[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 9 (Monday, March 8, 1999)]
[Pages 373-374]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Statement on the Kennedy-Murray Amendments to Proposed Education 
Flexibility Partnership Legislation

March 5, 1999

    I strongly support the efforts of Senators Murray and Kennedy to 
offer a class size amendment to the ed-flex bill. We must make a long-
term commitment now to hire 100,000 new, well-prepared teachers to 
reduce class size in the early grades. The Republican leadership is 
wrong to try to shut down debate on this bill before a class size 
amendment can be voted on. I urge them to allow an up-or-down vote on 
this amendment, and I urge every Senator to vote for it.

[[Page 374]]