Gene Green

Mr. GREEN

Mr. GREEN. Mr. Speaker, for as long as I have been representing Houston in the Texas House and Senate and now in the U.S. House of Representatives, our community has benefited from the presence of the Chicano Family Center. This month, the Chicano Family Center celebrates its 25th anniversary. April 17 will mark one-quarter of a century of the center's commitment to providing family counseling, intake and referral services, emergency food and clothing, substance abuse prevention and intervention programs for children and families, afterschool and summer programs, recreation and sports activities, juvenile delinquency and teen pregnancy prevention, HIV/AIDS education and English as a second language instruction. The Chicano Family Center has left an indelible imprint on the lives of families throughout Houston through these meaningful programs. Though the center serves a predominantly Hispanic community, its doors are open to any person who asks for help or who seeks to participate in its programs. The Chicano Family Center's simultaneous empowerment of the Hispanic community and fostering of cross-cultural interaction and understanding have enriched the lives of Houston area residents from all ethnic backgrounds. In recognizing Houston's Chicano Family Center today, I am echoing the words of praise the center has earned from the Houston Chronicle, the United Way, Governor George Bush's office and the mayor of the city of Houston Robert Lanier, among others. Thank you, Chicano Family Center, for your 25 years of service to our community, inspiration to our citizens and promotion of the highest ideals. [From the Houston Chronicle] Serving Houston--The Need Is There, and Community Service Can Meet It Serve Houston, this city's chapter of the national AmeriCorps program, today will field some 1,500 citizens for a day of community service. The project combines teams of volunteers from schools, churches, neighborhoods, businesses and families with corporate support and aims to demonstrate the power of citizens to improve their communities. The volunteers will, among other things, make repairs to schools, houses and churches, till community gardens, construct wheelchair ramps and conduct field trips for children with special needs. The project also will raise money to support the AmeriCorps interns who conduct school and after-school programs for more than 1,000 children every day. One of Serve Houston's important community partners is the Chicano Family Center, which celebrates its 25th anniversary on Monday. Located on Avenue E on Houston's east side, the center serves a largely Hispanic neighborhood and clientele but provides help to any person who asks for it, regardless of ethnicity and with no questions asked. The center efficiently and productively provides a broad array of social services for children, young parents and the elderly: education and literacy training; tutoring and counseling for students; an award-winning Scouting troop; family and drug abuse counseling; nutrition and sewing classes; and medical referrals. The list continues much further and covers virtually everything families need to correct problems, survive crises and learn the skills and habits necessary to live successful and fulfilling lives. In short, the Chicano Family Center serves as a model for delivery of social services to the community. As welfare reform proceeds and welfare recipients use up their rationed benefits, community service organizations such as Serve Houston and the Chicano Family Center, which combine public and private resources, professionals and volunteers, will play an increasingly important role in providing help for those who need it.

Mr. GREEN

Mr. GREEN. Mr. Speaker, first I would like to thank the Committee on Rules for this partially open rule. I hope we would see such a rule on more bills so that we have the opportunity to make changes. I know my good friend, the chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, talked about some of the amendments that would change H.R. 1, and in Texas we have a saying: ``You can add earrings on a pig, but it's still a pig.'' And so these amendments make it look prettier, but it does not change the bill. The chairman is also right that we do not pass laws here for the 95 percent of the employers who may treat their employees fairly. We pass it for those 5 percent who are going to take advantage of them. We do not pass laws prohibiting bank robbery for the 99 percent of the people who do not go out and rob banks. We pass laws against it for those 1 percent who decide that is where the money is at and they are going to go take it. That is why we have these laws. That is why the protections have to be there. I know that we have a duel of polls here that say 75 percent of the people, and I will agree with the chairman that 75 percent of the people do support the concept. But we also know that the national polls say that an overwhelming number of hardworking employees expect to be forced by their employer to accept comptime instead of overtime pay, and that is a major concern. I have a district where people need to have that overtime pay to make ends meet, particularly for people who are in the lower wage bracket. They have to do it. Workers who are seasonal workers have to depend on that overtime pay for that 6 or 8 months a year they may be able to work because they may not be able to work. So they have to have that overtime pay instead of comptime. They want that decision to be theirs and not their employer. Under H.R. 1, employers will have complete and unilateral discretion over who will receive comptime and also when they will receive it. That is why some of the amendments may make changes in it and may make it look prettier, but, Mr. Speaker, it will not make the bill that much better. ``You can put earrings on a pig, but it's still a pig.'' In H.R. 1, employers maintain ultimate control of when to grant their worker comptime. Regardless of the amount of notice the worker provides, employers can deny use of comptime if the firm claims they would be unduly disrupted. What good is it to earn comptime if your employer does not allow you to use it or forces you to use it instead of vacation. This issue is not addressed in the Republican bill. Instead of this seriously flawed Republican proposal, we should support Mr. Miller's proposal giving employees real comptime. The Democratic substitute provides real employee choice and real employee protections. I urge my colleagues to vote ``no'' on H.R. 1 and ``yes'' on the Miller substitute.

