Joseph Pitts

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Chairman, I rise tonight in support of the students whose first amendment right to religious freedom is being suppressed because his or her school is intimidated by the threat of a costly lawsuit. I support the DeMint amendment for children like first-grader Zachary Hood who was told by his teacher that he could read his favorite story to his class. Zachary was extremely excited about the chance to read to his class, and he chose Jacob and Esau, a story about two brothers who quarrel and then make up. The story never even mentions God. However, because it is from the Bible, the teacher would not allow Zachary to read. What kind of society do we live in that allows the Columbine killers to produce a class video of themselves in trench coats gunning down athletes in a school hallway, yet young Zachary is not allowed to read a story about two brothers, which happens to be from the Bible, to his class? A member of our own staff shared with me her experience a few years ago as a 10th grade student. She was assigned to write a fictional account of an historical figure. Horror of all horrors, she chose Jesus Christ as her subject. While the English teacher admittedly could not find one single grammatical error in the entire 17-page paper, she claimed she had to fail this student for choosing Jesus as her historical figure. For many students, faith is an essential part of who they are. Why are we asking them to leave this part of themselves outside the door to the school? Why? Because schools are bullied by big organizations which are suppressing student religious expression at taxpayer expense. I urge my colleagues to support the DeMint amendment.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, it has been called the Mozart effect, the scientific study showing that early music training shapes children's growing brains and boosts their learning power. Not only does early music training and exposure aid in development of logic and abstract thinking, it also helps children with memory retention and creativity. That is why, Mr. Speaker, although local educators have recognized this fact for years, they often find their local budget so burdened with strings and regulations, that music and art education loses out. This is unfortunate and shortsighted. It is why more local control is necessary so that parents, teachers, and local schools have the freedom to invest their elementary dollars into the classes that teach students tiny bits of music theory and expose them to the basics of music and art education. With the Dollars to the Classroom Act, local educators would have the freedom to make decisions for their school if they identified such a need. More flexibility, more local control, more dollars to the classroom. I urge my colleague to cosponsor and support the Dollars to the Classroom Act.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, around the world today there are daughters and sons of many nations whose lives are at stake. Why? In large part because our Nation has sought to impose our own population control ideas on other countries whose most pressing needs are for basic nutrition and health care. Children in these countries are dying. Yet, an increased push for population control has come at the expense of saving the lives of little children. A Kenyan doctor makes this point, and I quote. He says, ``Our health sector is collapsed. Thousands of Kenyan people will die of malaria whose treatment costs a few cents in health facilities, whose stores are stacked to the roof with millions of dollars' worth of pills, IUDs, Norplant, Depo-provera, most of which are supplied with American tax money.'' When a mother brought a child with pneumonia to this doctor, he had no penicillin to give the child. All he had were cases upon cases of contraceptives. Madam Speaker, let us respond to the true health needs of these people, the needs of life and death. Join in transferring at least a portion of the population control funds to what we know works, child survival. Join in cosponsoring the Save the Children Act.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, as we just heard, the House Democrat leader said something the other day that might give American taxpayers cause for concern. A lot of people have been fooled by the talk about ``new Democrats'' and the ``third way'' and other such deceptions that liberals must use to remain politically viable. But every once in a while a Democrat leader slips and reveals what their party actually stands for, the same thing they have always stood for since the 1960s. Listen again to this comment by the minority leader: ``You've got to have a combination of taking it out of the defense budget and raising revenue. We can argue about how to do that, closing loopholes or even raising taxes to do it.'' So there we have it. Cut defense and raise taxes. No wonder all those flag burners and left-wing activists from the 1960s found a home in the Democratic Party. It is a party whose leaders, after all these years it seems, do not support a strong military and simply cannot wait to get back in power so they can pass another tax hike. Old habits die hard.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill. Mr. Chairman, today we are considering an excellent FY 2000 Defense Authorization bill, and I thank Chairman Spence for his leadership in bringing this bill to the floor. In Committee, we have spent the past several months hearing testimony from armed services personnel and military experts detailing the alarming state of our military. With rapidly growing threats worldwide to our national security, now is the time to begin to rebuild our military from years of decimation and escalating deployments. Mr. Chairman, this authorization responds to these concerns. As a former navigator and EWO of B-52 bombers, in the Air Force and a Vietnam veteran, I am particularly excited about the authorizations for upgrades and procurement of Air Force aircraft, as well as the replenishment of ammunition and the modernization of military equipment. Further, the pilot retention reforms contained in the Authorization are essential. We have the best Air Force in the world-- no country comes close. Yet we have trouble holding on to the best pilots because we simply do not take care of them. Most importantly, this