[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2540]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



      IN THE 21ST CENTURY, ALL SCHOOLS DESERVE LEVEL PLAYING FIELD

  (Ms. SOLIS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express my dismay with the plan put 
forth by my Republican colleagues which would hurt our Nation's 
important minority-serving higher education institutions. This plan 
would remove Hispanic-serving institutions, historically black colleges 
and universities, and tribal colleges from the consideration of the 
Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness, which deals with higher 
education and, instead, places them in a select Committee on Education 
and the Workforce which deals with juvenile crime and child abuse.
  What kind of message are we sending when we exclude minority-serving 
institutions from our consideration of higher education? Why should 
schools like Cal State Los Angeles and East Los Angeles College located 
in my district be treated differently than any other college in our 
country?
  Two of my heroes in government were educated there in East Los 
Angeles College. I am talking about Gloria Molina, the first Latina 
ever elected as Los Angeles County Supervisor, and a former colleague, 
Congressman Esteban Torres, who was a Member of this body.
  Do we want to send a message that these schools and their graduates 
are somehow less than any other college or university? I do not think 
so. I urge Republicans to rethink this proposal and to send the right 
message; that, in the 21st century, all schools deserve a level playing 
field.

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