Mr. GREEN

Mr. GREEN. Mr. Speaker, it is very seldom that I get the opportunity to recognize local personalities who have unselfishly devoted their time and effort to improve the world we live in. In Houston we are fortunate to have someone like Sam Malone. Sam Malone has been firing up the radio waves for 4 years in Houston with his cohosts of the ``Morning Show'' Maria Todd and Psychoo Robbie on 104 KRBE. Aside from providing lively entertainment, they have held numerous charity events to help our city, including blood drives, food drives, and clothing drives. In recognition of their 4th year anniversary, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sam and the ``Morning Show'' for their hard work and commend everyone at KRBE for their continued support to our organizations and charities. Here's to you Sam, happy anniversary, we look forward to many more years to come. See ya.

Mr. GREEN

Mr. GREEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with all a poem written by a constituent of mine, Harry E. Dearen, who is a member of the American Legion, Chaplain Post 594 and the American Legion Citizens Flag Alliance in Houston, TX. I believe his poem captures the sentiments we all feel about our flag. Keep the Glory For Old Glory No matter who we are, or what we think About our nation in which we live. We are free and have a common link And a duty to our colors and should give Our very heart and soul to an alliance To our fellow man and old glory. The flag that we fought for in defiance Of offenses aginst liberty. The history Of our country lived by men at arms And through our victories of the past To protect our flag from ones that harm It in any way, or try to burn, or trash Our flag is stepping right on me. I will not put up with that being done. We must see that it is stopped you see. It mocks the freedom that we have won. --H. Dearen.

Mr. GREEN

Mr. GREEN. Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to follow my colleague from Texas [Mr. DeLay] on the floor, and I look over and see the gentleman from New York [Mr. Solomon], the chairman. We have worked together on lots of bills, Mr. Speaker, but obviously today we disagree on the need for this rule and also the need for the resolution. We only have 11 days left until Congress by law must pass a budget plan. But here we are today debating a rule and debating a resolution that says, Mr. President, send us your second budget, and yet we do not even have our first here from Congress. While the President and Democrats have fielded criticism for weeks now from the Republicans on the President's budget plan, we have not yet seen their alternative. The Republicans need to respond with their own budget before they can ask the President for a second budget. That is what is called give and take, and that is what this process is about. This resolution calls for the President to submit another budget because of the claims that the CBO found that the current budget proposal from the President would not be balanced in the year 2002. I happen to see a letter from March 4 that the director of CBO analyzed the President's budget and showed that it would indeed be balanced by the year 2002. As Democrats, we are not opposed to criticism if it is accompanied by concrete and realistic proposals. In fact, we have the moderate, conservative group of Democrats who have a budget plan, but where is the Republican majority budget plan? They do not have one. The President has one out on the table, the moderate, conservative Democrats have one, and yet the Republican majority does not have one. We have had enough time to develop a budget alternative proposal through our committee process. But yet, like my ranking member of the Committee on the Budget said, we are spending time debating resolutions instead of working in the Committee on the Budget. In the 1980's we heard the slogan, ``where's the beef,'' and now we are asking, ``where is the meat?'' Where is the meat in the Republican budget from our colleagues? If they want to have a balanced budget, let us see that meat that they have in their budget. Mr. Speaker, I think it is ironic that I stand here because being honored to serve 20 years in the legislature, I saw our Governor submit budgets to us as a legislature, just like the President has done. And most of the time we would say, thank you, we can present it; and then we would work off of our own document. That is what Congress has been doing for many years, up until now. Now we are going to let the President provide that leadership? I am not willing as a Member of this Congress to advocate that to the executive branch, no matter who is there. That is why I think it is so important that we have a congressional budget plan. I may disagree with it, but the Republicans here in the majority, they need to get up and find the meat and to do it instead of saying, well, Mr. President, you need to do a second plan because we do not like your first. Let us see what we can offer as a Congress to say, OK, Mr. President, this is our plan.

