[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 25, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H5821]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HOLDING THE ADMINISTRATION ACCOUNTABLE

  (Mr. ETHERIDGE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call on Congress to 
support accountability in education reform. Last year, Congress passed 
President Bush's ``no child left behind'' education reform bill. The 
legislation authorized billions of dollars in new funding to support 
administration's reform effort that seeks to ensure accountability from 
our schools, but who will hold the administration accountable?
  The fact is that this administration is shortchanging our schools 
nearly $20 billion under the No Child Left Behind. While our schools' 
struggle to meet tough new standards and local budgets is stretched to 
the limit in this bad economy, the administration has failed its 
responsibility to provide leadership and resources for our schools. 
Congress must hold the administration accountable. I have introduced 
legislation to do just that. H.R. 2366 requires full funding of the No 
Child Left Behind act or suspends its punitive measures. Without full 
funding, No Child Left Behind will become a massive unfunded mandate 
that will require cuts in vital services and increased property taxes 
or both. Similar legislation has been introduced in the other body, and 
I urge my colleagues to join me in this effort to hold the 
administration accountable to our children, to our schools, and to our 
taxpayers.

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