[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 140 (Monday, October 30, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H11608-H11617]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1830
                          FINAL BUDGET ISSUES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Walden of Oregon). Under the Speaker's 
announced policy of January 6, 1999, the gentleman from New York (Mr. 
Owens) is recognized for 60 minutes.
  Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin tonight with a symbol 
that I have used repeatedly over the last year, the construction hard 
hat, to drive home the fact that, at the heart of our effort to improve 
schools in America is the need to revamp facilities. Whether that means 
repairing facilities, renovating facilities or building new schools, 
this is the key, the first and most dramatic and visible evidence of 
exactly how we elected officials and decision makers feel about 
education.
  Do something about the obvious problem. Do something about the 
overwhelming problem that localities and States are having the most 
difficulty with because it requires a large outlay of capital.
  Let us do something in the area where the Federal Government does not 
have to get directly involved in decision making at the local level. We 
help at the capital problem of buildings and equipment, laboratories, 
libraries that are involved in improving facilities; and we get out. We 
do not keep the Federal government around in a situation which involves 
facilities and equipment.
  So I am here tonight to salute the democratic process here in this 
Congress and to salute the process here in Washington by saying that it 
looked impossible 3 years ago when we began the crusade to get Federal 
funding for school construction. It has been a long and torturous 
battle. The obstacle course has been quite filled with devastating 
obstacles, quicksand pits and all kinds of traps.
  Even now, I cannot stand here and announce that we have an obvious 
victory. But I think what is important is that we have, at this 
critical moment in the final days of the 106th Congress, we have school 
construction on the radar screen. It is at the center of the radar 
screen.
  One of the big problems that we are faced with here as we try to 
reach judgment, one of the areas of controversy, fortunately, is still 
there on the table, is school construction. I am proud of the fact that 
the process has awakened and that we are now, as decision makers here 
in Washington, running very hard to catch up with the American people.
  The American people have said, voters have said repeatedly that 
education is the number one priority. Within the priorities for 
education, people do not understand why we cannot do something 
immediately in some kind of very significant amounts about school 
construction, about facilities, about guaranteeing that every youngster 
goes to school in a facility that is safe, that is not threatening his 
health in any way, the teachers' health is not threatened.
  We would like to see a movement which understands that part of the 
problem with our schools certainly in large numbers of rural areas as 
well as in inner-city areas is that they are not desirable work sites. 
Part of the problem of attracting teachers is that they do not want to 
work at these work sites where we have situations which, really, not 
only endanger the health of the students, but endanger the health of 
the teachers as well.
  If one has a situation like the coal burning schools in New York 
where, at the beginning of this crusade that we started 3 years ago, 
there were more than 200 schools in New York City that still had 
furnaces that were burning coal.
  I am happy to report that, as a result of our agitation and our 
effort and our constant pursuit of the problems and all the roadblocks, 
we have a situation now where the New York City School Construction 
Authority has stated that, by the end of 2001, every coal burning 
furnace, every school coal burning furnace in New York City will be 
remodeled and revamped and renovated, and it will be an oil or a gas 
burning modern furnace with no pollution of coal dust being spewn into 
the area.
  So it is good to stand here and report some progress at some levels, 
certainly as we move toward the end of the 106th Congress, to have one 
of our major items still on the table, on the radar screen. A point of 
great controversy between Republicans and Democrats is school 
construction, what should we do about school construction.
  So I would say that out there, and there are still some students who 
are still awake at this early hour, fortunately it is kind of early, 
let us pull out a glass of orange juice or glass of milk and let us 
drink a toast. I do not have a glass here, but let us drink a toast to 
the students of America, the

[[Page H11609]]

public schools of America that are in great need of some help in this 
very basic area of school construction.
  They are about to get a breakthrough. We are about to realize a 
breakthrough, we hope. The fact that we are still on the radar screen 
is number one.

  The second thing I would like to joyously report is that there is 
discussion about the fact that, in the area of the Labor, Health and 
Human Services and Education appropriations bill, there is some kind of 
almost agreement that the first dollars will be appropriated for school 
construction that have been appropriated in the last 50 years or more. 
We will have a breakthrough, we hope.
  There is a tentative agreement that the President's proposal of $1.3 
billion will be approved in some form. Maybe not all of it will be 
available for school construction, but some portion of it will be 
available for school modernization. They like to play with terms. 
School modernization means renovation or repairs. Maybe, I hope in 
desperate situations where they need school construction will have 
school construction.
  So many out there are going to school in trailers, have to go to 
classes in trailers. In the wintertime, the trailers have no bathroom 
facilities, and kids have to go outside to get to bathroom facilities. 
Trailers, of course, have no libraries and no cafeterias.
  Large parts of America, suburban America, rural America, as well as 
big cities, are afflicted with the disease of these trailers. So 
trailers, we hope we can look down over the next 10 years and hope that 
the Federal government's intervention will lead to a situation where 
the trailers will be gone.
  Certainly I just told my colleagues that the coal burning furnaces in 
New York City schools, they have given us a chart which shows that 
there will be none around as of the end of the year 2001, the School 
Construction Authority. So that means we move from more than 200 
schools that 3 years ago were burning coal in their furnaces to none in 
the year 2001.
  I am certain that the Federal Government involvement, as small as it 
may be, what they are talking about is $1.3 billion in direct 
appropriations, there is still some discussion of the Committee on Ways 
and Means bill which would provide tax credits and have the government 
pay interest on the amount of money borrowed by States and localities 
up to a total of $25 billion in borrowing authority over a 5-year 
period, and the Federal Government would pay the interest. That is the 
other opening for school construction. We hope that that is not off the 
table yet.
  Either way, we would like to see some forward movement and begin the 
process of having our government deal with education in the area where 
there is the greatest immediate need and where it is simplest. It is 
very simple for them to get involved and not have to weigh into the 
issue of disrupting local control or threatening local operations, et 
cetera.
  So let us drink. Take out your orange juice or your milk and let us 
drink to a breakthrough. We are on the radar screen.
  As the session concludes, I am optimistic that we will make some 
small breakthrough. I think that it is important to note that this is a 
very strange session we are about to conclude, I hope we are about to 
conclude. I know the date for adjournment was set at October 6 and now 
it is October 30. Every week we had these projections. We are going to 
get through. But we are still here on October 30. There is an election 
on November 7, which means that this Congress goes out of existence 
shortly after that.
  We are still hung up on some very critical problems. I want to just 
take a minute to say that those problems are problems that are very 
important to the American people. Some people have raised the question 
as to why suddenly do we have such importance placed on problems like 
prescription drug benefits, prescription medicine benefits. Why have we 
singled out that problem for this year?
  It is very important because we have been discussing it for the last 
10 years in one form or another. It has escalated to the point where 
the discussion has led to some proposals, and it is time to make some 
decisions about it.
  The cost of preparing drugs also has escalated. The cost has gone up 
greatly. The role of prescription medicines in our health has 
increased. There are now some drugs that really make a great difference 
in terms of the quality of life. There are some prescription medicines 
that determine whether people live or die. If the medicines were not 
there, if the prescription, the pill was not there, they would not be 
able to survive.
  More and more, we are seeing the benefits of science over the years 
pay off in the form of what some people call miracle drugs. I do not 
think it is an exaggeration. Some of them are literally keeping people 
alive. One could call them miracle drugs.
  So we are now in a situation where it is time to make a decision 
where this Congress has options that no Congress has had in the last 50 
years. We have a situation where there is a huge surplus; whereas, we 
have had to deny some basically needed services before to our 
constituents. Here is a matter related to health, life and death. Why 
cannot we now make some decisions which guarantee the benefits of the 
great prosperity we enjoy and the great wealth that we have now.

  Nothing ever in the history of the world has existed like the United 
States of America at this point in the year 2000. There is just no 
other nation, no other phenomenon that one would call a political 
entity that has had the kind of power and the kind of wealth, the kind 
of options that the United States of America has at this point.
  These options that we have here in Congress in terms of the decisions 
we make are greatly increased by the fact that we have the wealth. We 
have the surplus. So why not now make the decisions? The fact that the 
prescription medicine benefit is still on the table is important. Let 
us make that decision before we leave here. Why not?
  Why not make the decisions about the HMO Bill of Rights, the 
patients' bill of rights with respect to HMOs. Why not now? Why save 
it? We have had the dialogue. The democratic process has generated 
proposals. We have had the debates. Why not now?
  Who knows what the 107th Congress may face? Who knows what natural 
disasters may occur? Who knows what new kinds of crises in the world 
will confront us in the 107th Congress? We know now that we have the 
options now. We have had the debate. The process of those who are not 
enlightened now about what the problem is will never be enlightened. 
There are folks who cling to certain kinds of special interest 
considerations. It is not because they are not enlightened. They know 
they have enough knowledge, they have enough evidence as to what is 
needed. So we ought to make those decisions.
  We ought to make the decisions also related to immigration fairness. 
We have a bill called the Latino and Other Immigrant Fairness Act, 
which is called the Latino and Other Immigrant Fairness Act, but it 
does include critical problems related to immigration in general, 
critical problems which covers all of the crisis situations that we 
face right now in immigration.
  We face a crisis problem with respect to certain Central American 
people having receiving permanent status, certain Haitians receiving 
permanent status, and Liberians. There are a lot of critical problems 
that are wrapped up here in this Latino and Other Immigrant Fairness 
bill.
  The issue of 245(i), which relates to people renewing their permanent 
status without having to leave the country is critical throughout the 
entire country overall of the immigrant groups. That is in the bill.
  The issue of the registry for amnesty where we had a cutoff date of 
1972 in the last amnesty bill, and the request is that we move that 
registry date to 1986 so that anybody who had been in the country for 
10 years up to 1986 would be eligible for amnesty and could apply.

