Byron Dorgan: “The point I made the other day is that this debate is about the priorities of need in education. The Senator from…”

“The point I made the other day is that this debate is about the priorities of need in education. The Senator from Georgia brings a bill to the floor and says the priority of need is a provision for a tax credit, the bulk of which will go to wealthy folks who send kids to private schools. That is his priority of need. It is not me saying that; it is now the Department of Treasury saying that of the legislation. The Senator from Washington says there is another need. We talked earlier about school construction. The President and the Senator from Washington has done a lot of work on this issue and talk about the need to reduce the class size of first, second, and third grades. We know that makes a difference in education. That is not rocket science. We know that works. That makes a difference in education. The second-degree perfecting amendment that has been offered essentially obliterates this and takes it out.”