[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 24911]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                        COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION

  (Mrs. KELLY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, Republicans have made a solid commitment to 
education. But the Clinton-Gore administration and the Democrats in 
Congress want the Federal Government to decide what local schools can 
and cannot do. This is really what separates the two parties on 
education policy. The focus of education should not be about quantity 
and process. It should focus on quality and results. This is what will 
help our children and grandchildren secure America's future.
  Our children and grandchildren will benefit greatly from the work we 
have done and the decisions we have made. Paying off the debt means 
$1,348 in savings for every man, woman and child. That is money that 
can be spent for education or even retirement savings. It also means 
$5,200 in savings for every American family, which is enough money for 
annual tuition at a public university.
  Mr. Speaker, this Congress has ended the old spend-now-and-pay-later 
attitude that created deficits as far as the eye could see. I believe 
it is morally wrong to pass on our debt to our children and 
grandchildren. They should not have to inherit prior profligate 
spending. By committing to dedicate at least 90 percent of future 
surplus to reducing the national debt, we will secure America's future 
for our children and our grandchildren.

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