[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 15]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 21258]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                APPRECIATION FOR EDUCATION REFORM GROUPS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB SCHAFFER

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 28, 2002

  Mr. SCHAFFER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the valuable 
contribution and tireless assistance of more than 30 organizations 
committed to helping all children achieve academic excellence through 
educational choice. Over the past year, these groups have demonstrated 
a remarkable dedication--often under difficult circumstances--to 
advancing education tax credit legislation.
  During my time in Congress, no issue has captivated my time and 
attention more than education reform through school choice. Several 
years ago, a handful of my colleagues and I began meeting to work on a 
serious parental choice legislative effort. The result of our work was 
several education tax-related bills, including the Education Freedom 
Act (H.R. 5192) and the Back to School Tax Relief Act (H.R. 5193), 
which I introduced earlier this year.
  As the 107th Congress draws to a close, I am struck by the historic 
progress we made toward advancing education tax credits. Dozens of 
education tax-related bills were introduced during the 107th Congress, 
and one bill, H.R. 5193, passed the Ways and Means Committee and is 
currently awaiting floor action in the House. Our President, George W. 
Bush, offered his endorsement of education tax credits and established 
a placeholder in his budget for such legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, let me be the first to say, none of this progress could 
have been made without the relentless support of numerous individuals 
and organizations. Several of them deserve mention here in the House: 
Agudath Israel, Alexis de Tocqueville Institution, American Association 
of Christian Schools, American Conservative Union, Americans for Tax 
Reform, American Legislative Exchange Council, Association of Christian 
Schools International, Catholic Vote, CATO Institute, Children First 
America, Concerned Women for America, Center of the American 
Experiment, Council for American Private Education, Council for Urban 
Renewal, Education Leaders Council, Empower America, Family Research 
Council, Heritage Foundation, Institute for Policy Innovation, Latino 
Coalition, Lexington Institute, Maryland Catholic Conference, Minnesota 
Catholic Conference, National Association of Private Special Education 
Centers, National Catholic Education Association, National Center for 
Home Education, North Carolina Education Reform Foundation, People 
Advancing Christian Education, REACH Alliance, Union of Orthodox Jewish 
Congregations of America, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 
United New Yorkers for Choice in Education, Washington Scholarship 
Fund.
  Mr. Speaker and Members of the House, please Join me in commnending 
these organizations for their fine work and dedication to improving the 
education of all children in America. The battle for education freedom 
will not be easy, but it will be won someday soon with the sustained 
efforts of these committed organizations. For me, it has been a true 
privilege to work alongside these fine organizations and the people 
they represent. May God bless them all.