[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 24909]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                 LET OUR SCHOOLS DECIDE, NOT WASHINGTON

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, this week we will be considering the Labor, 
Health and Human Services Appropriations bill, and inevitably the 
debate will arise on funding for education.
  Yet, this Republican Congress has made the real commitment to 
educating the children of America. We have increased America's 
investment in education by 50 percent since taking control of Congress.
  This year alone education funding has increased by $2 billion. That 
is 10 percent more than last year. But the dollar figures do not tell 
the whole story. Our commitment to education lies in the fact that we 
are committed to supporting our parents, teachers, and local school 
officials, the people who know our children and what they need.
  Mr. Speaker, Federal dollars should go straight to the classroom 
where they can be used for teachers, books, pencils, or computers, 
whatever needs are best for the education of our students.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support our efforts, and I yield back 
the ``Washington knows best'' policy promoted by the Clinton-Gore 
administration.

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