Mr. GREEN

Mr. GREEN. Mr. Speaker, one of the central points of the democratic Families First program has been a commitment to improving children's health care. Last summer in Houston we hosted an immunization day to offer inner city children free immunization as a step toward providing them with critical preventative health care. And we will do it again this year. But that is not enough. The Democratic Members of Congress know children's health is an issue that deserves our attention. In millions of American households with one or two working parents, children are excluded from their health care coverage. Ninety percent of the 10 million American children who are uninsured have parents who work but whose employers cannot or do not provide health care coverage for the children. The Democratic plan will help children get coverage by requiring insurance companies to offer kids-only health plans and tax credits to help families pay for those premiums. The Democratic families first agenda will indeed offer real improvements to every life for America's working families, especially our children. Let us work together bipartisanly to improve the health care for America's 10 million uninsured children.

Mr. GREEN

Mr. GREEN. Mr. Speaker, we are over 2 months into the 105th Congress, and yet the House has not taken any effort on a serious budget. We hear the complaints as a result of the President's plan on moving our country forward on education, and yet the Senate voted on a balanced budget amendment but we have not voted here in the House. We can hear the complaints about the President's budget, but where is the Republican plan; or where is our plan, as a House Member? The expression is, people in glass houses should not throw stones. This comes to mind in response to complaints about the President. I may not agree with his budget, but we do not have one either. Republicans cannot criticize the President's plan when they do not even have an alternative suggestion. The Democrats have set up some priorities in the new budget. One of them is education. That effort is shared by over 80 percent of Americans. The President's 10-point plan on education is adequate. His proposals would boost funding for elementary and secondary education, for school construction, and improved classroom techniques. His proposals would help boost post-secondary education with $1,500 HOPE scholarships for the first 2 years of college. We have illustrated what we want to do in the future for America. Let us get the budget to reflect those priorities, including education.

