Bob Etheridge

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Connecticut for yielding. Let me thank him for bringing this issue before us tonight and hosting this special order so that we could talk about an issue that is important not only to schools. So many times when we talk about them, we talk about as if it is important only to schools and to children and to teachers and to parents. But my colleague has properly framed it. It is important really to this country and our competitiveness. We have seen in the 1990s, as an example, where business has absolutely used technology to increase productivity at a level that we have not seen since the dawning of the industrial revolution in this country literally, and it has increased our productivity and given us one of the best economies really that we have had in our lifetimes. If we can just sustain it for a few more months, it may be the longest sustained economic period of growth in the history of this country. And a lot of that goes to the technology that is driving our economy. That being said, your point of acknowledging that the challenges we face at the public school level and the digital divide that is there already, that is why the business roundtable as come forward on education and put their shoulder to the wheel, as some would say, the titans of industry. But they are not industry as we expect; they are industry that understands that a well-educated citizenry, as Thomas Jefferson said, is really our key not only to a democracy but to a thriving economy. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and almost every chamber of commerce now across this country, and I had the privilege when I was State superintendent in North Carolina of working not only with our, what is called the Citizens of Business and Industry, which is really our State chamber of commerce, each chamber of commerce now has an education component. Now, there is a reason to have an education component and a support unit there for public schools. Because they recognize that if we are going to have a strong economy and children are going to be able to produce in the 21st century, and the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Wu) was talking about 75 percent of those who are going to be moving into the workforce need to have computer skills and I would challenge him, I think it is 100 percent, the truth is everyone is going to have to have some knowledge of computers. But we are going to have to have a much higher competency on a large segment of our population in the 21st century because most jobs are going to be driven in one way or another by technology. The thing that I see in our public schools and the issues my colleague has talked about in the bills, and I want to commend my colleague for the bills that he has in committee that he is working on, I have a bill on school construction that the gentleman from New York (Mr. Rangel) is on and he has been since I have signed on, it is important to get those bills in and get them moving. Because just to have technology without space for children and to have those buildings, some of those old buildings just absolutely will not take the wiring and the technology that is needed to get on the Internet. The school is the ramp that we are going to get onto the Internet to get to the world, and too many of our schools do not have an on-ramp. And unfortunately, as we talk about computers and Internets in our schools, as badly as they are needed, too many of our classrooms do not even have telephones, things that we thought of years ago that were important that on every executive desk and that in each one of our offices where we have computers. I went in a classroom just this past Monday and visited where they are trying to get just five computers in each classroom, a very modern school in a very progressive county in my district. But guess what happened? They could not afford to have them and have them tied to the Internet. So now they have computer labs. Computer labs are not all that bad. The problem is children get to use them only when they go. How would we like to have all the automobiles that we have placed in a garage and we could only use them once a week? That is really what we are doing with computers. As important as computers are to a child in learning, we are saying you can get to them once a week; and by the way, you can only use them about an hour and we will teach you how to drive it. That is really what we are doing. And an item that is so important, the technology that is driving the changing world and yet we want to deny it to our children. I commend the gentleman for what he is doing. I think we are on the right track. And I would trust that this Congress would do everything within our power not only to raise the issue to a higher level but to put some money behind it. Whether it takes allocating resources or whether it takes tax credits to encourage the private sector to help us, it is so important to make sure that that is in the classroom where children can learn, whether they are in the inner city or whether they are in isolated rural areas. If they are part of the digital divide, they suffer just as badly no matter where they are. Every child ought to have that opportunity no matter what their economic or ethnic background might be.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great North Carolinian, Mr. James Patrick (Pat) Godwin, Sr. Mr. Godwin recently received the Distinguished Service Award of the Occoneechee Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Pat has been a leader and advocate of scouting in my home state of North Carolina, and I am proud to call him my friend. He has touched many lives in our community through the generous support he gives to our young people. Mr. Godwin is the owner of Godwin Manufacturing Inc. in Dunn, NC. His truck body manufacturing business began in his backyard in 1966 and is one of the largest truck body builders in the United States. He has been featured in two national publications, yet he remains a humble man who continues to serve his community through his church and other charitable organizations. I am honored to join The Occoneechee Council in saluting Mr. Godwin for Exemplary Public Service and Lifelong Fidelity to the Scouting Creed of Service to the Community. I congratulate him on his much deserved Distinguished Service Award.