[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 14349-14350]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      INTRODUCTION OF THE FULLY FUND THE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT

  (Mr. ETHERIDGE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, yesterday afternoon the President held a 
Rose Garden ceremony to celebrate the No Child Left Behind Act. I voted 
for that legislation and I wish I could have joined in the celebration, 
but unfortunately because the administration refuses to fund the new 
law, I spent my afternoon answering questions from unhappy local 
leaders in my district who wanted to know where the money is going to 
come from to pay for the President's education reforms. Despite 
yesterday's White House photo op, the

[[Page 14350]]

fact remains that the administration is cutting $20 billion from No 
Child Left Behind. Local leaders know that they will get stuck with the 
bill for these educational cuts.
  Make no mistake, the Bush educational cuts will result in worse 
schools, cuts in local services like law enforcement and fire and 
rescue or higher property taxes, or all of the above. There has got to 
be a better way.
  Last week I introduced H.R. 2366, the Fully Fund the No Child Left 
Behind Act. My bill simply requires the Federal Government to fund No 
Child Left Behind. Mr. Speaker, it is only fair. I urge my colleagues 
to join us in this legislation.

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