John Williams: “Mr. Chairman, we are about to complete what has been a truly historical legislative experience. This is the 9th time the…”

“Mr. Chairman, we are about to complete what has been a truly historical legislative experience. This is the 9th time the Congress has written and rewritten this Elementary and Secondary Education Act. We have spent more time on this bill than we did during any of the previous 8 times we have authorized the act. During the early 1960's, when the first ESEA bill came to the 89th Congress, that landmark bill providing the first major, comprehensive Federal effort to assist our Nation's elementary and secondary public schools--a bill that involved very serious church/state issues and the difficult fundamental question of whether the Federal Government should be involved at all in supporting local schools--we had 3 days of House floor consideration. Thirteen amendments were considered. Only two were adopted. In the 90th Congress, we reauthorized ESEA, and it took us again 3 days on the House floor. Fourteen amendments were offered. We accepted seven. In the 93d Congress, during some very troubling times when segregated schools, desegregation, efforts, and school busing dominated our debates, the Congress spent 3 days on the House floor reauthorizing ESEA. Thirty amendments were offered, and 11 were accepted.”