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for yielding me this time, and I rise today to express my strong opposition to H.R. 2300. I was a State superintendent of my State school for 8 years. I do not know what the Education Leaders Council is. I never came in contact with that in my 8 years. I do know what the Chief State School Officers group is. That is all 50 Chief State School Officers, and they are opposed to it. I do know what the 50 governors are, because I worked with them. I also worked with the Education Commission of the States; that includes the governors, the States and the legislators. Let me remind my colleagues that this is not about a Republican agenda or a Democratic agenda. But apparently the last names I heard read off were all off Republican lists. That is not what this is about, my fellow colleagues. It is about all the children in America, all 53 million of them going to public schools from all 50 States. We need to remind ourselves that good policy is good politics. It is not the reverse. And tonight I am hearing a lot of politics trying to be turned into policy. And it bothers me greatly. I came to this Congress to help make education a national priority, not to make it a political issue, as it was before I came. And I am sorry to say it does not look like it is improving. The Republican leadership has labeled this bill the Straight A's bill. But as someone who knows something about good education policy, and I think I know a little bit, I can tell my colleagues that this bill should be called the Straight F's bill. The Straight F's bill because it fails our children, it fails our schools, and it fails the taxpayers in this country. Mr. Chairman, as a member of the New Democratic Coalition, I have strongly supported flexibility in Federal education programs as long as we have accountability. And as a long-time education reformer, I strongly support innovation that will improve education for all of our children. However, this bill fails to meet those standards in several ways. But let me insert here that my State of North Carolina has been an education reform leader for a number of years, and we have done it within the system that we have because we hold people accountable. And if we do not hold them accountable, it will not work. Block grants will not work, dropping them in governors' laps who are there for short periods of time and then are gone. The Straight F's bill fails our schools by undermining our national commitment to education. The Straight F's bill fails our children by eliminating the targeting of funds to the highest poverty areas in this country, children who have the greatest need to get help. And the Straight F's bill fails our taxpayers by doing away with accountability standards, by taking funding that this Congress has appropriated for specific education purposes and turned it into a blank check for our States' governors. And even the governors understand that and have said that they do not want that. North Carolina's governor, Jim Hunt, has been a strong voice for education in our State and this country. But governors' terms do not last very long. It is either 4 or 8 years. Children are there for 12 to 13 years, and we need people who are committed and policies in place to make sure they get an education. Mr. Chairman, I call on this Congress to reject House bill 2300. We should reverse course and support school construction, teacher training, technology upgrades, after-school care, year-round schools, school resource officers, character education, and class size reduction initiatives that will improve education for all of our children. Earlier today we passed a good education bill. We did it in the way it should be done; we did it on a bipartisan basis. And tonight we are trying to undo every bit of that with a partisan bill, and I suggest we ought to defeat it and defeat it now.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. Mr. Chairman, I, like my other colleagues, rise to support the Roemer-Quinn-Kelly-Etheridge amendment to increase Title I funding to $9.85 billion. I will be very brief. I will not use all my time. The reason I will not is because this ought to happen and we ought not even to be debating it. This will provide additional funding for more students. Over a third of the students are not now allowed to be involved in this program because there is not enough funding and the funding level is too low to provide for the curriculum enrichment that many of these children need, for the staff development that needs to be done, and the accountability in this bill in my opinion is what we ought to be about. And the report card is certainly needed. It is what we have done in North Carolina now for almost 10 years. It has made a difference in our State and it will make a difference in this Nation. It ought not be a debatable issue. It ought to be something we are moving on and doing. Finally, Mr. Chairman, let me say that approximately 99 percent of this money, of Title I money, goes to that local school. My colleagues on the left over here, as they refer to themselves on the right, are always talking about how much goes to the classroom. Ninety-nine percent of this money goes directly to the local school unit, for those children that so badly need it, that have the greatest need. If we are going to improve education in America, we are going to improve it for all children and every classroom in every corner of this country. Let us pass this amendment.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, this morning I rise as the former superintendent of my State's schools to express my concerns about H.R. 2300, a bill which the House will consider later this week. The Republican leadership has labeled this bill the ``Straight A's'' bill. But as someone who knows a little something about education in this country, I can tell my colleagues that this bill should be called the ``Straight F's'' bill. The Straight F's bill fails our children, it fails our schools and it fails our taxpayers. