Date: 1997-11-04
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I think the real question has to be. how do we go forward in helping the children of America? The real driving force behind this Republican proposal on vouchers is not parents who want a better education for their children. but the likes of Jerry Falwell. who says. "I hope to live to see the day when we wont have any public schools. The churches will have taken them over again. and Christians will be running them. What a happy day that will be." Mr. Speaker. I believe in the first amendment. I believe in Christianity. the freedom of religion and I believe in all Americans. However. I also believe in public school education. This is what we should be doing: early childhood development. basics by 6. welltrained teachers. wellequipped classrooms. relief from crumbling and overcrowded schools. support for local plans to review neighborhood public schools. efficient and coordinated use of resources. parental choice. like charter schools. That should be the message for public schools and those who support our children. not a denial of civil rights. as these vouchers will do. to parents and children. not where the parents will be denied admission by private schools when they come with their vouchers. We need a real plan for our public schools. not a system that destroys them. I support public schools. I ask my colleagues to do so as well by voting against the voucher bill which destroys public schools. The primary point of concern. for myself. and many other members of this body in regards to H.R. 2746. is the school scholarship or vouchers provision included in this revision of title VI of the Education and Secondary Reform Act. This provision would authorize the distribution of scholarships to low to moderate income families to attend public or private schools in nearby suburbs or to pay the costs of supplementary academic programs outside regular school hours for students attending public schools. However. only certain students will receive these tuition scholarships. This legislative initiative could obviously set a dangerous precedent from this body as to the course of public education in America for decades to come. If the U.S. Congress abandons public education. and sends that message to localities nationwide. a fatal blow could be struck to public schooling. The impetus behind this legislative agenda is clearly suspect. Instead of using these funds to improve the quality of public education. this policy initiative enriches fiscally successful. local private and public institutions. Furthermore. if this policy initiative is so desirable. why are certain D.C. students left behind? Can this plan be a solution. I would assert that it can not Unless all of our children are helped. what value does this grand political experiment have? I see this initiative as a small step in trying to position the Government behind private elementary and secondary schools. The ultimate question is why do those in this body who continue to support public education with their lipservice. persist in trying to slowly erode the acknowledged sources of funding for our public schools? Public education. and its future. is an issue of the first magnitude. One that affects the constituency of every member of this House. and thus deserves full and open consideration. School vouchers. have not been requested by the public mandate from the Congress. actually. they have failed every time they have been offered on a State ballot by 65 percent or greater. If a piece of legislation proposes to send our taxpayer dollars to private or religious schools. the highest levels of scrutiny are in order. and an amendment that may correct such a provision is unquestionably germane. Nine out of ten American children attend public schools. we must not abandon them. their reform is our hope.