Political Quotes

“I rise in opposition to the Roberts amendment because it really does not solve the problem of unfunded Federal mandates. It is merely a cosmetic cover. There are presently not enough Federal funds to cover all of the programs that are being implemented. Now, the Rohrabacher amendment creates a further requirement, and the Roberts amendment says, ``Well, don't worry about it; the Feds will cover the cost.'' Oh, yeah, and the check is in the mail. But, Mr. Chairman, I rise today mainly in opposition to the two Rohrabacher amendments which would require schools to identify and collect data on the residency status of students, and would withhold Federal funds for any district which does not comply with this bureaucracy. As a certified teacher, I am sensitive to the education ramifications of such a damaging amendment, and as someone who came to the United States at an early age and learned English through a bilingual program, I cannot stress to my colleagues enough that we cannot allow this and other harmful amendments to pass today. I am extremely concerned over the constitutional question raised by these amendments, which violate the Supreme Court mandate that public schools must provide education to all children regardless of their immigration status.”