                              {time}  1845

  A very humane gesture because these are people who are already in the 
country. They have been in the country for a long time, 10, 15, 20 
years; and we are just going to recognize the fact that they are here, 
they are paying taxes, they are working. So let us move to try to 
regularize their status by giving them permanent residency and allowing 
them to move on and apply for citizenship.

[[Page H11610]]

  This does not mean that we are opening up the gates for a flood of 
immigrants to illegally come into this country. It means we have a 
common sense problem, and we would like to solve that problem. That is 
one of the issues still on the radar screen, one of the points of 
controversy. I want to congratulate the White House and the President, 
this administration, for insisting that we confront this problem and 
deal with the humanitarian dimensions of it now, not next year. Right 
now.
  We had an immigration problem of another kind that we dealt with 
speedily, the H-1B problem, where industry, corporations, have a great 
need for professional manpower that can handle the kind of needs that 
they have, information technology needs, most of them, needs related to 
the digital world, computers, programming of software and hardware, of 
various problems in the complex digital computer information technology 
world. They cannot find the people to fill all of the vacancies. That 
will go on for a long time because our education system is not 
generating, not producing the people to fill those jobs.
  We acted quickly on that one. That is an immigration piece. We raised 
the quota, and now we have a situation where 195,000 new people in the 
professional area mostly, information technology, can come in each 
year. They can come in each year, so that over a 3-year period it is 
close to 600,000 professionals who have that capacity that are allowed 
in. We have a need; we met the need.
  The Democrats, the administration are contending that we have a 
humanitarian need. We have a need to regularize the lives of the people 
who have been here 10, 15 years and let them begin to move towards 
citizenship. We have a need to do that. We have a need to stop the pain 
and suffering caused by the regulations related to 245(i), which deny 
people the opportunity to go home and visit their relatives and then 
come back without having to deal with long stays away in order to 
qualify for an adjustment of status and other problems relating to 
that. We have a need to deal with the Liberians, the Haitians, the 
Central Americans who have been stranded for various reasons. We need 
to have the relief of this Latino and other immigrant fairness bill.
  So that is another item on the agenda. We have the health care, we 
have HMO and prescription medicine benefit, we have the Latino and 
other immigrant fairness act. We have a few other things that are 
important, but those are two items that are very important that are on 
the agenda, and we would like to see them remain there until they are 
resolved in a positive and productive way.
  We congratulate the administration. The power of the White House in 
this end game negotiation is considerable. I have tried to explain the 
process before. We have come to the point now where it is a Republican-
controlled Congress, the other body as well. The whole Congress, House 
and Senate, is controlled by Republicans. They have the majority, they 
have the votes, they can do pretty much what they want to without the 
input of the Democrats who are now in the minority. Our only hope is 
that the Democratically controlled administration, the executive 
branch, the White House, will balance off the power of the Republican-
controlled Congress.
  That is what happens in these so-called end game negotiations. The 
end game negotiations are underway now. And that is why we are stuck 
here week after week, because the end game negotiations have been 
deliberately slowed down as part of the strategy of the Republican 
majority in the hopes that they can wear out the patience of the 
administration and of the Democrats.
  These items I just mentioned are too important to be given up by 
default. As long as it is necessary for us to stay here, we ought to 
stay here to get a prescription medicine benefit in this Congress. As 
long as it is necessary to stay here, we should stay to get an HMO bill 
of rights; we should stay to get a Latino and other immigrant fairness 
bill, a bill which includes amnesty, a 245(i) adjustment and a 
blanketing of the categories of Central Americans, Liberians and 
Haitians, who have been left out there with a questionable status.
  There is one very important breakthrough that I would like to report, 
particularly to my own district, on this whole matter of immigration 
before I go on to school construction, that last and most important of 
the business items that we have here on the agenda of the Congress. 
School construction I will talk about in more detail, but before I do 
that, I am happy to report, and this is another example of the 
executive branch taking the initiative, doing what it can do in a very 
humanitarian spirit to relieve suffering of people, that the extension 
of the designation of Montserrat under the temporary protective status 
program.

  It is important that there is a notice that extends the Attorney 
General's designation of Montserrat under the temporary protective 
status program until the year 2001. August 27, 2001. So we have an 
extension that goes for almost a year for people in Montserrat who need 
temporary protected status.
  Eligible nationals of Montserrat may reregister for temporary 
protective status and an extension of employment authorization. 
Reregistration is limited to persons who registered during the initial 
registration period, which ended August 27, 1998. All who registered 
after that date under the late initial registration provision, persons 
who are eligible for late initial registration, may register for the 
temporary protective status during this extension.
  The extension, as I said before, goes until August 27, 2001. The 
reregistration period began August 2, 2000; and it will remain in 
effect until November 1 of 2000. In other words, there are 2 days. This 
breakthrough that was realized and announced on October 2 was a bit 
late when it was announced, but on that date the registration process 
began. But people only have until November 1, which is 2 days from now, 
to reregister.
  Now, Montserrat has suffered one of the most cataclysmic natural 
disasters in this hemisphere of the last 50 years. Montserrat is a very 
tiny country. At least a third of the country has been wiped out by a 
volcanic eruption. It is rapidly becoming an island that is 
uninhabitable. There is some worry about whether the nation of 
Montserrat will survive. But in the meantime, for those people who had 
to flee the island, special temporary protected status was given as 
part of the great humanity of the American people and how our 
government reacts to natural disasters. We ought to be congratulated 
for taking them in, first; and now there is an extension, which did not 
have to have the approval of Congress or we might not have gotten it. 
This extension will carry them until August of 2001, and we hope that 
more can be done to resolve the problems related to the great natural 
disaster of Montserrat in the meantime.
  So that is a positive breakthrough in the immigration area. It is a 
very tiny amount when compared to what we are requesting in terms of 
the need to pass the Latino and other immigrant fairness act. That act 
would include, and I wanted to summarize for the last time, it would 
include an expansion of the 1997 legislation to include refugees from 
Central America, Haiti, and Liberia who were unjustifiably excluded 
from the opportunity to apply for permanent residency. It will 
permanently extend section 245(i) to allow individuals who qualify for 
a green card to obtain a visa without first leaving the country. It 
would move the registry date for those individuals who can demonstrate 
that they have maintained a continued presence in the U.S. from 1972 to 
1986, providing an overdue and well-deserved opportunity to individuals 
who have been living, working and paying taxes in the United States. In 
addition, for those individuals who have been in this country since 
1985, the bill would allow them to adjust to legal permanent resident 
status.
  Now, this bill was proposed to be part of the Commerce, Justice, 
State appropriation. The President made it quite clear that if this was 
not included as part of that appropriation bill he would not sign the 
act, and that is part of the process that is going on now. The strong 
stand and position taken by the White House is to be commended. We 
congratulate the President and hope that he will continue to insist 
that the 106th Congress should not adjourn without bringing immigration 
relief to

[[Page H11611]]

 the people who deserve that kind of relief.
  Those are three items that are on the screen, two items on the screen 
other than the one that I started with, which I deem to be not more 
important than immigration, not more important than health care, but 
critical in terms of where our civilization is going. Our Nation at 
this point has made an unprecedented breakthrough. We are ahead of 
Europe, we are ahead of Japan, we are ahead of all our industrial 
rivals in the area of the digital economy. We have made some 
breakthroughs which put us out there, and we can maintain that lead and 
maintain the unprecedented prosperity that we now experience if we 
continue to generate the kind of resources needed to fuel and drive the 
information technology industries, the cyber-activities, the digital 
economy activities. But brainpower is needed.
  The critical thing we need now, unlike industrial revolutions in the 
past where the natural resources often determined the wealth of a 
nation, if a country was lucky enough to have oil, then the nation had 
a great advantage. An industry can grow up related to the uses of oil 
and petrochemicals, and there are a whole series of things that relate 
to oil. If an area was fortunate to have coal, the coal mining areas 
had certain advantages because of that natural resource. If an area was 
fortunate to have iron ore or coal and iron ore near each other, then 
the steel industry certainly saw advantages there and developed in 
those areas. If someone was fortunate enough, of course, to have 
discovered gold, gold or silver, those are obvious metals that all over 
the world command a great price. So natural resources determine wealth, 
and the wealthiest people in America for a long time were people who 
had control over natural resources.

