Political Quotes

“Earlier this year President Clinton signed Executive Order 1299 to aid in the process of transferring Federal surplus computer equipment to our public schools. This is equipment that in the past has sat on palettes in Federal warehouses gathering dust and becoming obsolete while schools all around the country try to scrape together the funds to buy computer technology equipment for their students. I applaud the administration's effort to put this unused equipment to work in our classrooms. To help support that initiative I offered an amendment to the Treasury, Postal Service, and general Government appropriations bill with Senator Murray which reiterates the importance of this initiative and urges Federal Agencies to work with the Federal Executive Boards to implement it. I also strongly supported Senator Murray's language in the legislative branch appropriations bill bringing the Senate into compliance with the Executive order. We in Congress should be leading the effort to bring computer technology to our public schools. Making unused computer equipment available to schools is too important to let fall between the cracks of the many bureaucracies involved in this initiative. A report to Congress at the end of the year is needed to ensure that the Executive order is carried out and to monitor its progress in bringing Federal surplus computers to our educators.”