Authorization reaches out a hand to military families. The 4.8 percent across-the-board pay increase and pay table reform, the major reform in military bonuses, and the implementation of new housing allowances helps close the pay gap with the private sector and will enable military personnel to better take care of their families. We frequently ask our men and women in the military to leave their families, fight for our national security, and even die for our freedom and liberty. Yet, we do not provide our service personnel with the pay or equipment it takes to get the job done right. It is appalling that even one of these families must seek welfare just to put food on the table and buy clothes for their children. I honestly believe that the authorization we have before us today will go a long way in correcting this problem. I urge my colleagues to support this authorization, which will provide for the dedicated soldiers in our armed services and adequately fund our military so that American families are safe from hostile threat.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the Meek amendment. The House has spoken on this issue many times. Each time it has rejected this amendment. Just last year the House rejected this same amendment offered by the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey) by a vote of 190-232. By requiring U.S. military facilities to provide elective abortion on demand to uniformed personnel dependents, the Meek amendment would turn DOD medical treatment facilities into abortion clinics. When the 1993 Clinton administration policy permitting abortions to be performed in military facilities, which was reversed in 1996 except in the cases of rape, incest and the life of the mother, when that was first begun, all military physicians as well as many nurses and supporting personnel refused to perform or even to assist in elective abortions. Our troops already are demoralized enough. Why should we again ask them to do something to which they object? I received a couple of letters on this issue. I just want to read a couple of quotes. The National Right to Life Committee in a letter summed it up well by saying, ``Facilities and personnel of the Federal Government should not be utilized to deliberately destroy the lives of innocent human beings.'' And I received a letter from the Archdiocese for the Military Services which echoes this message by saying, ``Military medical personnel have refused to take part in the procedure of life destroying abortion, citing the primary responsibility of our Nation's military services to preserve human life.'' Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to oppose again the Meek amendment.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today out of concern for what is happening in the country of Egypt. Our State Department's Country Reports this year detail security and police abuses against citizens from minority backgrounds. The Reports detailed one horrifying situation in which police brutalized over 1,200 Egyptian Coptik Christians in the village of El- Kosheh. The official Egyptian report of the incident, in response, states that there was no torture or abuse. Mr. Speaker, look at these photos. We can see the wounds made on this man's flesh. We can see in the faces of the little children who were dashed to the ground and beaten while in their mothers' arms. The apparent unwillingness of the Egyptian Government to punish police officers involved in these human rights violations, or even admit that these violations occurred is very unfortunate. Recent news reports suggest that the police officers involved in these human rights violations were not only not punished but rewarded by the government. I urge the Egyptian Government to take serious measures to correct police brutality and correct the injustices perpetrated against the minorities in El-Kosheh.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Coburn amendment's efforts to protect the lives and health of our Nation's women and unborn children. This amendment would bar FDA's approval and development of new drugs whose primary purpose is to induce abortion. Those are called abortifacients. Some people believe it is in the best interests of women to make all forms of abortion available to women. However, even for those who support abortion on demand, approving RU-486 is shortsighted and it is a risky approach. Scientific studies have shown a link between abortion and breast cancer. Unfortunately, many who commit abortions do not want to let women know about that risk. Breast cancer is the leading form of cancer among middle-age American women, but we do not even want to tell women who are considering abortion of this risk. Ten out of 11 studies on American women report an increased risk of breast cancer after having an induced abortion. A meta-analysis in which all worldwide data were combined reported that an induced abortion elevates a woman's risk of developing breast cancer by 30 percent. How can we in good conscience approve new forms of abortion before we study the breast cancer and abortion link further and let women know of the risk? This is the kind of investigation that should be done. This kind of information should be held in hearings before the committee. So I urge the Members to support the Coburn amendment to protect women, both born and unborn.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to respond to my Second Amendment-loathing friend on the liberal side of the aisle. If the administration and its defenders in Congress are so concerned about guns, then why did the Clinton administration sign a waiver on February 2, 1996 for a Chinese gun company to import 100,000 additional assault weapons and millions of bullets? Here is some information that my colleagues on the other side might not want to hear. Four days later, on February 6, 1996, the Chinese arms exporter attended a White House fund-raiser; I mean a coffee, that raised money, but it was not a fund-raiser. That exporter was named Wang Jun. In obtaining a visa he had filed a letter from Ernest Green, a close Clinton friend and top fund-raiser. The day after he had coffee with the President, Ernest Green's wife contributed $50,000 to the DNC. Her contribution the year before was $250. Can anyone imagine why suddenly Wang got his guns on American streets and Clinton got his campaign cash?

