Political Quotes

“I am pleased to support Senator Dodd's amendment to S. 1150, to improve safety and security in the Nation's schools. I was an original cosponsor of this legislation when it was introduced by my Connecticut colleague as the Safe Schools Act of 1993. President Clinton supports this legislation, and I thank both the President and Senator Dodd for their leadership on the bill. The legislation addresses an urgent need. I hear repeatedly from educators in my State that violence in schools threatens the health and even the lives of their students and, needless to say, seriously impedes their ability to educate our kids. Earlier this week, David Manning, the principal of Conard High School in West Hartford, CT, informed me that improving school safety has become the number one priority for Connecticut's high school principals, and he urged me to support this amendment. Educators should not have to play a central role in the war on crime. But, the bottom line is, we will not achieve the educational achievement goals set forth in this bill unless our schools are safe. This legislation will provide assistance to the most troubled school districts. Participating schools will be awarded $3 million a year for up to 2 years to implement crime reduction measures. Schools will have flexibility to use the funds in ways that best meet their needs.”