  There were people who had control over the natural resources and used 
them to industrialize, to create the steel and the various products out 
of the natural resources, and they became the wealthiest people. Now 
the wealthiest people in the world are people who do not necessarily 
have the fortunate or good luck to have discovered a pool of oil, oil 
wells, or the gold mine, a whole set of coal fields; but the people who 
have the greatest wealth now are people who are masters of the 
utilization of brainpower. Brainpower is the most powerful force in the 
world right now. Brainpower.
  Who has the brains to make use of all the opportunities that have 
opened up by the revolution in information technology, the revolution 
in the digital world, the use of computers in 100 different ways, a 
thousand different ways? The application of computers is almost 
infinite. There is no limit on the application of computers, and the 
use of digitalized equipment of various kinds except the limits of our 
brainpower. As the brainpower increases directly in proportion, we have 
these utilizations increase. New discoveries make it easier every day, 
and so the industry is changing.
  The fact that the stock market right now is in a situation where the 
digital industries are sort of being questioned as generators of income 
and as investment opportunities, it is all a passing phase. It will not 
last long.

                              {time}  1900

  It is an adjustment of an enthusiasm that maybe got out of control. 
But it is clear, and we do not have to be a rocket scientist or even a 
sophomore in college to see the way of the future is clearly the way of 
digitalization. The way of the computer is the way we are going.
  It is like when automobiles were first invented and automobiles even 
first began to roll off the assembly line, assumptions were made that 
there will always be only automobiles for rich people, that only rich 
people could own automobiles, and that the automobile was something so 
special that it was not going to affect the entire society. But the 
automobile has transformed and the offspring of automobiles transformed 
the entire society. We have the culture of the car, an automotive 
culture. And not just the richest and most powerful people involved, at 
every level down to the poorest people have some junky, used car. If 
they want wheels, they can get them or they are involved as drivers in 
the economy or in the economy as mechanics or mechanic's helpers.
  It is just a transformation which touched every level of our society. 
That was a small development compared to what computers are doing and 
will do. Computers will move more rapidly. The digitalization of the 
economy, digitalization of activities, whether they are nonprofit 
activities or profit activities or military activities, everything will 
move more rapidly, it will spread across the world more rapidly because 
it is not as expensive and not as difficult to move about and maneuver 
as automobiles were and are still.
  Computers are already in the far corners of the Earth. There are 
people who have never seen a car who have seen the benefits of 
computers. There are things happening in third world countries and in 
remote regions of the Earth with respect to computers which are 
astounding.
  So we have the leadership. We are ahead of everybody else. We are the 
driving force in a cyber civilization that has begun already. And yet, 
in this 106th Congress, the midget minds and the petty souls are such 
that they are not willing to take advantage of this opportunity where 
at the same time we can surge ahead in this cyber civilization. The 
opening is there. The opportunity is there.
  We also have the resources. We have a $230 billion surplus. To apply 
just a small part of that surplus in a constructive way toward 
education in order to increase the pool of brain power that America has 
available would gain immense dividends. And you do not have to be a 
rocket scientist to see it. If brain power is the power that is now 
driving the world, then the students and the children out there in all 
parts of America, whether it is a rural poor area or the inner-city 
areas, they are all potential resources that should be developed.
  Some of them may never become computer programmers. Most of them will 
not. Most of them will not become computer scientists. Most of them 
will not get in the high theoretical mathematics that relate to 
computers. But there is no reason why somewhere in the chain where you 
have computer scientists, you have technicians, you have mechanics, you 
have mechanic's helpers, you have the school aides who apply help to 
teachers to apply to computers.
  There is a whole world. If you look at automobiles and all the people 
that are related to automobiles, the salesmen and the auto parts shops 
and the car wash people, there is a whole range of people who have 
gotten involved in the culture of the automobile. The culture of the 
computer will involve many more people.
  And when we focus our education effort in a way which anticipates 
this need, we increase our ability to maintain our leadership in the 
world in this area. If we have to rely on foreign input, and I am not 
against foreigners, I am not against immigration, you just heard my 
arguments before, I am not against spreading the wealth by hiring a 
large amount of people from all over the world, but if you rely on that 
repeatedly, then you are going to be draining away resources from the 
Nation.
  The people that are coming here to learn eventually will go back and 
develop the competition. We have seen that in several instances with 
respect to the automobile industry. I remember shortly after World War 
II they were importing large numbers of students from Holland and 
France and training them in Detroit as engineers and design specialists 
and so forth and they were working for our companies here. They took it 
all home eventually. And we have competitors, of course, in Europe and 
Japan. A large number of those competitors were trained here.
  It is not the worst thing in the world, but they do not pay into the 
Social Security fund here. They do not generate the businesses here 
that are taxed and can provide the revenue that we need to run our 
society. And on and on it goes.
  There is a limit to the great generosity that prevails now. It may be 
a fact that most people cannot comprehend but one-half of all the 
students in our graduate schools who are in science and engineering are 
foreigners. They are not Americans. And the percentage of foreign 
students in our programs for graduate science and engineering, computer 
science, et cetera, has been increasing, not decreasing.

[[Page H11612]]

  The percentage increases because the number of students from our own 
American base school systems are going into science and those areas is 
decreasing, not increasing rapidly enough to keep pace with the need.
  The number of vacancies is not being exaggerated. The information 
technology world said last year they had 300,000 vacancies that would 
not be filled with the new crop of college graduates because their 
survey showed that there are colleges that do not have the people that 
are being prepared to come out and take these jobs. And it increases 
geometrically. There will be 600,000 after that. And then it will keep 
growing and expanding, and we will be overwhelmed by a situation where 
there is so much more that could be done and so many things are being 
attempted that the frustration will be tremendous. The lost 
opportunities will be tremendous.
  So that is the background that I give for my final statement for the 
night, and that is we need to reform and improve education right across 
the board. Education needs help in many areas. We have proposed in the 
Congressional Black Caucus an alternative budget way back in the spring 
when we introduced the budget. We proposed that 10 percent of the 
surplus be dedicated to the improvement of education.
  In order to deal with this cyber civilization and all the brain power 
needs, 10 percent of the surplus, which now the surplus has gone up to 
$230 billion, 10 percent of that over the next 10 years dedicated to 
education would be the kind of resources needed to revamp and move.
  We could train the science teachers, who then could get more science 
students. We could train the math teachers. We could get the computers 
purchased. We could get the technology training for teachers. And most 
of all, immediately the first thing we could do is to solve the 
problems that are most acute out there and most visible. And that is 
the problems of school construction, school renovation, school 
modernization, the wiring of schools for technology.
  We have repeatedly stayed up on this consideration. And I said 
before, my symbol of the construction hard hat, the Nation needs an 
effort by construction workers. If ever there was a time that the 
overtime of one group of people was needed, the Nation needs the 
overtime of the construction industry to catch up.
  The National Education Association survey showed that our needs in 
order to serve the present generation of public school students, the 
numbers now to increase enrollment, you need $320 billion for school 
construction, renovation, modernization, and technology, $320 billion.
  Now you say this is an exaggeration by the National Education 
Association because, after all, they serve teachers. But the official 
estimate by the Education Statistics Commissioner's Office in the 
Department of Education is that right now we need $126 billion or $127 
billion.
  So let us take the conservative figure. Let us deal with $127 
billion. Five years ago the General Accounting Office, the GAO, said 
that we needed $110 billion, 5 years ago. So there is some consistency 
here in terms of large amounts of dollars are needed for school 
construction repair and renovation, and we have been on this theme for 
some time because at the heart of education improvement and education 
reform must be this highly visible action we need to take to send a 
message to teachers, to students, to the community that we are serious 
about education.