Mr. GREEN

Mr. GREEN. Mr. Speaker, earlier this week the Washington Times reported on President Clinton's obsession with education, when he was at the Maryland State Assembly earlier this week. I am happy to note that he is also obsessed with a competitive America in the future, and obsessed with giving children the opportunity for an education. Although the Times, I think, meant it as an insult, I would be glad to accept this characterization with honor. I would hope that all Members of Congress, including my Republican colleagues, would be obsessed with education. During the State of the Union, President Clinton set the tone for the second term by indicating that education will be his top priority. The President's education agenda is ambitious, but I believe we are up to the challenge. Two key elements of the President's plan are already part of the Democrat's family first agenda, the $10,000 tax deduction for tuition and training, and the 2-year $1,500 HOPE scholarship. I will continue to work with the President to ensure that college will be made more affordable for working families. The President also stressed the importance of every child reading independently by the third grade and every child knowing algebra by the eighth grade. Ensuring that these goals are met requires more attention and resources focused on early childhood training and childhood education. The President puts his money where his mouth is by proposing to expand Head Start to cover 1 million children by the year 2002. The President also recognizes the need to give disadvantaged children the help they need in order to succeed in school. Part of that effort is the President's budget would allow for $7.5 billion in requested aid for title I funding for elementary and secondary schools. This is an increase of over $347 million over the funding for 1997. Title I supplements local school efforts to improve reading and math skills of students who are at risk of school failure. This program serves 6.8 million disadvantaged children annually, and helped the students in my 29th district, that I am honored to represent, to improve their basic skills performance. In fact, Monday of this week, I was at a school in Galena Park School District and talked with the principal and the teachers and the students about the importance of title I funding at that particular elementary school. Title I is successful, and even my Republican colleagues on the Committee on the Budget agree. In their analysis of the President's budget, the Committee on the Budget reports the following about title I, the Title I Program. This program, title I basic grants, is one of the most important Federal programs for local schools. I hope my colleagues remember this statement during the appropriations process. I am especially proud that the President has chosen to use the formula that we developed in the 103d Congress to improve the way title I grants are distributed. Our formula provides greater funding levels to counties with high numbers or percentages of children who are living in poverty. Texas and States like ours that have a large population of disadvantaged children will benefit from this formula. On Tuesday, Secretary of Education Richard Riley will give his state of American education address. I am proud to participate in Houston as a host of the satellite uplink of the Secretary's speech. The fact that we will be able to watch the address via satellite at Channelview High School is a testament to the benefits of one of President Clinton's 10 points he outlined in the State of the Union Address, the value of bringing technology into our schools. Channelview Independent School District has built a state-of-the-art high school to educate children for the 21st century. That money was local money that they voted themselves to build a state-of-the-art high school for their children to be educated for the next century. As Americans, we are leading the way in showing how our global classroom is a better educated classroom. The Internet and satellite communications expand learning beyond the classroom, the classroom setting. In Channelview High School they have that. Every school, every room is capable of having Internet capabilities in Channelview High School. The value of technology is best appreciated when it builds on the foundation of essential skills. I am looking forward to hearing Secretary Riley's state of the America education address and look forward to working to improve our schools based on standards of excellence to help States and school districts cope with the growing elementary and secondary enrollments and to modernize our schools for the 21st century. Yes, we should all be obsessed with education.

Mr. GREEN

Mr. GREEN. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding time to me. Mr. Chairman, I am proud to support this bipartisan amendment. I served 20 years in the legislature in Texas and only 13 in the State house and 7 as a State senator, but every election since I have been in Congress I have had an opponent, so I am not going to stand here and say that I think term limits are something that are that important, because I think the voters have a shot at us every time. But if we are going to do it, let us be intellectually honest and say it ought to cover Gene Green on my 2 terms I have already served. If 12 years is a magic number, then I should only be able to serve 8 more years, if the voters continue to send me back. That is why I think the Barton-Dingell substitute is the only one that is really intellectually honest, Mr. Chairman. I would hope that a lot of Members would recognize that, along with the people out in the countryside who feel like term limits are necessary, that they would say, if 12 years is magic, in 12 years you should go home and do your job, something else, then that should apply to those of us who have served here 2 terms, three terms or 10 terms, and that way it would cover it. That is why I am proud to support the Barton-Dingell amendment.

Mr. GREEN

Mr. GREEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California [Mr. Becerra] for allowing me a few minutes to discuss my friendship with Frank Tejeda. Like my colleague from Texas, Jim Turner, we served with Frank in the House and the Senate and now in Congress. I grew to admire him as a man who was committed to the highest ideals and actions. Almost 2 years ago, I remember when Frank became ill, I prayed to God that he would be healed, and the Lord let us have Frank until last Thursday night. He was a man of integrity and honor and commitment and service. He was a great man who gave of himself, selflessly to others, whether it be serving his community as an elected official or to the children of south San Antonio in organizing and helping in little league games, baseball, football, you name it. Again, my colleague from El Paso talked about earlier this week when we saw the thousands of people who gathered along the roadways to pay tribute to Frank Tejeda, who came from their neighborhood and did so much good. I was so impressed with Frank when I first met him, he was so proud to be a marine. He was a role model for other marines. In fact, I did not know until much later that Frank had received the highest academic average in the Marine Corps history in officer candidate school. Frank even took it a step further when he won the Colonel Phil Yekel award which combined his skills academically with his natural leadership ability and his extraordinary physical fitness. His pride in the Marines and military translated into his work as a legislator, both here and in Austin, TX, whether it be serving veterans as a State legislator or State Senator in securing funds for an outpatient clinic in San Antonio or for a public health clinic in Duval County. He was a firm believer in military-civilian cooperation. He sponsored legislation to train physicians assistants at Fort Sam Houston. He helped expand the GI bill for educational benefits for service personnel and certified teaching. Frank touched so many people, Mr. Speaker. We will miss him, not just the people of San Antonio and the people of Texas but the people of the House. Frank Tejeda's commitment to this institution, his country and to its people should be an example we all should live by. Frank, we will miss you.

