Burgess Owens: “this motion to recommit adds a vital component that has been left out of our deliberations so far. We were not allowed…”

“this motion to recommit adds a vital component that has been left out of our deliberations so far. We were not allowed to offer an amendment on the floor dealing with school construction, renovation or modernization, and this motion to recommit includes instructions to continue the school renovation program, which is now in its first year, and increase that funding to $2 billion. My colleagues will recall that last year we did agree on a $1.2 billion school repair, renovation bill. We would like to at least raise that to $2 billion. It is a small amount compared to the need. We know that in 1994, the General Accounting Office said we needed $110 billion at that time for school renovation, construction, and repairs. The NEA did a survey last year which said we need about $320 billion for school construction, repair, and renovation across the whole Nation. The $2 billion was merely to make a beginning on emergency repairs and is still very important. It is important we say to the children in the public schools of America, 53 million children, that we care about more than just testing them. Accountability means more than accountability of the students and school and the massive testing we have proposed. Accountability also means we will stand up and make certain that those tools that they need to work with are there, especially the infrastructure, the facilities.”