Political Quotes

“I stand here today and see a bill that would do little for the educational system of our country. This is a result of the budget that the Republican majority has given us. It emphasizes cutting taxes, but it hurts the future of our Nation. This bill does not provide for the President's plan for school modernization, and ensures our children will continue to suffer from substandard school facilities. In my home State of Texas, where my wife teaches high school algebra, we have 4 million students in almost 7,000 schools. Of these schools, 76 percent need repairs or upgrades to reach good condition; 46 percent need repairs in building features such as plumbing, electrical, heating, or cooling; 60 percent have at least one environmental problem, air quality, ventilation, or lighting; and the student ratio to computers stands at 11 to 1. Over the next decade it will get worse, not only in Texas but across the country. Over the next decade, the number of Texas students in elementary and secondary schools will increase by 8 percent. What we need to do is not underfund $1 billion in teacher quality improvement and recruiting, as this bill does, cut 40 percent of after-school programs, underfund Head Start. We need to provide for the future of our Nation.”