[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9849]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                               EDUCATION

  Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, as we gather today in this Chamber, it is 
quiet. We have people here prepared to take down our words, but 
relatively few words are being said. We are on the threshold of a 
historic occasion here in the Senate, where the leadership, at least 
the majority, is about to pass from our Republican friends to the 
Democrats' side of the aisle.
  While there are many issues about which there might be partisan 
disagreements, there are many issues on which there is bipartisan 
agreement. One of those is the education of our children.
  Today, visiting our Nation's Capitol, coming to this Chamber and that 
on the other end of the building in the House of Representatives, are 
the young and the old. In those groups of visitors to their Nation's 
Capitol are many schoolchildren. In many cases they are with parents 
and with teachers. They have come here to experience our Capitol, to 
experience the longest living democracy in the history of the world, 
the United States of America.
  This Chamber was not silent just for a good part of this day but for 
much of last week as well, as we were in recess in observance of 
Memorial Day. In Delaware and in States across the country, on Memorial 
Day and during last week, we remembered and saluted and thanked our 
veterans who served in our Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines, who in 
many cases sacrificed their lives in wars of the past century, and the 
two before that.
  There is a document we are all proud of in this country called the 
Constitution. The Constitution of our Nation is the longest living 
written constitution of any nation on Earth. It was adopted on 
September 17, 1787, first by the little State of Delaware. As I like to 
kid my colleagues, Delaware for one whole week was the entire United 
States of America. Then we opened it up, and other States came in: 
Pennsylvania and New Jersey and Maryland and the rest joined us. 
Eventually there were 50 of us, and it has turned out well.
  Mr. President, 213 years later we are going strong. Every now and 
then our democracy is put to the test. That democracy will be put to 
the test in this Chamber as we prepare for the passing of the torch 
from the current majority, Republicans, to the next majority, the 
Democrats.
  One issue we will address later this afternoon, to take up again, is 
one we have been addressing for the better part of a month, and that is 
redefining the role of the Federal Government in the education of our 
children. While we have some disagreements in the margins, there is 
much about which we agree.
  I say to all who come here today and in the days ahead to observe 
this debate, whether you happen to be from schools in Claymont, DE, or 
schools in Colorado or any other place, that we will endeavor to do our 
best to make sure the young people--very young people and those not 
quite so young--will have every opportunity to be successful in their 
schools and in their later endeavors, so when they walk across the 
stage and get that diploma and leave high school, it means they are 
ready to go on to be successful in college, careers, military, the 
private sector, public service sector--whatever they do--to be 
successful for their employers and, just as importantly, for 
themselves.
  There is a meeting commencing this afternoon, after the Democrat and 
Republican caucuses. A number of Democrat and a number of Republican 
Senators were invited to the White House, presumably to meet with the 
President and members of his administration to discuss education 
reform.
  While the numbers have shifted here a bit in the Senate, what should 
not have shifted is our commitment to our young people and making sure 
the Federal Government plays a more appropriate role in the years 
ahead. As we infuse more resources into our public schools, as we 
provide greater resources to the public schools, we seek to hold those 
schools accountable for results, rewarding the kind of performance we 
want to see and, where it is not happening, to make sure we take steps 
and the schools take steps to get the kind of performance they want and 
need and we desire as well.
  Finally, we must make sure, better than we did before, that we 
empower parents to make decisions, real decisions, meaningful 
decisions, about the education of their children in the public schools 
of America.
  Mr. President, I note the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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