this Congress must take action to address the serious need for school construction in this country for our children. Across this country at this very moment more than 52 million school children are attending class. Unfortunately, far too…

I call on this Congress to take action to save the lives of America's brave law enforcement officers. Two days ago at 4 o'clock in the morning in Kenley, North Carolina, a police officer by the name of Todd Smith stopped a dark sedan on…

this House must reform the IRS. The outrageous recently released GAO report documents that the IRS unfairly singles out taxpayers in the South for random audits. The GAO reports that 47 percent of the random tax audits during the past 3…

last week this House took a defining vote for public schools in this country. By a vote of 228 to 191, we defeated a risky voucher scheme to take tax money out of our public schools to finance private schools. I am pleased my colleagues…

I rise tonight as a dedicated education supporter and reformer to send this anti-public school bill back to committee. There is a right way and a wrong way to reform education in this country. It is absolutely wrong for the House to pass…

I rise in support of character education and the strengthening of our public schools. I know teaching our children values and ethics will help improve education. Last week I visited three schools in my district where character counts. They…

let me respond to what the gentleman said about facilities and other things, because this is important. When you think of public schools, public schools are like a small town, they carry on a lot of the services that any town would have…

Absolutely. I get a little frustrated at times, people talk about how schools have too much money, and some will say that. I do not know where they get that information. I would say to them, anyone who feels schools have more money than…

I think of a great Congressman who represented the district that I now represent many years ago, a gentleman by the name of Harold Cooley, who at that time chaired the Committee on Agriculture in the U.S. Congress. It was his task to chair…

The belief there is that we ought to provide the resources to do it. Another example, a school I am aware of a number of years ago had very little parent involvement and low test scores, which indicates that, and a lot of other problems…

We have schools across this country, and I know in my State, before-school programs for children, before school opens they actually open the school and provide a morning day care, provide breakfast for them, and it is on a sliding scale…

if we take that another step and we look at industry, and one of the first things I remember in the D.C. situation that my colleague mentioned was, they went in to put the roofs on the buildings because the buildings were leaking. It is…

It is easy. If we do not want to do something, we can find a thousand reasons. If we want to do it, it is not hard to find a reason. Last time I checked, I have not heard anyone get up on this floor and say we should not send water and…

We simply must put the maximum effort we can into improving of our public schools for our children. By that, I mean all the children of this country, not just a select few that we can give vouchers or something else and give a lot of lip…

Let me thank the gentleman. He is absolutely correct. We have talked about after hours, and I just wanted to make a point of that, because I have been in a number of schools where they actually have an after hours program for a number of…

the point is what you are talking about is truly taking money, not putting additional money in for anything. I was in a school just this past Monday, and schools have changed. I think a lot of folks forget how much they have changed. And…

I do not know why it is just block grant education we want to deal with. We are not talking about block granting funds to the Department of Defense. We do not talk about block granting materials to other things. As my colleague just…

I state that having been State superintendent, elected by the people in the State of North Carolina for two consecutive 4-year terms. Reading is something that every child needs to know. It is the foundation of all learning. And we are…

I rise to call on this Congress to support our public schools. As the first member of my family to graduate from college, I know firsthand that quality public education is the key to the American dream, an opportunity for all children, not…

It actually accentuates the fact that there is considerable need. It is going to continue. We have just passed the tax credits and other things for young people to make it beyond high school. But the point is that we now have an…

I think it is important, what we are about, and the gentlewoman from Connecticut touched on something I want to expand on, if I may. As you are talking about school quality and quality of the air in the buildings, I think a lot of our…

I had the distinct privilege before joining this special body, people's House, to serve as the elected Superintendent of Schools for 8 years in the State of North Carolina, a State that has really been actively involved in setting high…

I oppose this amendment. Peanut farmers are the backbone of the economy in the poorest counties in the South. They agreed to the reforms in the program just last year. Loan rates were reduced, quotas were reduced, programs were opened to…

I rise to call on my colleagues in this House and the negotiators on the tax bill to put support for educational opportunities and tax relief for middle-class families at the top of their priority list. As a former two-term State school…

I have introduced a death or inheritance tax bill. I would be happy to have my colleagues join me, because there are Democrats that do strongly support tax relief for people who work. Mr. Speaker, on Memorial Day, I was proud to honor John…