George Voinovich

The crucial factor that will determine whether we have an effective climate policy is the extent to which that policy will encourage the development and deployment of needed technology.

What we need to look at is nuclear; we need to look at coal.

I would submit to you that experience shows that in the arms control area, for example, the unilateral measures, nuclear freezes, protestations of no first use, have never worked.

Let us treat it in the same way we treated other serious national security issues: arms control, trade, even human rights.

I think one of the reasons why we voted, many years ago, against the Kyoto Agreement was that we were saying, you know, why should we do it when the rest of the folks out there are not going to participate in this?

If we shut down everything we do, and China and India and Brazil and the other countries that have growing economies do not participate, the impact we are going to have is going to be very little.

The real issue is, maybe I have been around for too long, I was a mayor for 10 years and a Governor for 8 years, the old issue is, what can we do from a practical point of view to do something about it?

Unfortunately, national and security concerns have never been prominently considered in this committee.

Our security is in deep jeopardy today, and we had better wake up.

I have long tried to encourage the harmonization of our energy, environment, economy and national security.

Any legislation that passes through the committee should both reduce our Nation's greenhouse gas emissions and make our Nation more energy secure.

Well, that is going to be interesting because I know when the stimulus package came along, I did not vote for it, but I did feel that we did have a Federal responsibility in IDEA.

It has been an unfunded mandate and something that you can argue and say that you definitely--it is a Federal responsibility and one that we should meet.

As I say, Ms. Rhee, I tell some of the superintendents that by the time the kids get to Title I, it is too late for them.

I think one of the areas that we really are failing in--and the Title I money, are you using any of that Title I money for pre-school?

One of the areas that I am very concerned about--and, again, it gets back to my days when I was governor--is early childhood education.

My concern was it is that, not a screw-up in the financial system.

In other words, these are special things that you have got costs, but relatively speaking, I would think that a lot of other districts, urban districts, would have the same problems.

What are you doing for the teachers?

So you are on your way with that.

The $148 million, that is money for shovel-ready improvements in the classroom and you are folding it in on top of this master plan that Mr. Lew is doing?

And that has had a real effect? In other words, the parents have been brought in and they talk about it...

The D.C. CAP is $2,500 for eligible kids? Is that it, over and above TAG?

What is the prospect of that happening?

I have a sincere interest in improving education in the District because of my belief that a world-class education is the best way to help every citizen make the best use of his or her God-given talents.