Political Quotes

“in 1768 in a letter to George Wythe, Thomas Jefferson wrote, No other sure foundation can be devised for the preservation of freedom and happiness . . . Preach a crusade against ignorance; establish and improve the law for educating the common people. Let our countrymen know that the people alone can protect us against the evils [of misgovernment]. As a nation we have long recognized the importance of education of the future well-being of our children and our nation. A quality education is vital in an increasingly competitive global environment and indeed, as Jefferson notes, to the preservation of our democracy. Every Senator undoubtedly wants to do everything in their power to improve the educational opportunities for all children. It is one of our highest priorities in the U.S. Senate. As many of my colleagues may recall, last year I offered an amendment to the fiscal year 1998 Senate Labor, Health and Human Services Education appropriations bill that consolidated most federally funded K-12 education programs, and sent that money directly to local school districts free from the mandates and regulations imposed on our schools by Washington, DC, bureaucrats. The Senate approved the amendment but, at the administration's insistence, it was stripped from the final bill.”