Mr. GREEN

Mr. GREEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for allowing me to speak today, and yielding me this time. It is an honor to be here and to honor the memory of one of America's finest men, Frank Tejeda, by naming a post office in his memory. Frank was a man who displayed courage and honor and unwavering commitment to his constituents and to Texas and to our Nation. Frank and I served together since 1977 in the Texas Legislature. We served in the State house, and sat near each other on the house floor, in the State senate, until 1992, when we both decided we wanted to come to Congress. We honor our colleague because he is one of the strongest individuals I ever knew, both personally and, obviously, physically. One of the best times I guess I remember of Frank is when he was promoted to major in the Marine Reserves. A couple of colleagues and I went with him to the Marine Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, for he and another colleague of ours, the gentleman from Pennsylvania [Mr. McHale], was promoted to colonel. It was a great experience for Frank, because he was most proud of being a marine. To see that happen at the Marine Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, we can stand up here and talk all day about memories of Mr. Tejeda, but a post office being named for him in San Antonio, TX. As chairman of the committee, you will remember last year we renamed a post office in his district, in honor of a veteran, for Mr. Tejeda in one of our bills. I think this is fitting.

Mr. GREEN

Mr. GREEN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the dean of the Texas delegation for allowing me to speak today. Mr. Speaker, I join my colleagues across the aisle in expressing our sorrow for the death of our colleague, Mr. Frank Tejeda. The Nation has lost a leader, Texas has lost a son, and I lost a friend. Frank and I served together since 1977 as State representative, as State senator, and now as congressional colleagues. Never has anyone served in office with more honor and more distinction. Frank Tejeda was a man of his word and we will miss him. He was a man of his word throughout his legislative career, from his first term, 2- year term as a State representative, to his terms as a State senator. Frank literally was a Texas hero and an American hero. He dropped out of school at 17, volunteered for the Marines and was sent to Vietnam. Two weeks before his tour was up in 1966 he was hit by shrapnel. He was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his bravery under fire, and yesterday he was awarded a Silver Star for his bravery. He received the highest grades ever in the Officer Candidate School in the Marine Corps. Frank returned to San Antonio and graduated from St. Mary's with an undergraduate degree, and then earned his law degrees at Berkeley and Yale, and a graduate degree from Harvard. As my colleague and dean of the Texas delegation said, not bad for a high school dropout. Frank was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1976, and to the Texas Senate in 1986. In the legislature he championed bills to build housing for veterans, protect crime victims. He worked to assist minority and women-owned businesses, promoted measures to ensure voting rights for minorities, and attacked the practice of dismissing jurors based on their race or their ethnicity. In 1993 as a Member of Congress, Mr. Tejeda called for removal of a Federal judge accused of uttering racial slurs against Hispanics in open court. In 1992, Frank was the only freshman elected to Congress from a new district who did not face major party opposition in either the primary or the general election. Having had four elections in 1992, when I came to Congress, I asked Frank, I said I needed to learn how he did it, because I had four elections and he barely had two. Frank Tejeda never forgot his military training and the importance of education. He was the most proud to be a marine. During his two terms in Congress, two-plus terms in Congress, Frank Tejeda worked tirelessly for veterans health and education benefits. Frank Tejeda will be missed by Americans, by Texans, by San Antonio residents. America has lost a fighter for freedom and we lost a friend.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, as the 104th Congress comes to a close, we look back on successes and failures, and I am proud to say, Mr. Speaker, that the Democratic Members can claim responsibility for some of the most impressive successes. The minimum wage increase, it is a flagship of the Democratic agenda, and it focused on what American people really want. Next week American workers get the raise they deserve, a bipartisan success. The Kennedy-Kassebaum health care bill came only after Democrats defended it against the House Republicans, who stonewalled for months. Putting more money in people's pockets and providing employees with the option of portable health care are Democratic answers to Republicans' measures that have shaken Americans' confidence. The 104th Congress began with an all-out onslaught on Medicare and education funding that the President and Democrats stopped cold. The American people rightfully lost confidence in the Republican's ability to run Congress after two Government shutdowns and one looming next week. We can do much better. Americans cannot afford another Gingrich Congress. We need to remember whom we represent, the hard-working Americans who want to better tomorrow, not a better yesterday.