Political Quotes

“I will lend my voice to the chorus. I feel like we are preaching the eulogy for the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller) and the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner) here; and they are still alive and well, for people listening in. But these two gentlemen deserve our praise, and they are going to add much more to the future of education to come. This is not the end of our work day; this is just the beginning. But it was a great job well done in a bipartisan manner. Mr. Speaker, this is a great move forward; but at the end of the day, local control is still dominant in education. We have increased funding dramatically under the bill; but 90 percent-plus of funds for education come from the local area, from the State area. The formula for education excellence has not changed at all. It is a parent and a child with a good teacher and a caring community, and that is still the formula for success. But what we have tried to do is build on that formula and change the way we do business in Washington. The President gave Congress a test when he came into power. He asked us, is the current situation okay? And the right answer was, ``no.'' So we passed the test. The answer was ``reform.'' This bill is big on reform, and the students are at the center of everything we have done. There is more money, but that is not the answer. There is more accountability; that is not the answer. The two together are the answer: more accountability and the funds to get there.”