  Every politician, every candidate is out there preaching that he 
wants to improve our education system at every level, whether it is the 
city council people at the municipal level or the State level people, 
certainly the Federal people, Congress people, and the Presidential 
candidates. Everybody talks about the need to improve our education 
system.
  Why, then, are there so few resources being dedicated to the 
improvement of our education system? Why, then, when we have a $230 
billion surplus are we being such misers and refusing to commit a 
substantial portion of that surplus for education? You could commit 10 
percent of the surplus without endangering or in any way infringing 
upon the other responsible utilizations of the surplus. We can still 
pay down the debt.
  The vast majority of the funds that have been accumulated in the 
surplus can be used to pay down the debt. We can still give money to 
the Medicare program and money for prescription medicine benefit. We 
can add to that school construction. And when it is all added up, we 
are talking about less than 30 percent of the surplus. That means we 
can give the other 70 percent to pay down the debt and even a tax cut.
  Why not a middle-class tax cut, a middle-income tax cut? Why not a 
tax cut that comes from the bottom and the people who are at the very 
bottom be eliminated from paying taxes and the middle class have their 
tax bill reduced, the people who are most in need of some kind of help 
and relief from taxes? We can do all this and still pay down the debt.
  We devote at least 50 percent of the surplus to paying down the debt 
and still do the other things. And among the other things that we do 
with the surplus, the number one priority should be the 10 percent 
improvement for education.
  The Congressional Black Caucus said this in the spring of this year, 
and it is as sound a proposal now as it was then. We have continually 
pressed the point.
  I have a Dear Colleague letter I sent out on January 27, 2000, where 
I said in terms of the utilization of the surplus for construction and 
we said if you have 10 percent of education overall, take half of that, 
5 percent and use that 5 percent for school construction, renovation, 
repairs, and technology.
  That means that we are talking about $10 billion to $12 billion a 
year for school construction and another $10 billion to $12 billion a 
year for other items related to the improvement of education.
  In January 27, I said we are moving and the stage is set to build 
schools. I introduced H.R. 3071, and I said at that time that every 
Presidential candidate, Republican as well as Democrat, is now 
proposing a sweeping education program.
  Candidate Al Gore then called and he still is calling for a $115 
billion program over a 10-year period. I have said that we need $110 
billion over a 10-year period just for school construction. But we will 
take a break through. Even a small amount would be useful. And that is 
where we are at this point as we near the end of the 106th Congress, a 
proposal for $1.3 billion, a far cry from what the National Education 
Association says we need or a far cry from what the Education 
Statistics Commissioner says that we need or what the General 
Accounting Office says we need.

                              {time}  1915

  But it is a beginning. The stage is set to build schools. I said on 
January 27 in this Dear Colleague letter:
  Keep the education action simple. Revamping infrastructure is the 
most effective and least intrusive role for the Federal Government.
  And I introduced H.R. 3071, which sends the money back to the States 
based on the number of school-age children. H.R. 3071 offers maximum 
flexibility for renovations to facilitate security and safety; 
modernization for educational technology; and new construction to end 
overcrowding. H.R. 3071 will use no more than one-tenth of the surplus 
for the next 10 years. Democrats risk being upstaged by Republicans, I 
said at that time, if they do not move on a school construction bill.
  We cannot emphasize too much the fact that the fiscal negotiating 
environment has undergone a rapid, almost revolutionary sea change 
since the announcement of the trillion dollar surplus, over a 10-year 
period, a more than $2 trillion surplus.
  I said that as we move toward the end game negotiations, we must make 
certain that school construction modernization is on the table. I am 
happy to report, as I said before, that at least we have achieved that. 
It is on the table. It is on the radar screen. It is a bone of 
contention, but it is there on the table.
  One-half year later, and that was January, July 19, 2000, I sent out 
another Dear Colleague which said:
  Build Schools 2000. Two big battles have been won. Now let us move on 
to win the war.

[[Page H11613]]

  The first battle won. The White House moved from a strictly tax 
relief policy to a direct appropriation policy of $1.3 billion for 
school infrastructure. The President introduced his budget. And in the 
budget we made a breakthrough because instead of proposing school 
construction only through the Committee on Ways and Means and a tax 
credit process whereby the Federal Government would pay the interest on 
money borrowed by the States and the localities, the Federal Government 
was proposing a direct appropriation for school construction. That was 
a great step forward, $1.3 billion for school modernization.
  The victory, the second victory, which came much later, in July, was 
that after insisting for decades that the Federal Government should not 
be involved in school repairs and school construction, the Republican 
leadership introduced legislation which authorizes $1.5 billion for 
school repairs. That is H.R. 4766, the Classroom Modernization Act of 
2000, introduced by the chairman of the committee, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Goodling).
  That is the second great victory. To have the Republican leadership 
move off the center, move off the position that school construction did 
not belong at the Federal level and have it propose any kind of school 
construction was a great victory. I understand most of the dollars 
being proposed in this legislation would go to charter schools, but I 
do not care.
  Let us understand that some of the remedies for our school system 
that are being proposed, alternatives, vouchers, for example, vouchers 
cannot succeed in large numbers if you do not have a school 
construction program. If you were to suddenly remove all barriers to 
vouchers, and I am not in favor of that because I think that vouchers 
only take us into chaos, it is not a viable alternative, but suppose 
hypothetically that you had the legislation and the authorization from 
the government to institute a large voucher program in any city or 
county. Immediately the amount of positions available at the private 
schools would be filled up. They already have long waiting lists at 
most private schools. So the people who want to utilize those vouchers 
would have to build new schools. They would have to have some new 
facilities. You would have to have a new bureaucracy created to take 
care of large numbers of youngsters moving from a public school system 
into a voucher system. It does not matter which way you go.
  Charter schools, limited experimental charter schools I am all in 
favor of. But charter schools have run into the first and most 
important problem that I am emphasizing here, that is, they have no 
facilities. The first problem of charter schools is to get a place, a 
building, some furniture, and the physical facilities, the 
infrastructure, is the greatest frustration being experienced by people 
who want to start charter schools. So no matter which way you go, we 
need some help in this vital area of school modernization, 
construction, repair, renovation and technology provision.
  In this July 19 Dear Colleague letter, I said:
  We have won common sense acknowledgment and respectability for the 
position of Federal aid for school construction. To win this war means 
we must move from a $1.5 billion proposal to a much larger annual 
funding proposal. But the important thing is that we have begun. Both 
parties have taken a position for direct appropriation of money for 
school construction.
  I said also in this Dear Colleague letter:
  The September end game negotiations must, one, authorize the 
reservation of 10 percent of the annual surpluses over the next 10 
years for the improvement of education. Five percent must be used for 
school infrastructures; 5 percent must be placed in an education trust 
fund to be allocated to the States with flexible guidelines for 
programs that work.
  Allocations from the 10 percent annual surpluses shall be distributed 
in accordance with the number of school age children within each State, 
et cetera, et cetera.
  Mr. Speaker, I submit for the Record my Dear Colleague letter of July 
19, 2000, and my Dear Colleague letter of January 27, 2000.
                                    Congress of the United States,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                 Washington, DC, January 27, 2000.

H.R. 3071 Is the Way of the Future, the Triumphant March Toward Common 
 Sense Has Begun, Construction Is the Kingpin Action for School Reform

       Dear Colleague: Every presidential candidate, Republican as 
     well as Democrat, is now proposing a sweeping education 
     program which includes school construction. Candidate Al Gore 
     has called for the expenditure of 115 billion dollars in ten 
     years. In H.R. 3071, we call for a ten-year school 
     construction program at a cost of 110 billion dollars.
       The stage is set to build schools.
       Keep the education action simple.
       Revamping infrastructure is the most effective and least 
     intrusive role for the Federal Government.
       Let the federal government pay for the big job. Build 
     schools and then leave the day-to-day school operations to 
     local control. Provide the capital funds for the 
     infrastructure and thus free up other funds for salary 
     increases, computers, more books, security, and safety.
       H.R. 3071 Sends The Money Back To The States Based On The 
     Number Of School-Age Children.
       H.R. 3071 Offers Maximum Flexibility For: Renovations To 
     Facilitate Security And Safety; Modernization For Educational 
     Technology; And New Construction To End Overcrowding.
       H.R. 3071 Will Use No More Than One-Tenth Of The Surplus 
     For The Next Ten Years.
       Democrats Risk Being Upstaged By A Republican ``October 
     2000 Surprise'' On School Construction Modernization.
       Democratic Refusal To Support A Meaningful Dollar 
     Investment In School Construction And Modernization Which 
     Benefits Working Families Could Weaken Our Ties To Our Labor 
     Allies And Leave Open An Opportunity For Republicans To 
     Capture More Labor Union Support.
       We cannot emphasize too much the fact that the ``fiscal 
     negotiating environment'' has undergone a rapid, almost 
     revolutionary sea-change since the announcement of the long-
     term trillion dollar surplus. To adapt to this change and at 
     the same time respond to the number one priority of the 
     voters, we urge you to review your position on this issue and 
     sign up for co-sponsorship now.
       Missing from the end-game budget surplus negotiating table 
     is a democratic scenario for long-term adequately funded 
     school construction and modernization.
       To Co-Sponsor H.R. 3071 please call Beverley Gallimore at 
     225-6231. Please note that H.R. 3071 is a revision of H.R. 
     1820, which changes the authorization from 110 billion 
     dollars in five years to 110 billion dollars in ten years.
           Yours For Education Excellence,
     Major R. Owens, M.C.
                                  ____


     SEC. 12006. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
     title, 11 billion dollars for fiscal year 2000 and a sum no 
     less than this amount for each of the 9 succeeding fiscal 
     years. (HR 1820 which authorized funding for five years has 
     been revised to authorize the same 110 billion dollars for 
     ten years.)
                                  ____


                          Summary of H.R. 3071

       To amend title XII of the Elementary and Secondary 
     Education Act of 1965 to provide grants to improve the 
     infrastructure of elementary and secondary schools.

