[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10507]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



           SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION, RENOVATION AND MODERNIZATION

  (Mr. OWENS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, we had a major education bill on the floor 
for consideration, and we did not permit a single amendment to deal 
with school construction, renovation, or school modernization. We were 
afraid to have the issue presented on the floor.
  I think we were afraid that we might get a majority vote on it. For 
some reason, the leadership is afraid of school construction, school 
modernization, and school repairs. We are pushed into the vehicle of a 
motion to discharge today; and I urge all of the Members, regardless of 
their party, to sign the motion to discharge on the Rangel-Johnson 
bill.
  This is a bipartisan bill. It is a bill which impacts on all America, 
rural as well as urban. It is a bill which almost every school district 
in America can benefit from. Even charter schools can benefit from a 
bill which calls for more funding for construction, for modernization, 
and for repairs.
  It is impossible to go forward and really claim we want to reform 
education unless we are willing to provide the physical facilities that 
are necessary to educate our children. I urge my colleagues to sign the 
motion to discharge.

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