Political Quotes

“As we start this 106th Congress, I think it is clear that education is going to be one of the top priorities we will address in this session of Congress. We are going to be working on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and I believe all of us, on both sides, are saying that this is a national priority. As my colleague from Massachusetts, Senator John Kerry, said in a speech that he made at Northeastern University, "Ever since there has been a United States of America, there have been public schools. And there has been a constant debate about how to make them work." I know that since I was elected to the United States Senate 12 years ago I have listened and participated in the many debates on public education that have occurred in this institution. I have even had some ideas of my own on how to improve education--some of which have been passed by this body and signed into law. My intentions, like those of my Senate colleagues--have been good intentions. We all share the same goal of providing our children with a great education. We have been trying to do the right thing. Today, however, our good intentions have mushroomed into burdensome regulations, unfunded mandates, and unwanted meddling. Parents, teachers, and local school officials have less and less control over what happens in the classroom. Instead of empowering parents, teachers, and local school officials we have empowered the federal government and bureaucrats.”