[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6776]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



   DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S GROSS MISMANAGEMENT OF MONEY NO LONGER 
                               TOLERATED

  (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, earlier this year, the Department of 
Education notified 39 very fortunate students they had won the 
prestigious Jacob Javits Fellowship Award, a rather high honor for 
these students. But, unfortunately, a few days later, the Department 
called these very same students back to say, ``Whoops, sorry, we were 
wrong. You actually did not win this award.''
  Well, not surprisingly, Mr. Speaker, this will cost the American 
taxpayers nearly $4 million since, by law, the Department of Education 
now must provide these students with the promised scholarships even if 
awarded in error.
  This mistake is not the first and probably will not be the last 
costly mistake for the Department of Education. Such mistakes simply 
highlight the agency's lack of responsibility in managing the Federal 
dollars appropriated for our children's education.
  Gross mismanagement of the American taxpayer dollars can no longer be 
tolerated.
  I yield back the failing and obvious delinquency of the Department of 
Education.

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