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my Texas friend for allowing me 1 minute to speak against this bill. One of the reasons I voted for the immigration bill ultimately was because this amendment was removed from it. This is an amendment, Mr. Speaker, that sets the pattern that we have seen in the Congress for the last 2 years: If we are going to cut the budget, let us cut education; if we are going to punish somebody, let us punish children, and that is what this amendment will do. People do not come to this country to put their kids in public school. The children do not come here because of their own volition. They come here because somebody brings them. And to punish a 10-year- old in Texas or a 10-year-old in California who is not here of their own volition and say they cannot go to public school, it is wrong and this is bad public policy. It is bad public policy on the State level as well as the Federal level. I am always proud to be a Texan, but I am particularly proud to be a Texan because our Governor of Texas, who is a Republican, by the way, Governor Bush, has said he would not allow the children to be removed from Texas schools. And I admire him for that and thank him for his commitment to education. That is why this bill is so bad, Mr. Speaker.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from California for yielding me time. Tony, we will miss you next year and all your work you have done for not only our district, but the people of California, and the people of our country. Mr. Speaker, there is a consensus that illegal immigration is a national problem that needs to be addressed. I believe our immigration laws need to be strengthened. But this conference agreement ignores the real reasons for illegal immigration and does little to protect American jobs. The reason people are in our country illegally is not to go to school, it is to get a job. A successful control of illegal immigration requires comprehensive efforts not only to police our borders, but also to effectively reduce the incentives to employ illegal immigrants. The bill has serious deficiencies in regard to employment and work site enforcement. The conference report does not contain the Senate provision that would authorize 350 additional enforcement staff for the Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division, to enhance worksite enforcement of our laws. This conference report does not contain the Senate provision authorizing enhanced civil penalties for employers who violate the employment sanctions and specified labor laws. Higher penalties would also serve to reduce the incentives to employ and thereby deter illegal immigration. This conference report does not contain the Senate provision that would have provided subpoena authority to the Secretary of Labor to carry out enforcement responsibilities under this act. Even though I served on the conference committee, and I was honored to do so, I nor other Democrats were given the opportunity to offer amendments to correct these deficiencies: We will have real immigration reform when we as Democrats are not locked out of the process. Is this bill better than no bill? Maybe. But the people of America want something that will stop illegal immigration. This will not stop it. It may be better than the status quo because of the additional border patrol, but it does not go as far as the American people want it to go to deter illegal immigration. That is why this is not the panacea that you may hear from the other side of the aisle. It is an election year gimmick to say we passed immigration reform, but we have not.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, Senator Dole, at the Republican National Convention, blamed teachers for the failure of our educational system. Senator Dole attacked teachers and particularly teacher unions and associations. I stand today to note that Senator Dole's logic disturbs me. Teachers in our schools are now required to do much more with much less, and they do not deserve this kind of treatment. Many resent this attack, because they work hard, day and night, to prepare our children for the future. In last Saturday's edition of the Houston Chronicle there were several letters from teachers responding to Senator Dole's comments, and I want to read some of their remarks. Senator Dole was talking about unions or associations, and you cannot attack an association without attacking the members. The members, again, are the ones who are providing that opportunity for our children to be citizens, educated citizens for our tomorrow. JoNell Parker of Humble, TX, wrote, ``In referring to public funding of private schools, Bob Dole said in his acceptance speech before the Nation on August 15th, `There is no reason why those who live on any street in America should not have the same right as the person who lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the right to send their child to the school of your choice.' As a teacher and a member of the teachers' association whom Dole attacked, I have to admit I agree with the right to choose. I just don't believe I should have to pay for his choice. Public support of religious indoctrination is unconstitutional. Taking