure and education technology. The Department 
of Education estimates that 2,400 new public schools will be needed by 
year 2003 to accommodate rising enrollments and to relieve 
overcrowding. In my State of Missouri, for example, the NEA report 
documents $4.5 billion of infrastructure and school technology needs. 
In Chairman Goodling's State of Pennsylvania, there are $10.4 billion 
of unmet school construction projects. And Illinois, Speaker Hastert's 
home state, there are over $11 billion worth of unmet school 
construction needs. This school renovation act will set aside 10% of 
funds for direct grants to our nation's poorest school districts. Most 
of the remaining funds will provide either grants or loans, as 
determined by the Secretary of Education, to schools that lack the bond 
capacity or authority to issue bonds. Loans would have a zero interest 
rate, to be paid back over a 7 year period. Our failure to act on this 
critical measure will leave tens of thousands of our school children at 
risk.
  I urge the Republican Majority to take action on school construction 
before we recess this summer.

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