[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 19457]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  BETTER SCHOOLS NEEDED FOR OUR NATION'S GREATEST ASSET: OUR CHILDREN

  (Mr. CROWLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, this morning I proudly join my colleagues 
in signing the discharge petition H.R. 1660, the School Modernization 
Construction Act.
  As a member of the freshman class, I have organized numerous 1 
minutes and Special Orders to allow us to share with our Republican 
colleagues the stories from our own districts: the overcrowding, the 
crumbling buildings, the rapid school-age population growth. Whether 
they are urban, rural, or suburban, schools across our Nation need the 
help of Congress in addressing the infrastructure problems.
  Mr. Speaker, I cannot accept that the only action taken by Congress 
this year to help our schools is a small arbitrage provision contained 
within the recently passed tax bill.
  This provision will not provide assistance to our beleaguered school 
system and could result in delays in school construction and 
modernization projects for more than 2 years.
  We can fix our highways. We can rebuild our bridges. Why do we sit by 
and do nothing about the infrastructure that houses our Nation's 
greatest assets, its children.
  We need to help our school districts by providing them with interest-
free bonds to build new facilities and to improve the existing 
structures now, not 2 years from now.
  Mr. Speaker, before, one of our colleagues said who pays the taxes. I 
forgot, our children in public schools do not pay taxes. But their 
families do.

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