Bill Clinton: “I don't know. I've asked our people to go back and look at it. But we're not talking about a great deal of money, so…”

“I don't know. I've asked our people to go back and look at it. But we're not talking about a great deal of money, so that if we're just talking about that amount of money, I think we could reach agreement with the Republican and the Democratic leaders about ways to pay for it. We're also talking about the substance, though, of some of the bills. I feel very strongly about not just the amount of money in education but how is the money going to be spent. We shouldn't back off of the commitment we made to the American people and to the children of this country just a year ago, that both Republicans and Democrats were bragging on in the election a year ago--we shouldn't just turn around and drop it. I think that's a big mistake, and I'll fight for that. I think that we need to continue to push raising standards, testing kids, ending social promotion, but not blaming them for the failure of the system, which means you've got to have more after-school programs; you've got to have more summer school programs; and there ought to be a system which provides help to turn around failing schools, because we know that's working. In the States where that's going on, that's really working. Where these schools are being targeted and being told you're going to have to shut down if you don't turn around, it's working. But those aren't money problems. And then I have several environmental concerns that I hope we can work out, that I personally believe are quite important to our country's future. Thank you.”