Joe Wilson: “during the next hour, I want to talk about some of the wonderful things that this House has achieved in this first…”

“during the next hour, I want to talk about some of the wonderful things that this House has achieved in this first session of the 107th Congress; but in my view, probably one of the most important things we have achieved, we finished today here on the floor of the House, and that is the President's education bill. Going back almost 2 years ago before the last Presidential election, and before even the primaries were finished, I was looking at the people who were putting themselves forward as potential candidates in the Republican Party, which is my party. There was a governor from neighboring State of Texas, which being a New Mexican, is sometimes a disqualification in itself, who seemed to be saying some things that I liked to hear. Not only just saying them, but obviously deeply believing them and passionate about them. George W. Bush was talking about no child should be left behind. There was a commitment that he made in his State of Texas, and it was not just some kind of a campaign slogan, it was something that he passionately believed, that there was a subtle bigotry of low expectations, and that, in itself, condemned children to a life of underachievement. He believed it was possible for a public school system to reform itself and to commit itself to excellence, and that every child is entitled to a great education, and that education is the next civil right.”