| 00:00:00 | THE 21ST CENTURY GREEN HIGH-PERFORMING PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES ACT SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE OF HOW THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN LOCAL EDUCATION DECISIONS. |
| 00:00:10 | WITH LIMITED EXCEPTIONS IN THE 1930'S AND 1940'S, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS RIGHTLY LEFT THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PUBLIC SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION UP TO THE STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. |
| 00:00:19 | STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS KNOW THE CONSTRUCTION NEEDS OF SCHOOLS MUCH BETTER THAN BUREAUCRATS IN WASHINGTON. |
| 00:00:25 | AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS PROMOTED THE AUTONOMY AND FLEXIBILITY FOR LOCAL CONTROL OVER EDUCATION IN THIS MATTER. |
| 00:00:31 | HOWEVER, THIS BILL WOULD NEGATE MUCH OF THIS WORK AND WOULD ONLY EXPAND SIZE AND SCOPE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. |
| 00:00:37 | AS MY GOOD FRIEND FROM DELAWARE, MR. |
| 00:00:39 | CASTLE, JUST POINTED OUT. |
| 00:00:41 | FURTHERMORE, MR. |
| 00:00:42 | SPEAKER, H. |
| 00:00:43 | R. 3021 WOULD COST $20 BILLION OVER FIVE YEARS FOR A BRAND NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM TO COMPETE FOR THE ALREADY PRECIOUS FEDERAL ASSISTANCE DOLLARS TO EDUCATION. |
| 00:00:53 | CURRENTLY THESE FUNDS ARE FOCUSED ON THE CURRICULUM NEEDS OF STATES THROUGH OUR TITLE 1 GRANTS TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO LOW-INCOME AND DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS AS WELL AS FUNDING FOR THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT. |
| 00:01:09 | I. |
| 00:01:10 | D.A. MR. SPEAKER, I CAN REMEMBER WHEN I WAS ON THE EDUCATION AND WORK FORCE COMMITTEE IN THE 108TH CONGRESS. |
| 00:01:16 | WHEN WE WERE IN THE MAJORITY THERE WAS THIS OUTCRY CONSTANTLY FROM THE DEMOCRATS ABOUT NOT FUNDING FULLY TO THE 40% LEVEL OF IDEA. |
| 00:01:27 | OF COURSE, THE TRAJECTORY OF SPENDING IN THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION AND UNDER THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY WAS A GEOMETRIC PROGREGS. |
| 00:01:36 | WE SPENT MUCH MORE MONEY THAN THE DEMOCRATS SPENT IN THE PREVIOUS 10 OR 12 YEARS WHEN THEY WERE IN CONTROL. |
| 00:01:41 | BUT NOW WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THIS MONEY THAT SHOULD BE SPENT ON THESE PROGRAMS LIKE TITLE 1 AND IDEA AND CREATE A WHOLE NEW PROGRAM. |
| 00:01:50 | IT MAKES NO SENSE. |
| 00:01:51 | IF ENACTED IT WILL CREATE A FUNDING SQUEEZE, MAKE IT LESS LIKELY THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL BE ABLE TO FULFILL FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN MADE. |
| 00:02:02 | WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE LOCAL CONTROL OVER EDUCATION DECISIONS WHILE PROVIDING FEDERAL ASSISTANCE FOR STUDENTS' ACHIEVEMENT. |
| 00:02:11 | THE BETTER WAY TO DO THAT IS BY DEFEATING THE PREVIOUS QUESTION AND THE RULE FOR H. |
| 00:02:16 | R. 3021. |
| 00:02:17 | FOR THESE REASONS, I ASK THAT ALL MY COLLEAGUES OPPOSE THE RULE AND THE UNDERLYING LEGISLATION. |
| 00:02:22 | WITH THAT I YIELD BACK THE BALANCE OF MY TIME. |
| 00:02:24 | THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE GENTLEMAN YIELDS BACK THE BALANCE OF HIS TIME. |
| 00:02:27 | THE GENTLEWOMAN FROM OHIO. |
| 00:02:28 | MS. SUTTON: I'LL CONTINUE TO RESERVE MY TIME, MR. |
| 00:02:30 | SPEAKER. THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE GENTLEMAN FROM FLORIDA. |
| 00:02:33 | MR. DIAZ-BALART: MR. |
| 00:02:34 | SPEAKER, I YIELD THREE MINUTES TO THE DISTINGUISHED LADY FROM MINNESOTA, MRS. |
| 00:02:36 | BACHMANN. |
| 00:02:37 | THE SPEAKER PRO TEMPORE: THE GENTLEWOMAN FROM MINNESOTA IS RECOGNIZED FOR THREE |
Mr. GINGREY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
I rise in strong opposition to both this restrictive rule and the underlying bill brought forward today by the Democratic majority.
As a former chairman of the Marietta City School Board in my district, I strongly believe that there needs to be more of an emphasis on public school construction but at the State and local level. However, H.R. 3021, the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act, sends the wrong message of how the Federal Government should be involved in local education decisions.
With limited exception in the 1930s and 1940s, the Federal Government has rightly left the responsibility of public school construction up to the State and local governments. State and local governments know the construction needs in schools much better than bureaucrats in Washington. And the Federal Government has promoted the autonomy and flexibility of local control over education in this matter. However, this bill would negate much of this work and would only expand the size and scope of the Federal Government, as my good friend from Delaware, Mr. Castle, just pointed out.
Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3021 would cost $20 billion over 5 years for a brand new Federal program to compete for the already precious Federal assistance dollars for education. Currently these funds are focused on the curriculum needs of States through our title I grants to provide assistance to low-income and disadvantaged students, as well as funding for the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, for special education.
Mr. Speaker, I can remember when I was on the Education and Workforce Committee in the 108th Congress when we were in the majority. There was this outcry constantly from the Democrats about not funding fully to the 40 percent level of IDEA, and of course the trajectory of spending in the Bush administration under Republican majority was a geometric progression. We spent much more money than the Democrats have spent in the previous 10 or 12 years when they were in control.
But now we're going to take this money that should be spent on these programs like title I and IDEA and create a whole new program. It makes no sense. If enacted, it will create abundant squeeze, make it less likely the Federal Government will be able to fulfill financial commitments that have already been made for student achievement.
Mr. Speaker, we need to continue promoting local control over education decisions while providing Federal assistance for student achievements. The best and most immediate way that we can do that is by defeating the previous question and the rule for H.R. 3021. For these reasons, I ask that all of my colleagues oppose the rule and the underlying legislation.