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, the Cold War is over. These words we have heard repeated thousands of times since the end of Communist tyranny in Berlin in 1989, especially by leftists whose eagerness to gut our military forces was similarly obvious, even at the height of the Cold War. But though the Cold War is temporarily over, all of human history argues that it would be foolish to let our defenses down. Dangerous enemies still exist. They do not care what treaties we sign, how much good will Americans have, and they do not care how prosperous we become. They wish to do us harm because they resent our wealth, reject our democratic values, despise our religious traditions, and cannot maintain their tyrannies at home knowing that freedom exists in a bastion we call America. The very existence of our Nation threatens their existence. This chart dramatically shows what happens when a Nation ignores the lessons of history. We do so at our peril.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I want to read a quote made recently by retired three star General Tom Griffin, attempting to understand our involvement in Yugoslavia. I quote: ``Now let's see here if I understand all this correctly. President Clinton has ordered our forces to engage an entrenched, politically motivated enemy backed by the Russians, on their home ground, in a foreign civil war, in difficult terrain, with limited military objectives, bombing restrictions, boundary and operational restrictions, queasy allies, far across the ocean, with uncertain goals, without prior consultation with Congress, the potential for escalation, while limiting the forces at his disposal, and the majority of Americans opposed to or at least uncertain about the value of the action being worth American lives,'' end quote. When we review history, the question arises, what was this President opposed to in Vietnam? Are we going to learn from the history of the 1960s?

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to protest the horrifying human rights violations in North Korea. I recently met with three courageous individuals who escaped from prison camps in North Korea. They describe prisoners being beaten, tortured, used as targets for prison guards' practice of martial arts, and forced to watch the execution of ``enemies of the state,'' such as peaceful religious believers. The government of the North Korea will not discuss the existence of these prison camps, yet we know from eyewitness accounts that these places of death exist. Despite the fact that groups of people are brought to the prison camps each day, the prison camp population remains the same. What happens to these prisoners? Mr. Speaker, these prison camps must be abolished without further death and destruction to the people inside them. Our government must urge the North Korean government to cease these human rights violations.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, May is Victims of Pornography Month. Today I want to mention an outrage: The American Psychological Association recently published a study suggesting that sexual relationships between adults and children are less harmful than believed and might actually be positive for ``willing'' children. My colleagues heard correctly. The authors of this study attacked the term ``child sexual abuse'' in favor of the term ``adult-child sex.'' They conclude that child sexual abuse is not wrong unless the adult sexual encounter is unwanted by the child. May I suggest that this outrageous junk science, as Dr. Laura Schlessinger calls it, is very offensive? All of us who are parents should be offended by this effort to normalize child sexual abuse. Child sexual abuse does result in long-term psychological harm, and it must not be tolerated. Shame on the American Psychological Association for giving a forum for such dangerous and unprofessional propaganda for pedophilia.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, President Clinton says he is going to continue the bombing in Yugoslavia, and some people are beginning to ask what the Clinton legacy will be. Some say scandal and impeachment. I do not think so. I think it will be the war in the Balkans. Mr. Speaker, when NATO began bombing Yugoslavia it led the way to billions and billions of dollars that will be spent on this war. Will we be expected to rebuild all that we destroy in Yugoslavia, as some have suggested? To rebuild all that we have destroyed could cost hundreds of billions of dollars, power plants, airports, factories, bridges, oil refineries, infrastructure. The cost would be staggering. And where would the money come from if we have to pay it? That is right, Social Security, Medicare, our schools, and our roads. Our budget needs. This administration is digging a deep hole with the war in the Balkans that is going to last for many years after President Clinton has left office. That may be the Clinton legacy.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, this week we honor those who assist parents and take our children to the next levels of learning, America's teachers. Teachers have motivated our children. Teachers have helped our children to mature. Here is a teacher through the eyes of a second grader, Kacie Hershey in my district, and I quote: I like Mr. Durante because he is funny and because he teaches us math. Now he is teaching us about Japan and how to count to 10 in Japanese. When teachers like Mr. Durante make learning fun for their students, whole new worlds are opened. Mr. Speaker, I do not think it can be said any better than the way it is stated in this resolution, and I quote again: Many people spend their lives building careers. Our teachers spend their careers building lives. What could be more true? America's teachers rise every day out of their commitment to mold and shape young lives. As a former public school math and science teacher myself, I can attest to the amount of time, and energy, and creativity and patience that it takes to