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support flexibility in Federal education funds. As a longtime school reformer, I strongly support innovation that will improve education for all of our children. However, this bill fails to meet these standards in several ways. The Straight F's bill fails our schools by undermining the national commitment to education, the Straight F's bill fails our children by eliminating the targeting of funds to high poverty areas, and the Straight F's bill fails our taxpayers by doing away with accountability standards and allowing tax money to be spent on ways that will not best suit our students. Mr. Speaker, I call on this Congress to reject H.R. 2300. We should reverse course and support school construction, teacher training, technology upgrades, after school care, year-round schools, School Resource Officers, character education and class size reduction initiatives that will improve education for our children.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, like my colleague who preceded me to the podium here this evening, I had the opportunity this morning to speak to 180 of the chaperons who were here with the over 400 students who are here today and tomorrow meeting on and talking about and using their voice, Voices Against Violence, so that those of us who serve in these halls might hear them. Today and tomorrow, these youngsters from all across this country are participating in this conference and they are going to address the issues involved in youth violence. As most of my colleagues know, before I came to this body, I was privileged to serve for 8 years as State superintendent in North Carolina. I certainly have some understanding of what a difference these young people and their adult chaperones can make. Parents involved and adults involved with children make all the difference in the world because they really are on the frontline of the common-sense solutions that we are searching here and across the country. Our children's safety ought not to be about partisan politics. It ought not to even be about differences. It really ought to be what we can do jointly together in Congress at the State and local level, in the private sector, and in our communities to make our schools the safest place that our children attend. We need to support early intervention and prevention. There is no question about that. We need to put resources there. We have to recognize and acknowledge and work toward parents as the first teachers. There is no question about that. But a lot of parents do not know how to be good teachers, and we need to help them. We need to do better jobs of that. Certainly, we need to fund Head Start and Smart Start, make sure that children have the kind of care and services that they need to grow up to be productive and good citizens. It will save a lot of money later on and make a big difference when these young people get to be teenagers and adults. We heard today about character education. It is the moral lens, in my opinion, that we look at right and wrong. In North Carolina, we call it North Carolina values, because we instituted character education a number of years ago. I will talk about that a little more in a minute. Certainly where we need them, we need resource officers in our schools for the protection to make sure they are safe; and that means we ought to have zero tolerance for violence, and it must be enforced. But I want to commend the young people in my district who are participating in these conferences these 2 days. Anna Tomaskovic-Devey of Garner is a student at Enloe High School in Raleigh, North Carolina. She is doing an excellent job. I had a chance to talk with her. She is participating in the conference. Sunay Shah, a Southeast Raleigh High School junior is making a contribution, and he will take this back to his community, as will George Moore, Jr. of Coats, a Triton High School senior in Dunn. I want to thank, this evening, the chaperone, Pam Callahan. She also serves as SDA advisor to the school and has been in involved in the school life for many years. Finally, let me just read a couple of the recommendations that these chaperones have made from across the country. Florence Wethe from Walnut Creek, California, she said, ``We need to teach core values. It must be taught to our young people in schools. They need to know the difference between right and wrong. Many times, they do not have that, and right and wrong, such as respect, responsibility, decision making, diversity, sharing, and appreciating the differences that we share.'' I think she is absolutely right. Here is another one from Annabelle Blackstone from St. Louis, Missouri. She says, ``Invest your money in our children. Their schools, their teachers, their communities. They are angry. They are miserable because they believe adults do not really care anymore.'' What Annabelle is saying is, where we put our resources is what we value. If we really value our children, we need to put our resources there. Finally, Mr. Speaker, I will read one last card Kim Minor of Pennsylvania. ``Class sizes matter in all grades. Teenagers need to know and be heard by teachers as much as first graders.'' Kim, you are absolutely right.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, October 4, I was unavoidably detained and missed four votes on the House floor. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on rollcall votes 470-473.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman and ranking member for bringing this resolution to the floor, and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) and the other members of our delegation for working on it. This expression of sympathy for the victims of this storm is an important symbol that expresses collectively many of our personal thoughts and prayers. And so many have shown genuine sympathy towards those injured and killed by the most destructive natural disaster to ever hit my home State of North Carolina. Let me say from the outset, I am aware and sympathetic to those affected by the hurricane beyond the borders of North Carolina. My thoughts and prayers are also with you. But, folks, I have seen the suffering in my home State firsthand, and the word ``devastating'' just does not do it justice. It is devastating when you lose your job. Those people in many cases have lost everything they own, everything they ever knew. They have lost more than their jobs. They have lost their possessions, their homes, their clothing, those sentimental items that we rarely think about until they are gone, wedding photographs, military awards, a child's first report card, love letters, and, for at least 48 families, a loved one. So much lost, washed away in the flooding not seen in our State in all of