[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 20, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H4262-H4263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ON THE RIGHT TRACK

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, the Department of Education has had its share 
of problems with the money this body gives it. Many of us have followed 
the stories of waste and fraud that have plagued the Department. Some 
$450 million were recently used for purposes other than educating 
children. Credit cards were used to purchase products from pornographic 
Web sites. Several employees were caught buying luxury SUVs and even 
buildings with money supposed to go to South Dakota schools.
  Secretary Paige has cracked down on these activities. For only the 
second time ever, the Department received recently a clean audit from 
the GAO, and all of the $450 million has been accounted for.

[[Page H4263]]

  But this is more than just bureaucrats spending money the wrong way. 
It is about defrauding our children and our schools. If it expects 
schools to be accountable, the Department has to be accountable. 
Secretary Paige must continue to stand up for children and oppose 
bureaucrats eager to waste money, education money, for their own 
personal gain. We need to get the money into the classroom where it 
belongs.

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