[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 24912]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                  PUT EDUCATION DOLLARS IN LOCAL HANDS

  (Mr. THUNE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THUNE. Mr. Speaker, the Republican Congress differs with 
Democrats on the policy aspect of who should control our children's 
education, Washington, or parents and teachers. The education debate is 
not about money; it is about Federal versus local control of our 
schools and our children's future.
  Two schools in South Dakota almost did not get their critical funds 
because of the bloated bureaucracy in Washington. Instead, $2 million 
in funding was diverted from the Federal Department of Education to 
bank accounts in Maryland and used to purchase two luxury SUVs, a house 
and property in upper Maryland. I know the students, parents, teachers 
and administrators that make up the school districts of Wagner and 
Bennett County schools would not squander $2 million.
  Mr. Speaker, the writing is on the chalkboard. We need to put the 
dollars in local hands, not keep it here in greedy hands where it can 
be stolen, wasted or abused, and not used how it was intended. We do 
not need more Federal control of education dollars, we need more local 
control.

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