     SEC. 12001. FINDINGS.

       (1) There are 52,700,000 students in 88,223 elementary and 
     secondary schools across the United States. The current 
     Federal expenditure for education infrastructure is 
     $12,000,000. The Federal expenditure per enrolled student for 
     education infrastructure is 23 cents. An appropriation of 11 
     billion per year for ten years would result in a Federal 
     expenditure for education infrastructure of $208 per student 
     per fiscal year.
       (2) The General Accounting Office in 1995 reported that the 
     Nation's elementary and secondary schools need approximately 
     $112,000,000,000 to repair or upgrade facilities. Increased 
     enrollments and continued building decay has raised this need 
     to an estimated $200,000,000,000. Local education agencies, 
     particularly those in central cities or those with high 
     minority populations, cannot obtain adequate financial 
     resources to complete necessary repairs or construction. 
     These local education agencies face an annual struggle to 
     meet their operating budgets.
       (3) According to a 1991 survey conducted by the American 
     Association of School Administrators, 74 percent of all 
     public school buildings need to be replaced. Almost one-third 
     of such buildings were built prior to World War II.
       (4) The majority of the schools in unsatisfactory condition 
     are concentrated in central cities and serve large 
     populations of poor or minority students.
       (5) In the large cities of America, numerous schools still 
     have polluting coal burning furnaces. Decaying buildings 
     threaten the health, safety, and learning opportunities of 
     students. A growing body of research has linked student 
     achievement and behavior to the physical building conditions 
     and overcrowding. Asthma and other respiratory illnesses 
     exist in above average rates in areas of coal burning 
     pollution.

[[Page H11614]]

       (6) According to a study conducted by the General 
     Accounting Office in 1995, most schools are unprepared in 
     critical areas for the 21st century. Most schools do not 
     fully use modern technology and lack access to the 
     information superhighway. Schools in central cities and 
     schools with minority populations above 50 percent are more 
     likely to fall short of adequate technology elements and have 
     a greater number of unsatisfactory environmental conditions 
     than other schools.
       (7) School facilities such as libraries and science 
     laboratories are inadequate in old buildings and have 
     outdated equipment. Frequently, in overcrowded schools, these 
     same facilities are utilized as classrooms for an expanding 
     school population.
       (8) Overcrowded classrooms have a dire impact on learning. 
     Students in overcrowded schools score lower on both 
     mathematics and reading exams than do students in schools 
     with adequate space. In addition, overcrowding in schools 
     negatively affects both classroom activities and 
     instructional techniques. Overcrowding also disrupts normal 
     operating procedures, such as lunch periods beginning as 
     early as 10 a.m. and extending into the afternoon; teachers 
     being unable to use a single room for an entire day; too few 
     lockers for students and jammed hallways and restrooms which 
     encourage disorder and rowdy behavior.
       (9) School modernization for information technology is an 
     absolute necessity for education for a coming 
     CyberCivilization. The General Accounting Office has reported 
     that many schools are not using modern technology and many 
     students do not have access to facilities than can support 
     education into the 21st century. It is imperative that we now 
     view computer literacy as basic as reading, writing, and 
     arithmetic.
       (10) Both the national economy and national security 
     require an investment in school construction. Students 
     educated in modern, safe, and well-equipped schools will 
     contribute to the continued strength of the American economy 
     and will ensure that our Armed Forces are the best trained 
     and best prepared in the world. The shortage of qualified 
     information technology workers continues to escalate and 
     presently many foreign workers are being recruited to staff 
     jobs in America. Military manpower shortages of personnel 
     capable of operating high tech equipment are already acute in 
     the Navy and increasing in other branches of the Armed 
     Forces.

     SEC. 12003. FEDERAL ASSISTANCE IN THE FORM OF GRANTS.

       (a) Authority and Conditions for Grants.--
       (1) In general.--To assist in the construction, 
     reconstruction, renovation, or modernization for information 
     technology of elementary and secondary schools, the Secretary 
     shall make grants of funds to State education agencies for 
     the construction, reconstruction, or renovation, or for 
     modernization for information technology, or such schools.
       (2) Formula for allocation.--From the amount appropriated 
     under section 12006 for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall 
     allocate to each State an amount that bears the same ratio to 
     such appropriated amount as the number of school-age children 
     in such State bears to the total number of school-age 
     children in all the States. The Secretary shall determine the 
     number of school-age children on the basis of the most recent 
     satisfactory data available to the Secretary.

     SEC. 12006. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this 
     title, 11 billion dollars for fiscal year 2000 and a sum no 
     less than this amount for each of the 9 succeeding fiscal 
     years. (HR 1820 which authorized funding for five years has 
     been revised to authorize the same 110 billion dollars for 
     ten years.)
                                  ____

                                    Congress of the United States,


                                     House of Representatives,

                                    Washington, DC, July 19, 2000.

 Build Schools 2000--Two big battles have been won--now let us move on 
                             to win the war

       Victory 1--The White House moved from a strictly tax relief 
     policy to a direct appropriation of 1.3 Billion Dollars for 
     school infrastructure.
       Victory 2--After insisting for decades that the federal 
     government should not be involved in school repairs and 
     school construction, the Republican Leadership introduced 
     legislation which authorizes 1.5 Billion Dollars for school 
     repairs. (H.R. 4766--`Classroom Modernization Act of 2000')
       We have won common-sense acknowledgment and respectability 
     for the position of federal aid for school construction. To 
     win this war means we must move from a 1.5 billion dollar 
     proposal to a 10 billion dollar annual funding.
       The September End-Game negotiations must:
       Authorize the reservation of 10% of the annual surpluses 
     over the next ten years for the improvement of EDUCATION. 5% 
     must be used for school infrastructures; 5% must be placed in 
     an ``Education Trust Fund'' to be allocated to the States 
     with flexible guidelines for programs that work.
       Allocations from the 10% annual surpluses shall be 
     distributed in accordance with the number of school age 
     children within each State.
       Federal oversight responsibilities shall be limited to the 
     review, approval and monitoring of a School Improvement Plan 
     submitted by each State.
       No less than 1% of all Federal funds must be set aside for 
     parent participation activities.
           Yours For Education Excellence,
                                                   Major R. Owens,
                                               Member of Congress.

  Following on the heels of this effort during the Congressional Black 
Caucus legislative weekend, we held press conferences along with 
numerous other entities in Washington and throughout the Nation that 
wanted to move more aggressively in the area of school infrastructure 
development. At that time I issued a statement which began as follows:
  A deep pool of students who have a basic education in reading, 
writing, arithmetic, and computer literacy is the point of departure 
for the creation of the workforce needed for our burgeoning digital 
economy. To guarantee the continuous production of the qualified 
workers needed in the information technology industry and other sectors 
of the digital economy, the Nation needs increased numbers of competent 
high school graduates who swell the college classrooms. At the end of 
this funneling process, we will have the digital scientists, 
technicians, mechanics, salesmen, managers, creative producers, and 
other categories of workers needed.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask to include the statement I made on September 15 
entitled, ``To Close the Digital Divide, We Must Build Schools First.''

        To Close The Digital Divide We Must Build Schools First

     (Statement of Congressman Major R. Owens, September 15, 2000)

       A deep pool of students who have a basic education in 
     reading, writing, arithmetic and computer literacy is the 
     point of departure for the creation of the workforce needed 
     for our burgeoning digital economy. To guarantee the 
     continuous production of the qualified workers needed in the 
     information technology industry and other sectors of the 
     digital economy the nation needs increased numbers of 
     competent high school graduates who swell the college 
     classrooms. At the end of this funneling process we will have 
     the digital scientists, technicians, mechanics, salesmen, 
     managers, creative producers, and other categories of workers 
     needed.
       First, our potential workforce must have high quality 
     schooling. The buildings must be safe, conducive to learning, 
     wired for technology and able to send the message that 
     education is the top priority of our leaders. The National 
     Education Association study recently released reveals a need 
     for more than 320 billion dollars to provide adequate school 
     buildings across the nation.
       The allocation to ``Build Schools'' must be made this year 
     from the 200 billion dollar federal surplus. We are demanding 
     just ten per cent of the surplus for increased federal aid to 
     education. A mere 20 billion dollars per year for the next 
     ten years would allow for the building and repair of 
     thousands of schools, and also provide funding for other 
     education improvements. In my bill, H.R. 3071, the annual 
     eleven billion dollar appropriation of construction and 
     repair funds is proposed for distribution in accordance with 
     the number of school-age children in each state.
       School systems across the entire nation would benefit. All 
     Americans who want meaningful action for education must join 
     the effort to send a message to the White House where the 
     final (end-game) negotiations on the budget will begin in a 
     few days. Public opinion must speak out loud and clear for 
     school modernization and construction now. We are calling on 
     the coalition of parents, teachers, unions and contractors to 
     intensify their mobilization to force the utilization of at 
     least 10 per cent of the federal surplus for education with 
     the first dollars earmarked to ``Build Schools''.

