Burgess Owens: “I would like to talk about three important items which definitely overlap: education, reparations and terrorism. As a…”

“I would like to talk about three important items which definitely overlap: education, reparations and terrorism. As a member of the House and Senate Conference Committee on H.R. 1, the Leave No Child Behind Act, a major initiative of President Bush that probably will come to the floor in the next 10 to 15 days, I would like to emphasize the fact that this legislation focusing on education, which will probably set a tone and establish some basic principles and concepts and procedures and movements for the next 10 years, is very important legislation. It is still important today, despite the pressures that we feel as a result of the tragedy of September 11. In fact, after September 11, education becomes even more important in general; and specifically, as we move toward creating recovery and construction programs, education must play a major role in this process of creating recovery and restructuring and construction programs. September 11 presented us with a tragic and compelling landmark event.”