Don Nickles: “first I wish to compliment my colleague and friend, Senator Jeffords, for his leadership on this bill. I am confident…”

“first I wish to compliment my colleague and friend, Senator Jeffords, for his leadership on this bill. I am confident that tomorrow we will pass this bill. Also, I wish to compliment Senator Frist and others on the Labor Committee who have worked very, very hard to put together a good package, a responsible package, to allow the States to have more flexibility in dealing with Federal education programs so they can deliver a better product, and that is basically improving the education of our kids. That is a very noble goal. By doing so, they are saying we want to set up a program, which we have already done in a pilot program in a few States, and make it available to all States. All State Governors, Democrats and Republicans, say we want to have that flexibility, give us the ability to ask the Federal Government for a waiver from a lot of the rules and regulations in managing these programs so we can do a better job. Frankly, they are telling us they can do a better job, without Uncle Sam's rules and regulations, in trying to manage their schools. They did not need so much Federal help. It is really what the States were telling us. Democrats as well as Republicans were saying that. I think they are exactly right in doing so. I compliment the sponsors of this legislation, and I am going to be pleased tomorrow when we pass it. Unfortunately, there are a few amendments that are circulating around that I think would be very detrimental to this bill.”