[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 135 (Wednesday, October 25, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1919]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. RON PAUL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 24, 2000

  Mr. PAUL. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to reject the National 
Science Act (H.R. 4271), which violates the limits on congressional 
power found in Article 1, section 8 and the 10th amendment to the 
Constitution by using tax monies unjustly taken from the American 
people to promote the educational objectives favored by a few federal 
politicians and bureaucrats. As an OB-GYN, I certainly recognize the 
importance of increasing the quality of science education as well as 
undertaking efforts to interest children in the sciences. However, 
while I share the goals of the drafters of this legislation, I 
recognize that Congress has no constitutional authority to single out 
any one academic discipline as deserving special emphasis. Instead, the 
decision about which subjects to emphasize should be made by local 
officials, educators and parents.
  H.R. 4271 not only singles out science for special emphasis, certain 
positions of the bill will lead to a national science curriculum. For 
instance, the bill calls for the Department of Education and the 
National Science Foundation to coordinate and disseminate information 
on ``standard'' math and science curricula as well as licensing 
requirements for teachers of math, science, engineering or technology. 
While local school districts are not forced to adopt these standards, 
local schools will be pressured to adopt these standards because they 
are the ones favored by their DC-based overlords. I would also ask the 
drafters of this bill what purpose is served by spending taxpayer 
moneys to create and disseminate a model curriculum at the federal 
level if their intent is not to have local schools adopt the federally-
approved model?
  I also object to the provision of this bill providing special 
assistance to science teachers for training and professional 
development as well as grants for so-called ``Master Teachers.'' Of 
course, I recognize that, like other citizens, teachers are underpaid 
because they are overtaxed. This is why I have introduced the Teacher 
Tax Cut Act (H.R. 937) which provides all teachers with a $1,000 tax 
credit. H.R. 937 effectively raises teacher salaries by lowering their 
taxes. In contrast H.R. 4271 raises the salaries of certain 
congressionally-favored educators by effectively cutting the pay of 
engineers, doctors, truck drivers, waiters, and even their fellow 
educators. Mr. Speaker, I cannot find any constitutional nor moral 
justification for Congress to redistribute money to any favorite class 
of professionals.
  If the steady decline of America's education system over the past 
thirty years has shown us anything, it is that centralizing control 
leads to a declining education system. In fact, according to a recent 
Manhattan Institute study of the effects of state policies promoting 
parental control over education, a minimal increase in parental control 
boosts students' average SAT verbal score by 21 points and students' 
SAT math score by 22 points! The Manhattan Institute study also found 
that increasing parental control of education is the best way to 
improve student performance on the National Assessment of Education 
Progress (NAEP) tests. Clearly, the drafters of the Constitution knew 
what they were doing when they forbade the Federal Government from 
meddling in education.
  In order to put education resources back into the hands of the 
American people I have introduced the Family Education Freedom Act 
(H.R. 935). This act provides a $3,000 per child tax credit for parents 
to help cover K-12 education expenses. I have also introduced the 
Education Improvement Tax Cut Act (H.R. 936), which provides a $3,000 
tax deduction for contributions to K-12 education scholarships as well 
as for cash or in-kind donations to private or public schools. HRs 935 
and 936 move control of education resources back into the hands of the 
American people and help ensure parents can provide their children an 
excellent education. In fact, since the tax credits contained in H.R. 
935 and H.R. 936 may be used to help finance the purchase of items 
necessary for a science education, such as labs equipment and 
computers, these bills will particularly benefit those citizens who 
wish to improve science education. I therefore urge my colleagues to 
reject the failed, unconstitutional command-and-control approach of 
H.R. 4271 and instead embrace my legislation to return control of 
education resources to the American people.

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