recorded history. In some places entire towns, roads, infrastructure, schools, businesses will have to be rebuilt from scratch. Farmers have lost their crops and have suffered great to their barns, their homes and their equipment. These farmers were already toiling under the worst economic disaster prior to this flooding, and now they have been slammed by a storm. The people who barely escaped the rushing floodwaters with their clothes on their back hailed from some of the poorest areas in the entire country. Some have said this storm will set back some parts of eastern North Carolina as much as 50 years. No, ``devastating'' does not do this storm justice. Hurricane Floyd has been a catastrophe of the highest order. But, folks, in every storm there is a silver lining. If this storm has proven anything, it has proven the determination, the resolve and the indomitable spirit of the people of North Carolina. Our people come by the name ``Tar Heels'' honestly, because they stand in the face of adversity, and today they are facing this adversity, but we need the help of this Congress and the people of America. If something knocks us down, we get right back up to fight another day. And that's what is happening all over North Carolina. People are pulling themselves up by the bootstraps and putting their lives back together. Neighbors are helping neighbors. People all over North Carolina and around the country are making donations, sending food and supplies and providing their letters and prayers of support. I personally have felt great sadness at the suffering that has since Hurricane Floyd wreaked havoc on my state. However, I have also been inspired by the determination our people have shown as they struggle to survive. I have never been more proud to be a North Carolinian than I am today. Representing the hard-working, God-fearing and Floyd- surviving people of my district in Congress is one of the greatest honors of my life. The people of North Carolina will survive, as will all those that have been affected by this catastrophic storm. Please join me in expressing sympathy for the victims of Hurricane Floyd by passing this resolution unanimously. And then let us pledge to work together to pass a supplemental disaster relief package for the victims of Floyd that will help all the victims get back on their feet and that will bring honor and distinction on the United States Congress. And please keep the victims of this unprecedented disaster in your thoughts and prayers in the weeks ahead.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, the gentleman is right, and we have got to do it this year. I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley) for his leadership. As we wind down, this evening, I think it is important to sort of step back for a moment and talk about why education needs to be such a high priority in this Congress for this country. In the new economy of the 21st Century, we have learned, and we know that what one learns will determine what one earns. The truth is the new economy is already here. I met this week with a leader to the Information Technology Industry Council, and he talked about this digital divide. Alan Greenspan has talked about it, how the economy had just boomed, and we do not really know what kind of impact this has. But unless we make sure that every child is involved in it, we have buildings to put them in, and our teachers are up to speed, and we give them the resources to teach and get them up to doing it, we are going to be in trouble. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, high-tech will drive more than a quarter of all economic growth or has driven more since 1993. By the year 2006, half of the U.S. work force will be employed by industries that are either major producers or users of information technology products and services. That is why it is imperative that we act now, this year, not next year, and not down the road. I will not go into the others. I am going to enter this into the Record. But the jobs that pay the most money are technology jobs. My State tonight is facing a real challenge. Part of eastern North Carolina is under water, four congressional districts. Mr. Speaker, we have schools that have not opened. I include for the Record the Adopt a School Program because that is on the Internet so that those who want to help can, as follows: NCDPI's Adopt a School Program Description--Many schools have been hit hard by Hurricane Floyd. Some schools have lost textbooks while some have lost almost everything. In order to try and meet some of these needs we have organized the ``Adopt a School'' program. We are encouraging school leaders, classes, PTA organizations, and concerned citizens to link up with schools in need and provide needed assistance throughout this year. How do you Adopt a School? On this page is a list of schools that have expressed a desire to be adopted. Simply contact the school at the phone number or address listed. Find out what their needs are and how you can help. Then maintain contact with them throughout the year as needs will change with the passing of time. Some ideas once you have adopted a school: Contact your adopted school and find out if they have immediate needs such as: tennis shoes, clothing, or other essential items. Have your class or school hold a campaign to collect these items. After the crisis has passed, there will still be a need for emotional support. A class or a school could write letters of support. You could even form a pen pal program between your school and the adopted school. The idea is that you partner with this school for the rest of this year to provide support in any way that you can. Read a description from teacher Marshall Matson of current conditions in Edgecombe county in regards to schools. (9-23- 99) Below is a list of schools who would like to be adopted. If you wish to adopt one of them, please contact them directly at the information listed. Please check back often as this list will be updated regularly as soon as we are made aware of schools in need. