John Kerry: “I appreciate the answer. I do not want to abuse the time because I know my colleagues are lined up to speak, but if I…”

“I appreciate the answer. I do not want to abuse the time because I know my colleagues are lined up to speak, but if I may ask further, I hear what the Senator is saying, but the examples I chose are examples of when it was a block grant. We changed the block grant precisely in order to obviate those kinds of examples. Bringing it to modern times, I know the Senator will agree with me that everyone in the Senate is not debating education because it is a nonissue in America. No one would suggest that every Governor in this country is doing as well as some other Governors in the country. No one would suggest--I am not going to name States here--there are not some States that are light years behind other States in what they are willing to adopt. So even measured against the modern system, I agree with the Senator from Washington. Let's tear apart some of the bureaucracy. Let's rip away some of the layers and tiers, let's minimize the paperwork. But let's guarantee we are working together in a more genuine fashion. The fact that we have bills on the floor that are, frankly, as far apart-- this is the first time in the eight times this bill has been to the floor that there is as little bipartisan effort at this stage as there is this year, a time when education is far more important than it has ever been in the history of the country.”