  On October 11, very late in this game, recently, the Congressional 
Black Caucus sent a letter to the President. This was after a process 
by which the Caucus decided we support all of the proposals that have 
been made by Presidential candidate Al Gore for education. We support a 
plan that was introduced by the minority leader, the gentleman from 
Missouri (Mr. Gephardt). We support all these plans. But the 
Congressional Black Caucus was frustrated by the fact that all the 
plans we see, while exemplary and we support them, none of them focus 
directly and immediately on the urgent problem being faced by the 
schools in the inner-city communities. So we have sent a letter to the 
President with a proposal. Our proposal is called a Public Schools 
Emergency Recovery Program, and it summarizes a way to move immediately 
to take care of the problems faced by the failing schools in our 
communities. Large numbers of schools are failing, and of course the 
students are failing, too, as the need for immediate reaction and 
action.

[[Page H11615]]

  We call our emergency recovery program a program similar to a 
response to a natural disaster. We have an education disaster. We would 
like to declare certain areas as education disaster areas. We would 
like to have a program that moves immediately to deal with that. So we 
sent this program to the President. We sent the President a budget 
attached to the proposal showing how programs that have already been 
authorized can be integrated into this Public Schools Emergency 
Recovery Program.
  Mr. Speaker, I submit the Public Schools Emergency Recovery Program 
with the budget attached.
         Congressional Black Caucus of the United States Congress,
                                 Washington, DC, October 11, 2000.
     Hon. William J. Clinton,
     President of the United States, The White House, Washington, 
         DC.
       Dear Mr. President: We respectfully request a meeting with 
     you as soon as possible. With the end of the 106th session 
     only a few days away this is an emergency. The members of the 
     Congressional Black Caucus are convinced that we are at a 
     pivotal point in the life of public education, and we are at 
     a critical point in the history of our nation. For the first 
     time in many decades we have a federal budget surplus--and we 
     anticipate a significant surplus every year for the next ten 
     years. We have a window of opportunity to make positive 
     budget decisions this year which will set a pattern for the 
     next ten years. In the context of the present era of 
     abundance the abandonment of failing public schools would be 
     a shameful tragedy.
       We, members of the CBC, have already stated our general 
     budget and appropriations priorities through the CBC 
     Alternative Budget which emphasized the need to use our 
     surplus to invest in human resources. Since the final 
     countdown for the ``end-game negotiations'' has now begun, we 
     wish to state our priorities in more specific and concrete 
     requests.
       First, we wish to state that we agree with the prevailing 
     wisdom that a large percentage of the 230 billion dollar 
     surplus should be used for debt reduction. We also concur 
     with the allocation of funds to strengthen MediCare and 
     provide for a Prescription Medicine Benefit.
       Secondly, we contend that after these priority steps are 
     taken, there should be a significant investment in human 
     resources. At least 10% of the surplus should be invested in 
     Education; 5% for school construction and 5% for other school 
     improvements. We propose that another 10% be invested in 
     housing, health care and social services. For the benefit of 
     the nation we stand firm on the adoption of all of these 
     proposals.
       Since the hour is late and the negotiations have begun, we 
     now find it necessary to move from general concerns to 
     specific emergencies. Within the African American community 
     Education remains as our greatest emergency, the solution 
     that makes it possible to resolve most of the other problems 
     we face. Our crisis education situations require a systematic 
     and well targeted Public Schools Emergency Recovery Program 
     which directly addresses the most critical problems of the 
     worst schools of the nation. While the larger national 
     education problems are being considered, we must have an 
     immediate intensified initiative to address the nation's 
     schools which serve populations where more than 50% of the 
     students qualify for free school lunches; and, or schools 
     which are failing to meet established standards and are being 
     ordered to close down. ``Education Disaster Areas'' would 
     also be determined in accordance with an additional set of 
     hardship and risk indices.
       The outline of the proposed CBC Public Schools Emergency 
     Recovery Program is attached. We look forward to an immediate 
     review of this matter with you. We know that it is possible 
     to allocate the funding for this program in the Labor, 
     Education, Health and Human Services Appropriations Act, or 
     within an Omnibus Budget Act.
       We extend our heartfelt thanks for your past eight years of 
     partnership and support for the Congressional Black Caucus 
     and the special constituency that we serve.
           Sincerely yours,
     Major R. Owens, M.C.,
       Chairman, CBC Education Braintrust.
     James E. Clyburn, M.C.,
       Chair, Congressional Black Caucus.
                                  ____


   Appeal to President Clinton to Fund the Public Schools Emergency 
                            Recovery Program

    (Statement of the Congressional Black Caucus--October 18, 2000)

       In the critical area of Education members of the 
     Congressional Black Caucus insist that we cannot, once again, 
     go home empty-handed. Over the last two decades our 
     constituent communities have suffered devastating budget cuts 
     with the federal deficits always being blamed for the savage 
     neglect. As we celebrate a historic 230 billion dollar 
     surplus, why is it that not a single new concrete initiative 
     is being offered to bring relief to the ``Education Disaster 
     Areas'' of the nation.
       The hour is late but the ``end game'' appropriations 
     negotiations offer an opportunity to fund an intensely 
     focused emergency program utilizing already authorized 
     measures. Failing schools in poverty areas can be assisted 
     immediately. By targeting a massive ``Comprehensive School 
     Reform'' effort to solve and resolve the worst education 
     problems in the nation, we establish a foundation for overall 
     school reform that works.
       Vouchers which undercut established school systems without 
     offering adequate alternatives are not the answer for schools 
     in crisis. Block grants which hand the power over to 
     neglectful states must be prohibited. The members of the CBC 
     are adamantly opposed to these two dangerous Republican 
     proposals. We also refuse to accept the paralysis of the 
     current Democratic leadership proposals.
       While the CBC endorses the Education Agendas that have been 
     offered by President Clinton, Vice President Gore and House 
     Democratic Leader Gephardt, we contend that these plans lack 
     a sense of urgency. The Program that has been set forth by 
     the CBC in no way runs counter to other Democratic proposals. 
     From the womb of the larger and more sweeping agendas, the 
     CBC is seeking to give birth to a baby that will breathe new 
     life into dying schools and systems. For example:
       Vice President Gore proposed to allocate 115 billion 
     dollars for education reform over the next ten years.
       The CBC proposes that this process be started by committing 
     the first 10 billion dollars and targeting this amount to the 
     worst schools.
       Democratic Leader Gephardt proposes the hiring of a million 
     teachers and the initiation of universal pre-school programs.
       The CBC proposes to utilize minority colleges and 
     universities to begin a large scale teacher recruitment and 
     staff development program. The pilot programs for universal 
     pre-school should begin immediately in ``Education Disaster 
     Areas.''
       President Clinton's initiatives on school construction are 
     absolute necessities.
       The CBC contends that the first federal construction and 
     repair funds should go to areas where new pre-school programs 
     can not be opened and class sizes cannot be reduced due to a 
     lack of physical facilities.
       The CBC proposes to streamline the delivery of relief to 
     ``Education Disaster Areas'' by utilizing private contractors 
     to replace the Department of Education bureaucracy which is 
     not structured to implement emergency measures. Five such 
     ``Education Prime Contractors'' would cover five regions of 
     the nation.
       The CBC is calling an all organizations and individuals who 
     care about education to rally in support of this very 
     practical proposal. Action must start now to replace the 
     noble but fruitless discussions about education. Beyond the 
     immediate education community we are appealing to civil 
     rights groups, religious associations, labor unions and the 
     corporate community to support this initiative which ``jump 
     starts'' education reform in a meaningful movement.
       Our immediate need is for a meeting with President Clinton. 
     Our first task is to achieve a place on the President's 
     ``end-game'' negotiations agenda. Funding for the Public 
     Schools Emergency Recovery Program can begin now.
                                  ____


                       CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS

         Summary--The Public Schools Emergency Recovery Program

(Prepared by Congressman Major R. Owens, Chairman, Congressional Black 
 Caucus Education Braintrust, in Consultation with CBC Special Budget/
    Appropriations Task Force-Appointed by the CBC-October 4, 2000)


                            i. introduction

       At a time when the nation has a 230 billion dollar surplus, 
     the Congressional Black Caucus refuses to accept the 
     abandonment of the nation's most needy and challenged schools 
     and school districts. The most effective course for the 
     salvation of our overall education system is to first 
     intensely focus on the reform and revamping of our worst 
     schools and school districts. Saving failing schools requires 
     that a massive area based, site based education improvement 
     program be structured from the bottom-up. A Public Schools 
     Emergency Recovery Program will require no less than a budget 
     commitment of 10 billion dollars. We propose a program that 
     can be implemented rapidly through a streamlined structure 
     with strong national policy guidance, a decentralized 
     administrative and operations structure contracted out to 
     non-profit or profit making qualified agencies, institutions, 
     or corporations with established records and experience in 
     education and/or training. The ``Education Prime 
     Contractors'' shall be allowed considerable flexibility but 
     with strict accountability.


