Steven Gunderson: “I say to my colleagues, ``This is it. Either today you vote for education reform or you go back home and admit you're…”

“I say to my colleagues, ``This is it. Either today you vote for education reform or you go back home and admit you're not really in support of it.'' There is not a Member among us who cannot come to the floor today, after the 6 years that the distinguished leaders on both sides have referred to of working on education reform, there is not one of us that could not come here today and say there are some things in this bill that I do not like. I know there are some things the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. Goodling] does not like. I know there are some things that I do not like. I am sure there are things that the chairman of the committee and the chairmen of the subcommittees do not like either. But this is what governing is all about, and this is the day, and this is the afternoon, when we will have to decide whether we are going to go home and say that we truly are committed to education reform. That is what this is about, my colleagues. Mr. Speaker, this bill establishes the framework for education reform, nothing more, nothing less.”