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ List of Current School Name--Location Contact Information Needs ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Jones Middle School--Jones Ethan Lenker, Please contact County. Principal, Phone: school for up to 252-448-3956; Fax: date list. The 252-448-1044; E- school is taking mail: financial elenker@hotmail, contributions. Make com. checks payable to Jones Middle School Relief Fund, Jones Middle School, 1350 Old New Bern Rd, Trenton, NC 28585 Trenton Elementary School-- Philip Griffin, Please contact Jones County. Principal, Phone: school for up to 252-448-3441; Fax: date list. 252-448-1449; E- mail: pkg@alwaysonline.co m. Jones Senior High School-- Dr. James A. Buie, Please contact Jones County. Principal, Phone: school for up to (252) 448-2451; date list. Fax: (252) 448-1034. Princeville Montessori, Pk- Kathy Harris, Please contact 3--Edgecombe County. Resource Personnel, school for up to Phone: (252) 823- date list. 4449; Fax: (252) 641-5741; E-mail: kharris1@earthlink. net. Patillo Elementary, 4-5-- Kathy Harris, Please contact Edgecombe County. Resource Personnel, school for up to Phone: (252) 823- date list. 4449; Fax: (252) 641-5741; E-mail: kharris1@earthlink. net. Pitt County Schools......... Arlene Ferren, Pupil Please contact Personnel Director, school at the Phone: (252) 830- number given for an 4237. up to date listing of schools and needs. Nash-Rocky Mount Schools.... Lela Chesson, Anyone wishing to Community make donations to Relations, Phone: schools in the (251) 459-5243. system should contact Lela at the number listed. Nash-Rocky Mount Schools You may send a check For employees of the Employee Disaster Fund--For to: NRMS Disaster system who have employees of the system who Fund for Employees losses. have losses. Community Relations Office, Nash Rocky Mount Schools, 930 Eastern Ave., Nashville, NC 27856. Greene County Family Cassie Faulkner School was flooded. Literacy Center--an Even Greene County Will need new Start Program. Family Literacy carpet, books, and Center, 602 West furniture. Harper Street, Snow Hill, NC 28580; Phone: 252-747- 8257; email: Cassielota@hotmail. com. Rocky Mount Charter School.. Dr. John von Rohr, School was located Director, Phone: in the Tarrytown (252) 443-9923. Mall which had five feet of water. School has lost everything. It was the largest public charter school in NC with 800 students and 70 staff. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ My district was affected by this tremendous devastation that has wrecked many schools, homes, businesses, and lives; but the district of the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) is one of the worst affected in eastern North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) who has been a leader also in education.

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) is absolutely right. As we think of this whole issue of digital divide she was just talking about, the information technology is really the largest job creating engine in the history of the world. To leave a group of people behind is unacceptable, unforgivable, and criminal when we have within our power the ability to do something about it. We can provide the facility to put it in. We can work together to make sure every child has access to the technology. When we think about currently almost 70 percent do not have access in some ways in this digital divide, that is unacceptable as we approach the 21st Century. The richest nation in the history of the world, we must do more, we can do more. This is inexcusable that we do not do more. I think, as a Congress, we have an obligation to make sure that we leave no one behind as we approach the 21st Century. We need to provide scholarship for science and math and greater support for technology training. Our greatest challenge is to take educational excellence, not just into the suburbs, but to every inner city, into the rural areas as well. We need to improve education for all children in all parts of America. We need to encourage our people to be more demanding of their government leaders so that we can get the job done. Industry needs to push harder. Not enough pressure is being put, in my opinion, in the right places to get it done. Finally, let me conclude by saying that this Congress still has the opportunity to do something great for America's future, and we need to do it this year.

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, before we start I yield to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Brady). Calling For Rectification of Statements Made Earlier Today About Ed Rendell, Mayor of Philadelphia

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues who have joined me tonight to talk about a very important issue, and that is education in America. Today marks the close of fiscal year 1999. All year my Democratic colleagues and I have been working to help pass legislation to strengthen our public schools, but this Congress has utterly failed to achieve that important goal in my opinion. We are at the end of the year; we have no appropriations bills for education. We have not passed the reauthorization of the Secondary School Act, and so many opportunities have been missed. Rather than answer the call of the American people to pass legislation to improve education for our children, Republican leadership has spent the whole year doing a whole lot of other things and, in the end, moving to cut education funding. With 29 days left before the targeted adjournment date that they set themselves; we did not set it, Mr. Speaker, they set it for this Congress to adjourn; we have a lot of educational issues yet to be addressed. Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of August, I visited many schools in my district and went into every county and every school district. I met with students, teachers, parents, staff. We talked about the tremendous challenges that they face today, and teachers are doing a wonderful job under some tough circumstances. We talked about school construction, we talked about school safety, teacher training; we talked about the need for more technology in the classroom, we talked about encouraging and enticing more African American students, more minority students, more female students, into math and science and into the technology area. Tremendous needs out there, and Congress can help with that. I want to now recognize my colleague from California (Ms. Woolsey) who has been working on this area all year in the Committee on Science where we serve and on education. She has a deep interest in making sure that all these groups get an opportunity, and she has worked on legislation, and I would yield to her at this time.

