Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise today to offer an amendment to strike the urban and rural education programs--new programs which were not requested by the Clinton administration. I do so not because I am against improving education in the cities and rural communities of this Nation. In fact, I have a very rural district. No, I am offering this amendment because I cannot see why we need a separate program for rural education and another for urban, when we have before us billions of dollars' worth of programs aimed at improving education throughout the Nation, including in the cities and small towns. As I have said in the statements for my previous amendments, the best thing we can do for our schools is keep this bill streamlined and focused. I have asked this question before, in order to try to fund the $300 million authorized for these two programs. Are we willing to take money from title I, and chapter 2, and other programs? Because that is exactly what we will be forced to do. I don't understand why we want to keep adding program after program to this bill. Why can't we give local communities and States the flexibility to use the money under this bill to suit their particular needs and priorities? Why do we insist on defining their priorities for them?”