J. Thurmond: “Yesterday, by a vote of 345 to 64, the House of Representatives agreed to withhold Federal education funds from school…”

“Yesterday, by a vote of 345 to 64, the House of Representatives agreed to withhold Federal education funds from school districts that prohibit students from engaging in voluntary prayer in public school. I applaud my colleagues in the House for this vote and especially commend Congressman Johnson of Texas who drafted the language. This amendment should remain in the bill which will provide Federal aid to elementary and secondary school programs. Also, my good friend and colleague, Senator Helms, had offered a similar amendment to S. 1150, the Goals 2000, Educate America Act, which was adopted in the Senate by a vote of 75 to 22. However, the House-Senate conference on Goals 2000, in a hasty manner, adopted so-called compromise language on the Helms amendment which completely misses the mark of the original Senate position. Hopefully, this action will not stand and the Senate will have the opportunity to reiterate its position on voluntary prayer in public schools.”