[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 19935]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



            HOLDING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ACCOUNTABLE

  (Mr. SCHAFFER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SCHAFFER. Madam Speaker, America's children deserve the world's 
best education, but they are not getting it. Even though the Federal 
Government has spent over $100 billion annually on education, 40 
percent of our Nation's fourth graders fall below the basic level of 
reading achievement.
  Madam Speaker, it is little wonder the Department of Education has 
mismanaged and lost billions of taxpayer dollars, and millions more 
have been literally stolen from Department office buildings, stolen 
from America's children. The Department of Education cannot account for 
how it spent nearly $32 billion in taxpayer funds.
  Since 1983, more than 20 million students have reached their senior 
year unable to do basic math, and it all seems to have gone unnoticed 
by the Department of Education. The Department does not expect to pass 
audits for at least 2 more years.
  Madam Speaker, it is time that the Department of Education is held 
accountable for how it spends our money. The Clinton-Gore 
administration has been in office for 8 years, and they squandered 
their opportunity to help.
  Republicans believe no child should be left behind.

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