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Well there is no question that all children in our public schools have to be reached out to. We have to encourage them, and certainly today with the number of youngsters, the females of all ethnic backgrounds as well as those who are not represented in the technological areas, if we do not encourage them and get them into those areas, all of us will lose because they are the future workers of tomorrow, and you are absolute true, and as we think about that, this whole digital divide that we have, we also have to have a place to put them. We need buildings in our communities. In the communities throughout my district, and I think this is true all across America, we see student enrollment continuing to grow at alarming rates. They are outstripping the local governments' abilities to keep up with the needs of quality schools. This Congress has an opportunity to act and must act to help these communities cope with these very urgent problems. I have introduced legislation, many of you have signed it, we have something like 93 Members having signed it, and the Republican leadership refuses to bring it to the floor or bring it up in committee so we can take action on it. I yield to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) for her comments, because really she has really been a hard worker and been on this floor and worked in committee to make sure that education is held high, recognizing that the bulk of the money for education really comes from the state and local level. But we have a major responsibility at the Federal level to provide that kind of leadership.

Mr. ETHERIDGE. I thank the gentlewoman from California for her comments and thank her for her efforts, her hard work on education and for the children of this country, and recognizing that she really is a leader in that area. We appreciate that. As we talk about these issues this coming year, in the current school year we are in we have more school children in our classrooms than at any time in America's history, more than we had during the time that we talk about the baby-boom after World War II. It is only going to get worse. Tonight, I can report that officials from the U.S. Department of Education have conducted a study, and the documentation of that study talks about the tremendous explosion we are having in our public schools all across this country. And we are going to experience it for the next decade. It is going to continue to come, and then fairly level out. We will not have a dip. They have confirmed the earlier estimates of what is called the baby-boom echo which has created a crisis in our schools, and it is certainly reflected in my State, one of the fastest growing states in the country. I am disappointed that the Republican leadership has failed to meet what I think is its most basic responsibility, to pass the annual legislation needed to fund government and has ignored the needs in our community to help with school construction. That same leadership has refused to act on my school modernization bill, but they have also failed to act on one that Congressman Rangel has put in that the administration is working with. My Democratic colleagues, along with me, have signed a discharge petition, and for those folks we need to remind each other what a discharge petition is. If we cannot get a bill out of committee, we march up here and sign a petition. If we get 218 signatures on it, we can get the bill out. Hopefully we can get that done. But as we think of that, we need that to make sure children have a place to learn, but we also need it to have a place to put the technology that is needed in those classrooms for children to be ready for the 21st Century, because if we do not put the computers and technology in the classroom, there is going to be a tremendous digital divide for all of our children. I want to thank my friend from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) who has worked so hard in this area. He has worked on it in the Committee on Science where we served, and he worked on it on the floor and other committee. He has taken it as a mission. I thank you for your leadership in this area. I yield to the gentleman for his comments on this really important issue of the digital divide.

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Larson) for his comments. He is absolutely right, and I thank him for his leadership in this area because we have more who feel that our children need not only the technology but need a place to put that technology, and that is where we have to make sure that we have the facilities to put them in and have quality education for our children. I thank the gentleman for his efforts. As we talk about the technology needs and the other needs, this year we will have over 53 million children who are attending public schools, as we talked about a few minutes ago, and too many of these children, as has already been stated, are stuck in trailers, in converted bathrooms for classes, in gyms, in hallways, and the list goes on. This is not conducive, and it is not what we ought to have to have a quality facility and certainly we cannot get technology in those kind of places. Our communities need help to get quality buildings, to upgrade them, to get them up to standard, and make children understand that it is education we are about. We really do believe in it. We do need to provide for them a quality facility and a quality environment. As a former State superintendent, I certainly know that, and I urge this Congress to stop playing partisan politics; to deal with our children first and get on and get the job done. It makes no sense. When we talk about programs that is fine, but the truth is, buildings and all of these other things, the important thing is we have good people in the classroom and we have good programs to deal with children. My good friend, the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), has been working in this area his whole career here in Congress and he has become an excellent leader, and we have had a chance to talk on this floor about it. He has a couple of excellent programs that he has worked on. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) at this time.

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman very much for his comments. He is absolutely correct. When we think about leaving no one behind, as the gentleman said, we have to have a quality facility. We have to have the tools to teach. Then we get parents engaged, and we have to have well trained people, and we have to let them know we are going to pay them, and we should encourage them to come into the profession and honor the profession and stop downgrading and bad-mouthing it, because people tell me they support it and then they come to the floor and bad-mouth teachers and bad-mouth schools and do not support them.

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Yes, and they understand that. We have to have the funds to have quality training and ongoing quality training. In the industry, the one thing they spend their money on is making sure their people are up to speed with the skills. The one thing we say in education that always bothered me, the first thing that gets cut is we call it staff development or retraining or whatever one wants to call it, or we say to teachers they have to have their skills to this point but they have to pay for it. I cannot imagine an industry trying that and getting away with it. As the gentleman knows, and I do, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) has worked hard on this whole area of staff development and training and the issues dealing with teacher training and recruitment, and he has come to this Congress and he has hit the ground running very quickly and really become a leader in this area. Mr. Speaker, I would yield to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) at this time.

