[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 2]
[Senate]
[Pages 1814-1815]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           STATE OF THE UNION

  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, as the President prepares to address the 
Nation, I hope he will remember that homeland security starts here at 
home, and that he addresses the critical domestic priorities facing our 
Nation at this time. Today, very briefly, I want to discuss a few of 
those priorities.
  In last year's State of the Union Address, the President highlighted 
his and Congress's bipartisan efforts on education. He discussed how 
education was integral to having a secure Nation with a well-educated 
and trained workforce that would grow and strengthen our economy.
  President Bush said:

       Good jobs begin with good schools, and we've made a fine 
     start.

  But you cannot educate our children on the cheap, and I am afraid 
that is

[[Page 1815]]

what the President is asking our Nation's educational system to do. 
Last year's Bush administration budget was the worst education budget 
in 7 years.
  The Bush budget fell $7 billion short of the resources promised in 
the No Child Left Behind Act, and it cut funding for the legislation's 
initiatives by $90 million. It also proposed less than half of the 
Federal commitment to special education. This $11 billion shortfall 
negatively affects all of our public school students and shifts 
billions of dollars more to local property taxes.
  At the same time, our communities are being forced to make decisions 
on defraying education budget shortfalls. Some schools are having to 
cut days off of their years and time off for the students. That is a 
crisis that should not happen. Some school districts are considering 
shortening the school year in order to be able to live within their 
budget. Some schools no longer have money to hire substitute teachers 
for the remainder of the school year.
  We have a responsibility to ensure that every individual has the 
opportunity to receive a high-quality education, from prekindergarten 
to elementary and secondary, to special education, to technical and 
higher education and beyond. Unfortunately, any gains that have been 
made in education achievement are currently in jeopardy due to the lack 
of funds at the local, State, and Federal levels.
  There is nothing more important to our Nation's future, to our 
homeland security, and to our economy than ensuring we have a top-notch 
educational system that is the envy of the world.
  I call on the Bush administration to make education funding and our 
children's future a higher national priority.


                            The Environment

  Mr. President, I also want to briefly discuss the Bush 
administration's record on environmental issues.
  As the ranking member of the Senate Environment and Public Works 
Committee, I am sorry to report that the Bush administration continues 
to move us backward instead of forward in our efforts to protect our 
environment.
  Weekly, usually on Friday afternoons, when the press is all asleep, 
or whatever, the Bush administration stages the below-radar attacks on 
public health and the environment. The administration ignores the 
abundant proof of imminent and long-term threats from pollution that 
endanger our lives and our ecosystems.
  Today and every day since the administration took office, 
approximately 82 people will have died prematurely due to sickness and 
lung disease caused by fine particulate matter from powerplant 
pollution, which could and should be prevented.
  Today and every day since the administration took office, up to 160 
acres of vital wetlands have been converted for development or paved 
over. Instead of trying to slow the rate of wetlands destruction, the 
administration is seeking to ease existing wetlands protection.
  Today and every day since the administration took office, the Nation 
adds around 16 million tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, each 
year contributing 25 percent of the world's total carbon. This raises 
the risk and threat of global warming.
  Shortly after being sworn in, the President reversed his commitment 
to control greenhouse gases and has not looked back once. I am afraid 
the Bush administration's environmental policies have been more focused 
on protecting the special interests than protecting the air and water 
and land that we all share.
  In closing, on the issues of education funding and the environment, I 
am afraid our Nation has taken two steps back rather than one step 
forward. I can only hope that for the good of this Nation we can come 
together and once again move this Nation in the right direction.
  How much time do I have?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senators have 10 minutes of their 20 
minutes remaining.
  Mr. JEFFORDS. I reserve the remainder of our time.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California is recognized.
  Mrs. BOXER. Madam President, Senator Reid asked if I could extend 
this time until 3:30. I make that unanimous consent request.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair, in my capacity as a Senator from 
Alaska, objects.

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