[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17466]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




            LABOR-HHS BILL SHORTCHANGES NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND

  (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, today this House will consider the 
appropriations bill for education. As the only former State schools 
chief serving in Congress, I think I know better than anyone the impact 
education cuts can have on teachers, our students, our schools, and the 
future of this great country. This bill contains Draconian education 
cuts.
  Last Congress I voted to pass the bipartisan No Child Left Behind Act 
for education reform. I supported it because the President and the 
Republican leadership promised to provide the funding needed to make 
this reform work. But today's bill shatters that promise by cutting $8 
billion below the authorization level of this new law. Educational cuts 
of this magnitude will devastate morale in our schools and doom our 
children to an educational system that is designed to fail. Our 
children and our schools deserve better.
  I have introduced legislation to require full funding of the No Child 
Left Behind bill, and I urge my colleagues to join me in support of 
this bill and vote against this appropriation bill.

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