tax money from public schools and giving it to private, for-profit institutions is financially unsound and elitist at best.'' In a letter to the editor that same day, Judy Hoya of Houston, TX, said, ``Bob Dole's attack on teachers' unions in his acceptance speech tried to place the blame for the problems facing our schools on the people who are trying to solve them,'' and I will repeat, he is placing ``the blame for the problems on the people trying to solve them'' when you attack the classroom teachers. ``Bob Dole is out of touch with the educational mainstream. He would be far wiser to join with the 80 percent of the teachers who are in the unions to help solve problems in our schools.'' Martha Barrett of Kingwood, TX, remarked, ``What a way to launch a Presidential campaign, attack teachers and kids in American schools. Bob Dole said in his acceptance speech that `Teachers unions nominated Bill Clinton in 1992. They are funding his reelection campaign now and they, his most reliable supporters, know he will maintain the status quo.' '' Ms. Barrett of Kingwood continued, ``I don't speak for all teachers, but I personally feel much better about a Presidential candidate supported and funded by teachers then one supported by tobacco interest.'' Finally, Sherry Mutula of the Pasadena Education Association stated in Pasadena, TX, ``I would like to set Bob Dole straight on the errors in his acceptance speech. Attacking America's schools and teachers, he said, `Not for nothing are we the biggest educational spenders and among the lowest educational achievers of the leading industrial nations.' '' He was wrong according to Ms. Mutula. ``America does not lead the industrial nations in education spending for K-12 public education. We are not even close. Of the top 17, America ranks 12th. ``The American people have been named the most productive workers in the world. Know where 90 percent of those workers were educated, Bob Dole? In the public schools of America.'' The 21st century will bring new challenges for our young people, and we have an obligation to educate them to deal with these challenges. Democrats believe that education is the key to our children's future and the key to our country's continued success. Under this Republican Congress, however, education has not fared well. In 1995, Senator Dole supported the largest cuts in Federal education funding in the history of our Nation, and the assault continues. Instead of considering further education cuts, we should be involved in debating increasing Federal commitment to our children's education. Most of education is paid for at the local and State level, but as a Nation we have to be competitive with the world. It is time to stop blaming teachers for our educational problems and start blaming those who have consistently opposed funding for education. We will be judged by how we treat and educate our children. Senator Dole, who has a poor record on education, should be judged appropriately on November 5.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, let me say those are good ten fifteen onions developed in South Texas in Mr. de la Garza's district by Texas A&M. Mr. Speaker, I rise to address the House concerning Senator Dole going from issue to issue now in the Presidential campaign. Nothing seems to take hold. He is not talking about the tax cut as of yesterday, because the American people saw through the rhetoric and realized he could not balance the budget and cut $548 billion in taxes at the same time. Now he is trying to convince the public that the President's crime bill had nothing to do with the recent drop in the national crime rate. Instead he says it belongs to the Governors, who I am sure are also participants in it. Senator Dole voted against the addition of 600 new police officers in my home town of Houston, TX, and he also voted against increased prison construction, increased border patrol, and the expansion of the death penalty in the crime bill of 1994. It is obvious that Senator Dole wants to have it both ways. When something good happens, it is the Republican Governors; but when something bad happens, like drug use, it is the President; when Bob Dole also voted to cut the funding for safe and drug free schools. I am confident the American people will see through this, just like they did through his tax plan.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I will use my last minute, I guess, and talk about the importance of this bill. Again H.R. 3803, the George Bush School of Government and Public Service Act, is a one-time appropriation, in the tradition that we have done in many other examples, including I believe I was told, in 1978, Senator Hubert Humphrey that I would have supported in 1978 to my colleagues who are here from Minnesota who opposed it. The documentation that has been used, again, the 760 educational programs, are just ludicrous, to talk about compare this with those. Some of those include the educational programs, American Printing House for the Blind. That is just ludicrous to have that used in opposition. This is a great example of honoring a former President and also a great institution in Texas A&M, and I would hope we would have a resounding number of ``aye'' votes for H.R. 3803.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. parliamentary inquiry Mr. de la GARZA. Mr. Speaker, I have a parliamentary inquiry.