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I could not agree more, and I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Holt) for his comments. I thank him for his leadership because it is with that kind of leadership and that kind of energy we are going to make a difference, and we just have to keep chipping away, knocking on the door. Eventually it will get open and we will do the job for our teachers that will ultimately wind up enriching our children all across this country.

Mr. ETHERIDGE. It should be the first. As we think about this whole issue of technology and training, we always come back to the need for modernization of facilities in areas where people cannot make it; areas that are really growing so fast they are having a difficult time meeting it. I want to recognize and yield to the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky). She came to this place and hit the ground running. She has been on fire for education and the people in her district and she has worked so hard, and I thank her for her leadership.

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, the gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky) is absolutely correct, and I could not agree more. I yield to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Crowley), another colleague who has just been a real leader in this whole issue, education and all the areas, and we have been enriched by him coming to Congress.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, I rise to oppose this amendment. I do not understand why we are considering carving out tobacco when this legislation simply ensures that the Federal courts are available to parties involved in massive and complex class-action lawsuits. This amendment, by singling out the tobacco industry, I think establishes a very dangerous precedent. What politically incorrect industry will be singled out next? Will it be alcohol? Fatty foods? Or will it be big oil? Such a precedent, that threatens all legal businesses whose products may be considered controversial by some person or political parties. But let me make my point very clear today. My main concern lies not necessarily with the manufacturers, but they are important because last time I checked, they are the only people who buy any tobacco from our farmers. It really lies with the tobacco farmers. Mr. Chairman, farmers in my district have born the brunt of this nationwide campaign against tobacco. Sharecroppers, not shareholders. Let me repeat that. Sharecroppers, not shareholders, are the ones who are paying the heavy price, and they continue to pay. The shareholders are getting their money; the sharecroppers are being punished. Tobacco families, tobacco farmers and their communities have been severely harmed by the ongoing campaign. Over the past 2 years these farmers have lost 35 percent of their gross income. My colleagues can imagine what that has done to their net income, and their communities are suffering. A recent study by VPI and NC State University in North Carolina clearly demonstrates that the tobacco farmers are bearing the burden of the anti-campaign. The study concluded that these lawsuits are particularly punishing to farmers because they are unable to recoup the losses through price increases, as the manufacturers have done. Instead of punishing manufacturers, we are punishing the very people that we want to help, the farmers, and their communities and their families. If we adopt this amendment and single out tobacco industry, tobacco farmers, Mr. Chairman, not the manufacturers, will continue to carry the heaviest load that we are talking about. And people stand here and say they want to help. They are punishing the people they want to help. The people in my district, Mr. Chairman, are on their backs right now from a hurricane. They cannot stand any more help from this Congress. They need real help in funding that will go to help them get back on their feet. I oppose this amendment, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, I move to strike the requisite number of words. (Mr. ETHERIDGE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Chairman, I thank the ranking member for yielding me this time. This morning I am proud to join my colleagues in this final push to pass legislation that will allow dairy farmers to survive and to ensure that consumers have access to a fresh milk supply, a fresh supply of milk at the local level. Enough is enough. It is time that Congress do what a majority of the Members have demonstrated they want done, and that is pass Option 1-A. Every step of the way we have proven that we have the support to do the right thing for the dairy farmers of this country and the consumers of America by passing Option 1-A. Folks, we are at a crossroads in America today for agriculture. Consolidation is killing the American farmer, and enough is enough. Consumers are going to feel the pain when a few corporations control agricultural production in this country. Too many people today think that food comes from the grocery store. They fail to realize that whatever the product may be, it is produced by a farmer somewhere in this country. I know that I speak for many Members of this House when I say we are committed to ensuring that these hardworking Americans and their children have an opportunity to succeed in agriculture in the 21st century. But, first, we must bring stability to the national dairy policy. Option 1-A provides a modest reform for the national system of pricing fluid milk that is fair both to the producer and to the consumers throughout this country. The Department's proposal, on the other hand, would, in my opinion, substantially lower prices for farmers that they get for their fluid milk in about 41 States in this country, forcing many of the dairy farmers out of business. No matter what we hear, that is true. And when farmers go out of business, competition declines and consumers pay. That is a fact, no matter how we want to change it. Option 1-A is fair both to consumers and to the farmers. And I am tired of folks who keep telling me to let the free market system work. It is not working for the farmer. They are going broke. We have just heard my colleague from Wisconsin saying they are going out of business, and that is a State that has a lot of dairies. In my State we have so few left we can hardly find them. We have to do something to stop it, and this morning we have an opportunity to do something. We are probably going to pass a $10 billion relief package in some form for our farmers before this year is out, I trust. But folks, dairy compacts and option 1-A is the disaster relief package my dairy farmers need to survive, and that's a relief package that won't cost the taxpayers one dime. I want to commend the gentleman from Missouri and the Chairman and the Ranking Member of the Agriculture Committee for their hard work in bringing this bill to the floor, and I urge my colleagues to support this important bill for our nation's dairy farmers.