Paul Coverdell: “first, the Labor Committee has already addressed the issue of new teachers and done it in a more expeditious manner…”

“first, the Labor Committee has already addressed the issue of new teachers and done it in a more expeditious manner focusing new teachers on inner-city schools. Second, the effect of the amendment of the Senator from Massachusetts is to gut and make moot the entire exercise we have been at here now for 6 months. He would in effect deny 14 million families and 20 million children the benefits of education savings accounts, the majority of which are public, not private. He would deny 1 million employees the opportunity for continuing education and 1 million students the opportunity and benefit of State prepaid tuition plans and 500 new schools through new school construction. Later in the debate we will have another opportunity, through the Gorton amendment, which will be discussed later this afternoon, to free up from Federal regulation large sums of money, over $10 billion, which local communities and States can use to address teacher shortages, if indeed they have them. I conclude by saying the effect of the amendment would be to make moot this 6-month debate.”