These are both new national records. Our nation's schools and colleges are bursting at their seams, and they will continue that way for many years to come. A special new feature of this year's report gives us a preview of the 21st century. Unlike the 20th century, when we had ups and downs in the birth rate, giving us breathing room periodically between new waves of children, during the 21st century we will never go back to a time when we are free of growing pains. We have a century of growth ahead of us-a crescendo of children.
Growth is the new and unwavering demographic constant.
America's challenge as we begin the 21st century is to make good choices now, so that we won't be overwhelmed later when it comes to the education of our children. We made a good choice in the last eight years to end deficit spending and to invest in education, and it is starting to pay off. Reading and math scores are up and more young people are going on to college. Now, we have an immediate opportunity to make another good choice when it comes to building new schools and renovating olds ones. A full 226 members of the House, comprising a bipartisan majority of Republicans and Democrats, support the Johnson-Rangel school construction proposal.