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, let me talk a little bit for the Members and colleagues who may have some confusion about this. Historically, there have been Presidential fellowships for former officials, and this is not breaking new ground. It was pointed out by the opposition that there are private donations and private fundraising. This is really a one-time appropriation of seed money of $3 million. There will be much more raised. Again, it is an educational program that I am proud to support, not only for President Bush, but also at a great university, Texas A&M. One of the things I heard during some of the debate in opposition was we had 760 education programs that the Federal Government administers. Let me talk about some of those 760 that they list. Sixty of those are scientific and medical research programs, including 48 here at the National Institutes of Health. Sometimes some of these statistics are thrown around up here and people may think, oh, we have 760 Presidential fellow programs. That is not true. Some of these other programs they have, they are mentioning in those 760, include job training programs, include educational programs for Lyme disease. Let us deal with apples and not compare them to oranges or pineapples or anything else, and really talk about the effort that we need to make in recognizing a great President. Mr. Speaker, I have to admit, I did not vote for George Bush, but I also recognize that he was a President of our country, and just like now, we recognize the contributions of him, but during his tenure, there was controversy. There were Members on the floor of the House who disagreed with him, just like now with President Clinton. I would hope that once someone serves their country like President Bush has, we can recognize him with this fellows program in conjunction with his presidential library at Texas A&M. Again, it is a great university, and it is a great program to enhance the ability of young students, students to learn about their Government through the George Bush School of Public Service.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my colleague, the gentleman from Texas [Mr. de la Garza], dean of the Texas delegation. Mr. de la GARZA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the legislation. Let me say at the outset that I cannot understand the praise and then the meat-ax approach. I challenge anyone to deny my commitment to a balanced budget. I introduced a balanced budget amendment 30 years ago, so I do not want anyone that has been here one or two terms saying that we who try and do something constructive, that we have to go after a balanced budget with a meat-ax. I am offended that anyone in honesty would say that this is a bust-the-budget type situation. There is no need for me to discuss what George Bush did in his lifetime, his contribution, that of his wife, his family. Members are fixing, under the guise of balancing the budget, to embarrass a former President of the United States, the father of the Governor of Texas, saying we are going to balance the budget no matter what; when I daresay many are asking for a canal here and a building there, just go to the Committee on Appropriations, just go to the committees that fund, and many of those that might vote against it are looking for something in their area. Mr. Speaker, this is an investment in the future, that is what it is, working with the young people at a great institution Texas A&M so, that we might recognize what George Bush contributed to this country; let me repeat again, not because he is my friend, not because he was my colleague, not because he was the President, not because he was a Vice President, but because there are right things to do and this is one of them. Sometimes we get misdirected. This balance the budget with a meat-ax approach just will not do it. I will support the legislation in honor of this great man, and ask all of my colleagues to do so.

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas [Mr. Hall].

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my colleague and good friend the gentleman from Mississippi [Mr. Montgomery].

Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I thank the chairman of our committee for sharing this time with me. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3803. This legislation is a good example about how a one-time small investment by the Federal Government can create a new and self-sufficient program that assists young people at a very fine institution in Texas, Texas A&M, and also recognizes the contributions of former President George Bush and the Bush School of Public Affairs at Texas A&M. Public service. The school is scheduled to be opened in the fall of 1997 in conjunction with George Bush Presidential Library and Museum, and Texas A&M will initiate a private fund drive that will raise much more than the $3 million that is authorized in an effort to endow the Bush Fellows and programs in future years. I support this legislation because it makes a difference in the lives of these students, will help them learn how to work with our government, and again it honors former President Bush, who served this country not only as President, but in many other capacities. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.