                              ii. findings

       That no proposals currently under consideration are 
     addressing the critical problem of failing public schools at 
     a time when there is a 230 billion dollar federal surplus.
       That the long-term goals of the nation's education effort 
     can never be realized if a large segment of the future 
     workforce is abandoned.
       That the Federal government is already funding a useful and 
     relevant array of programs sufficient to implement a Public 
     Schools Emergency Recovery Program; however, increased 
     appropriations and new mandates to target enhanced funding to 
     ``Education Disaster Areas'' are needed.
       That of first and greatest importance for the achievement 
     of overall education reform

[[Page H11616]]

     is the need for a public policy determination that the 
     recovery of failing public schools is an urgent national 
     priority.
       That we are rapidly entering a new ``cyber-civilization'' 
     and it is imperative that we close the widening digital 
     divide where children who live in ``Education Disaster 
     Areas'' are falling behind at an accelerating rate.


                            iii. definitions

       Education Disaster Area--A school or school system that is 
     failing in a community environment with a high hardship and 
     poverty index. Examples: Number eligible for free school 
     lunches; Rate of high risk diseases; Juvenile delinquency 
     rates; Percentage of incarcerated parents; Percentage of high 
     school dropouts. An ``Area'' may be as small as one school or 
     as large as a school district; but shall constitute no more 
     than 20,000 pupils.
       Emergency Committee of National Education Advocates--Five 
     education leaders with special experience in the education of 
     at-risk students. They shall be appointed by the President in 
     consultation with Congressional leaders.
       Education Prime Control Agency--A non-profit institution or 
     private corporation with an exceptional track record and 
     experience in education and training.
       Predominantly Black Colleges/Universities--Institutions 
     which do not meet the ``Historic'' criteria but serve a 
     majority of Black students.
       Significantly Hispanic Colleges/Universities--Institutions 
     with 25% or more Hispanic Students.


                      iv. major program components

       A. Area and Site Based School Reform--Mandate local 
     comprehensive planning involving parents, teachers, community 
     leaders, government officials, private sector 
     representatives, fraternal organizations, religious leaders, 
     teachers unions and other unions.
       B. Enhanced Curriculum and Program Activities--Areas would 
     be allowed to choose from a menu of established federally 
     funded programs, other certified programs that work, with no 
     more than 20% of funding for new experimental programs. 
     Examples: Community Technology Centers; Gear Up; TRIO; 21st 
     Century Learning Centers; Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Title 
     One; Comprehensive School Reform; Magnet Schools; Reading 
     Literacy Grants; etc.
       C. Teacher and School Personnel Improvements--A massive 
     undergraduate student incentive program to recruit teachers; 
     continuing education for teachers and administrators; new 
     positions and staffing patterns; a requirement that all who 
     receive aid for their education must contract to serve in an 
     ``Education Disaster Area'' for at least two years for each 
     year of education assistance received. Persons who reside in 
     designated areas must receive priority in the distribution of 
     education scholarships, fellowships, stipends, etc. Funding 
     Source Examples: Title Two; All Titles of Higher Education 
     Assistance Act.
       D. Funding for Infrastructure and Equipment--Priority must 
     be assigned to the relief of overcrowding and the support of 
     lower student-teacher classroom ratios; to health and safety 
     repairs and renovations; to creating conditions more 
     conducive to learning; to technology enhancement changes. 
     Funding Sources: Elementary and Secondary Education 
     Assistance Act; Rangel-Johnson School Modernization Act.
       E. Family and Student Support Services Which Enhance 
     Learning--Individual and family counseling; advocacy for 
     health services; advocacy against community and environmental 
     hazards; advocacy for effective social service; advocacy for 
     jobs and job training; assistance to immigrant families. 
     Possible Funding Sources: Title One; AmeriCorps; Community 
     Services Grants; Welfare To Work; Comprehensive School 
     Reform; etc.
       F. Reserve Fund for Additional Incentives and Rewards--Each 
     ``Education Prime Contractor'' must maintain a reserve fund 
     to reward success as demonstrated via established 
     accountability standards. Funding: Comprehensive School 
     Reform.


                 v. policy, operations, administration

       In order to streamline and ``jump-start'' the Public 
     Schools Emergency Recovery Program, Federal policy 
     initiatives via an Emergency Committee of National Education 
     Advocates in partnership with the Secretary of Education's 
     contracting and monitoring authority will anchor the effort; 
     however, the private sector will be utilized for rapid 
     implementation and accountable administration of this 
     emergency effort (see attached chart).


                         vi. special conditions

       States, local governments and Local Education Agencies with 
     jurisdiction over ``Education Disaster Areas'' must establish 
     a state of readiness for the receipt of emergency funding; 
     covenants for policy reforms, accountability standards and 
     adherence to timetables must be developed; A Parent-Community 
     override provision shall be enforced in localities where 
     official agencies and authorities are reluctant or 
     obstructionist.


                            vii. evaluations

       The Secretary of Education in consultation with the 
     Emergency Committee of National Education Advocates shall be 
     responsible for selecting the agencies for the ongoing and 
     final evaluations of the performance of each ``Education 
     Prime Contractor.''


                     viii. emergency implementation

       The President, the Senate and House Appropriations 
     Committee negotiators, through the ``end game'' negotiation 
     process have the authority to launch The Public Schools 
     Emergency Recovery Programs using existing funding streams 
     and already authorized programs (See attached chart). The 
     optimum vehicle for the administration of this initiative is 
     Comprehensive School Reform.
       Other Members of the CBC Special Budget/Appropriations Task 
     Force--Barbara Lee, Donald Payne, Carrie Meek, Robert Scott, 
     Maxine Waters, Danny Davis, Eva Clayton, Sheila Jackson Lee, 
     Carolyn Kilpatrick, Chaka Fattah, Harold Ford, Jr., Eddie 
     Bernice Johnson, Charles Rangel.