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for this opportunity, and, as my colleague from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) has just shared with us, I want to talk for a few minutes about some of the real damage that has affected not only my district, but my State, and the truth is some of this can be said for a number of other States and communities up and down the east coast. I have here with me this evening three charts. The first one is a chart from Wilson County. That is somewhere over 100 to 110 homes there, what we would call mobile homes or trailer homes in North Carolina and across the country. But as you can see, the early stages, all of these homes are under water in some form, and all of them, all, had to be removed and spent their time in shelters. As bad as this looks, in some places in eastern North Carolina tonight there are thousands of citizens of our State who went into shelters on Wednesday night, one week ago, fearing the worst from Hurricane Floyd, not realizing that a week later they would be there, and fears greater than they had ever anticipated have been realized. Not only have they been in shelters with people they did not know, they are in shelters with their children and with people who, many of whom have not had an opportunity for a bath in a week, but with the help of federal and State and the good graces of individuals they have been fed, they have been provided a place to stay, and as bad as the conditions are in some places, people are scrambling to help make it better with FEMA's help. And I must, this evening, pay tribute to Director Witt who, I think he and his people have just done an outstanding job in coordinating it. They had no idea that a week later they would have, in some cases, no home to go home to, no jobs to accept when they went back because the businesses they worked for were gone. If they happen to be farmers, their farms are under water. All the crops this year are gone because in North Carolina we had a bad drought this summer, and what crops were left are now totally under water and gone. If they happen to have been a tobacco farmer and were able to salvage something, those tobacco barns are under water, and what little tobacco they had in those barns, they are under water. Their tractors, all their equipment and in some cases their homes, their clothing, and the only thing many of them had when they left were the clothes on their back. It is a tough situation, and in some cases places in my district are still under water, but in places east of us are even worse. There are whole houses under water, and the water has not yet subsided a week later. This is an additional photograph taken also in Wilson County. As you can see, this was a commercial building, but behind it was supposed to have been farm land. It looks like a lake. I cannot tell you what kind of crops were in it because they are under water. This is a photograph of one of the towns. I traveled on Monday with the President and a number of other people from the district and Secretaries to Tarboro and over to Pitt County where the East Carolina University is, and today they are facing the brunt of it because the tidewaters have almost reached their high point. And for those who would think that when we talk of hurricanes they think of the coastline of North Carolina which sticks out; they were talking about the coast. I remind folks that these are areas that have never been affected by flood, some of them not for 500 years that we know of. They are above the 500-year flood plain, and they are flooded. Most of these people do not have flood insurance because there was no reason to have it. They have lost their businesses; in some cases, their homes; and as I said earlier, every single thing that they hold dear with their memories. Fortunately for most of them, they still are alive. We have lost a lot of life. Tonight there will be more that will lose their life before it is over with, and we will find them when the waters go down. But there are some good stories. On Monday, some people were on a boat checking houses; and they heard someone tapping, a noise on a roof of a house. They crawled up on the house because the boat went right up to it. They knocked a hole in the roof of the house, and out crawled 11 people. As water started to rise and rising so fast, the people in the house went up, and they kept going up, and they finally went up in the attic, and there was nowhere else to go; and they were trapped. So there are stories of saving lives and heroism from all the groups you could think of from firemen, to rescue squads, to FEMA, to all groups. I will not try to list them this evening, but they deserve a great deal of credit; and as the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Mrs. Clayton) said, the people in North Carolina are not unlike the people anywhere in America. They are tough folks. They will bounce back, but they need help. There is a reason we call them Tar Heels. They stick to it, and they get things done. They are tough people. But we are going to need this Congress to take action on a disaster bill before we go home. Our farmers will not be able to plant next year if they do not get help. They have lost everything. Many of our business people will not be able to continue and provide jobs, and thousands and thousands of people have lost their home and everything they have. I call on this Congress to take the action that we would take for anyone else in America. We have responded to world crises, it is now time to respond to those of us in North Carolina.

Mr. ETHERIDGE

Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, on Thursday, September 16, Hurricane Floyd slammed into North Carolina, bringing heavy winds and torrential rains to my state, including my Second Congressional District. I have been helping my constituents who are struggling to overcome this devastating disaster, and as a result, I was absent from the Chamber for rollcall vote No. 425 and rollcall vote No. 426. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes'' on No. 425 and ``no'' on No. 426.