[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 19458]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                SUPPORT SCHOOL MODERNIZATION LEGISLATION

  (Mr. HINOJOSA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, that we even have to debate the need for 
school modernization defies logic. Some congressional issues are simply 
nothing more than common sense, and this issue is one.
  For years now, Democrats have been trying to enact a meaningful 
school modernization initiative. When I came to Congress in 1997, I 
joined these efforts and cosponsored legislation to address this 
crisis. But we have been consistently blocked by the majority. 
America's children are ultimately the victims of this disregard.
  It boils down to two crucial points, crumbling schools and 
overcrowding. Quite simply, our schools are run down and out of room. 
Conditions are so poor that we would have to spend $112 billion to make 
the basic repairs needed.
  The Public School Modernization Act of 1999 would help local 
communities meet that $122 billion backlog in school modernization 
needs documented by the nonpartisan General Accounting Office.
  Ultimately, it is about ensuring that our children get safe, clean, 
and modern schools.

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