        PUBLIC SCHOOLS EMERGENCY RECOVERY PROGRAM--CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS EDUCATION BUDGET TASK FORCE
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                      CBC Public Schools
              Item                 President's 2001   Emergency Recovery  Increase requested     Comments and
                                        request             Program                             recommendations
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  I. PROGRAMS AUTHORIZED OR PROPOSED IN ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class Size Reduction............  $1.75 Billion.....  Same as President   0.................  The undesirably
                                                       however; Schools                        high pupil-
                                                       in Education                            teacher ratio is
                                                       Disaster Areas                          the prevailing
                                                       must be served                          pattern in the
                                                       first.                                  poorest
                                                                                               districts.
School Construction and           $1.3 Billion        $3.6 Billion (All   $2.3 Billion......  Oldest and most
 Renovation (Classrooms to         Direct              must be allocated                       unsafe schools;
 reduce class sizes).              Appropriations.     to Education                            largest number of
                                                       Disaster Area                           trailers; most
                                                       Schools).                               overcrowding in
                                                                                               poorest areas.
Community Technology Centers....  $100 Million......  $700 Million (to    $600 million......  At least one
                                                       provide a Center                        million per year
                                                       for each                                for 200
                                                       Education                               ``Education
                                                       Disaster Area                           Disaster Areas''
                                                       without                                 for a three year
                                                       competitive grant                       start up period.
                                                       process).
Teacher Recruitment.............  $98 Million.......  $198 Million......  $100 Million......  Crash program with
                                                                                               subsidized
                                                                                               training and
                                                                                               incentives to
                                                                                               guarantee supply
                                                                                               of certified
                                                                                               teachers.
21st Century Community Learning   $1 Billion........  $2 Billion........  $1 Billion........  Tutoring
 Centers.                                                                                      Afterschool,
                                                                                               Saturday School,
                                                                                               Summer School.
Gaining Early Awareness and       $325 Million......  $400 Million......  $75 Million.......  Tested option to
 Readiness for Undergraduate                                                                   increase early
 Programs (GEAR-UP).                                                                           student
                                                                                               motivation in
                                                                                               conjunction with
                                                                                               other
                                                                                               innovations.
Safe & Drug Free Schools........  $650 Million......  $750 Million......  $100 Million......  A tested working
                                                                                               program needing
                                                                                               more resources.
Teacher Improvement.............  $1 Billion........  $1.5 Billion......  $500 Million......  A high priority
                                                                                               component.
Technology Literacy Grant.......  $450 Million......  $550 Million......  $100 Million......  Needed to operate
                                                                                               in concert with
                                                                                               Community
                                                                                               Technology
                                                                                               Centers.
Migrant Assistance Programs.....  $410 Million......  $510 Million......  $100 Million......  Needed to combat
                                                                                               special problems
                                                                                               in rural EDA's.
Reading Literacy Grants.........  $286 Million......  $386 Million......  $100 Million......  It is important to
                                                                                               saturate the
                                                                                               entire
                                                                                               environment with
                                                                                               learning
                                                                                               opportunities.
Comprehensive School Reform       $190 Million......  $2.69 Billion.....  $2.5 Billion......  This is the major
 Demonstrations.                                                                               account for
                                                                                               planning,
                                                                                               administration,
                                                                                               innovations and
                                                                                               evaluation.
Magnet Schools Assistance.......  $110 Million......  $210 Million......  $100 Million......  School integration
                                                                                               is still a
                                                                                               significant
                                                                                               obstacle in many
                                                                                               EDA's.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                      II. PROGRAMS AUTHORIZED OR PROPOSED IN HIGH EDUCATION ASSISTANCE ACT
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pell Grants.....................  Maximum Award-      Maximum Award-      $1 Billion........  Additional funds
                                   $3,500 $8.3         $3,700 $9.3                             targeted for high
                                   Billion Total       Billion Total                           school graduates
                                   Appropriation.      Appropriation.                          who reside in
                                                                                               Education
                                                                                               Disaster Areas
                                                                                               (EDA's).
Technical Assistance and          New Program.......  $100 Million......  $100 Million......  Necessary in order
 Resource Centers for HBCU's.                                                                  to maximize HBCU
                                                                                               participation.
Historically Black Colleges and   $10 Million.......  $20 Million.......  $10 Million.......  Expansion of a
 Universities-Undergraduate                                                                    successful
 Program (HBCU-UP).                                                                            initiative.

[[Page H11617]]

 
Louis Stokes Alliances for        $26.5 Million.....  $126.5 Million....  $100 Million......  Cross coordination
 Minority Participation (LSAMP).                                                               will produce
                                                                                               additional
                                                                                               funding.
The HBCU Research University      New Program.......  $20 Million.......  $100 Million......  Address areas
 Science and Technology Program                                                                where the
 (T.H.R.U.S.T.).                                                                               greatest number
                                                                                               of teachers must
                                                                                               be educated.
Title Hispanic Serving            $20 Million.......  $100 Million......  $80 Million.......  Vital role in
 Institutions.                                                                                 recruitment and
                                                                                               training of
                                                                                               Hispanic
                                                                                               teachers.
Research Extension for 1890 HBCU  New Program.......  0 Million.........  $20 Million.......  For Biotechnology,
 Land-Grant Colleges and                                                                       Environmental and
 Universities.                                                                                 Agriculture
                                                                                               teacher training.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                           III. PROGRAMS AUTHORIZED OR PROPOSED IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rangel-Johnson School             $25 Million         Same as President   0.................  This slower
 Modernization.                    (Interest           (For all other                          process requiring
                                   payments only).     schools outside                         starting credit
                                                       Disaster Areas).                        or legislative
                                                                                               action is not
                                                                                               suitable for
                                                                                               ``emergencies''.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  We sent a letter to the President discussing these two items. The 
letter reads as follows:
  We respectfully request a meeting with you as soon as possible. With 
the end of the 106th session only a few days away, this is an 
emergency. The members of the Congressional Black Caucus are convinced 
that we are at a pivotal point in the life of public education, and we 
are at a critical point in the history of our Nation. For the first 
time in many decades we have a Federal budget surplus, and we 
anticipate a significant surplus every year for the next 10 years. We 
have a window of opportunity to make positive budget decisions this 
year. These budget decisions will set a pattern for the next 10 years. 
In the context of the present era of abundance, the abandonment of 
failing public schools would be a shameful tragedy.
  We asked the President to examine our proposal, and most of all we 
wanted the President to make certain that in the process of the end 
game negotiations, he must keep on the table the school construction 
proposals.
  Finally, we have made a statement which says what I have said before, 
that all of these proposals that have been developed by Democrats are 
exemplary and we endorse them. Our proposal for a public schools 
recovery program that was attached in the letter to the President takes 
into consideration all those proposals.
  For example, Vice President Al Gore proposes to allocate $115 billion 
for education reform over the next 10 years. The CBC proposal that we 
sent to the President proposes that this process be started by 
committing the first $10 billion this year and to direct that to the 
worst schools.
  Democratic Leader Gephardt proposes the hiring of a million teachers 
and the initiation of a universal preschool program over the years.
  The CBC proposes to utilize minority colleges and universities to 
begin a large-scale teacher recruitment and staff development program 
now. The pilot programs for universal preschool also should begin 
immediately and the first universal preschool program should be in the 
education disaster areas that we talked about.
  President Clinton's initiatives on school construction of course are 
absolutely necessities, and we contend that the first initiative should 
go toward the poorest areas. The CBC contends that the first Federal 
construction repair funds should go to areas where new preschool 
programs cannot be opened and class sizes cannot be reduced due to a 
lack of physical facilities.
  In order for the class size reduction program to work, you need more 
and better physical facilities.
  Mr. Speaker, I also add the letter to the President of October 11, 
2000, and the appeal to President Clinton, the statement issued in a 
press conference on October 18, 2000.
  Finally, I commend to you the fact that there are four very good 
pieces of legislation on the table right now which relate to school 
construction. I would like to introduce for the Record School 
Construction Bills Introduced During the 106th Congress, these four 
particular bills.

     School Construction Bills Introduced During the 106th Congress

       Amends Title XII of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
     Act of 1965 to provide grants to improve the infrastructure 
     of Elementary and Secondary Schools (H.R. 3071). Provides 
     $110 billion over ten years for elementary and secondary 
     school construction, reconstruction, renovation, or 
     modernization for information technology of such schools. 
     Federal grants go to schools with a demonstrated need based 
     on the condition of the facility the age of the facility and 
     the needs related to preparation for modern technology. The 
     Secretary can allocate to each state an amount that bears the 
     same ratio to such appropriated amount as the number of 
     school-age children in such state bears to the total number 
     of school-age children in all the states. (Sponsor: 
     Congressman Owens, Referred to the House Committee on 
     Education and the Workforce).
       Public School Modernization Act of 1999 (H.R. 1660). Amends 
     the Internal Revenue Code to provide; a limited credit for 
     qualified public school modernization bonds; for qualified 
     school construction bonds and qualified zone academy bonds 
     and establish limits and allocation formulas for such bonds; 
     and corporations, a limited specialized training center 
     credit (Sponsor: Congressman Rangel, Referred to the 
     Committee on Ways and Means, and the Committee on Education 
     and Workforce).
       Public School Repair and Renovation Act of 2000 (H.R. 
     3705). Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 
     1965 (ESEA) to establish a new title XII, Public School 
     Repair and Renovation, which authorizes Federal financial 
     assistance for the urgent repair and renovation of public 
     elementary and secondary schools in high-need areas. Provides 
     $1.3 billion for fiscal year 2001 and such sums as may be 
     necessary for each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years (Sponsor: 
     Congressman Clay, Referred to the House Committee on 
     Education and the Workforce).
       Classroom Modernization Act of 2000 (H.R. 4766). Amends the 
     Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to authorize 
     the appropriation of funds to assist states and local 
     educational agencies with the expenses of Federal education 
     statutory requirements and priorities relating to 
     infrastructure, technology, and equipment. Provides $1.5 
     billion over five years for Charter Schools (Sponsor: 
     Congressman Goodling, Referred to the House Committee on 
     Education and the Workforce).

  In conclusion, we are about to end the 106th Congress. We have a 
golden opportunity. We have on the table a proposal now that could make 
a breakthrough in the critical area of school construction. We would 
like to see hard hats all across America building schools. The time has 
come to build schools. That is the first step. We want to improve 
education. Let us make certain that the facilities are there, the 
equipment is there, let us go forward to meet the challenge of a new 
cyber-civilization and keep America in the leadership of the digital 
economy.
  Education comes first. Brain power is the most important force in the 
world today.

                          ____________________