Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise, along with the gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green), my Republican friend and colleague, to express at this point in the debate on this bill our bipartisan appreciation for the leadership of the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe), the chairman of the subcommittee, and the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), the ranking member, for the substantial increase they commit in this budget to basic education. Basic education in particular is about girls' education, because they are the ones most likely to be held out of school. The data shows tremendous return for the investment made in this area for each year past fourth grade: a 10 percent reduction in family size, a 10 percent reduction in infant and maternal mortality, and 15 to 20 percent increases in wages. This increase is precisely in line with the leadership of President Bush who has said recently, ``Literacy and learning are the foundation of democracy and development.”