lead our students to the next step of discovery, be it in literature, math, music theory or physics. Earlier today I honored Elaine Suvukas of Hempfield High School for leading an excellent group of students in the ``We the People, the Citizen, the Constitution'' academic competition on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Her students know America's Constitution probably better than many Members of Congress. She stirs her students to excellence. Excellent teachers like Miss Suvukas are all over this country using the resources that they have been given to the best of their ability for the betterment of our students, and we need to get more resources directly to our teachers, dollars into the classroom, and then we can truly honor their work. Mr. Speaker, that is one very clear way that we can say thanks to our public school teachers across the country. After all, these are the people who are influencing our children and teaching young minds the value of reading, writing and arithmetic. Except for parents at home, no adult is closer to the learning process of our kids. Teachers are the ones who have the power to affect the learning and help them so that they can compete. Let us arm them with the tools they need. So, as we honor our teachers this week, let us continue the process throughout the year. Our children and our children's children are the most precious resources that we have, and that is why we must recognize their invaluable contributions of spending their entire days with them, shaping their lives. To our teachers: I thank them. Their work is greatly needed, appreciated and admired.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of America's teachers, those people who rise every day to open up the world of learning to our children. As a former public high school math and science teacher myself, I can attest to the amount of time, energy, creativity, and patience that it takes to take our students to the next step of discovery, be it in literature, calculus, music theory or physics. Today, I would like to especially honor one teacher from my district in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Elaine Savukas, from Hempfield High School. Year after year, Ms. Savukas has brought a winning team of civics students to Washington to take part in the ``We the People, The Citizen and the Constitution'' 3-day academic competition on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, as is shown in this picture of her class. Her students know the Constitution probably better than many Members of Congress know it. She has instilled in her students a love of our history and brings civics alive. She stirs her students to excellence. Mr. Speaker, there are excellent teachers like Elaine Savukas all over this country, and we are compelled to honor them not only this week but throughout the year as they help shape the minds and motivation of our leaders of the next millennium. I thank all our teachers.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor a faithful Chester County man upon his retirement from West Chester University, where he served as a faculty member and administrator. Mr. Theodore Butcher's contributions to his family, community, and country deserve to be noted. Over the past thirty years, Mr. Butcher has worked tirelessly to ensure fair and equitable treatment of people with regards to education, race, religion, economics and disabilities. He has given of himself both personally and financially to the causes in which he believes and for which he works. Through his community service with the West Chester Community Center, the Community Housing Resource Board, the Fair Housing Council, Mental Health/Mental Retardation, The Community Service Council of Chester Country, The Swope Foundation, the West Chester Rotary Club, the YMCA, NAACP and on the original board of the Chester County Water Authority. Clearly, this is a man with a deep commitment to his community. I can venture to say that Mr. Butcher has added much value to West Chester University and to Chester County, Pennsylvania. I am pleased to honor him today, and would like to submit for the Record a letter from his daughter Joacqueline Butcher. My congratulations and best wishes go with this community servant.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, last week I visited a high school in my district that was a great encouragement to me in the aftermath of the horrible tragedy in Littleton, Colorado. As I met with several English honors classes at Unionville High School in Pennsylvania, I witnessed presentations by students who shared the results of community service assignments called ``Make A Difference'' projects. From planting trees to stream clean-up, to adopting a needy family, raising money to pay utility bills for a poor family, these kids did it all. Volunteering with school tutoring, helping a Salvation Army food bank, even sharing the joy of music with seniors at a nursing home, all of these activities gave the students a new perspective. I listened to these thoughtful, well-organized and poised presentations about the lessons these students learned and the benefits of giving themselves to help others. There are many wonderful people across this Nation who are making a difference in our neighborhoods, including students. We need to continue to praise our kids and teachers and remind them of the importance of their contributions to our communities. Thank you, Unionville High School, Mrs. Sheeler and students. Keep it up.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 93. As we have heard, April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. For any parent or adult who has witnessed the despair in a child's eyes after he or she has gone for so long without the love and nurturing that he or she so strongly craves and needs, it is heartwrenching. Mr. Speaker, we know many of the results that come from child abuse. The majority of juvenile offenders, teenage runaways and adult criminals in this country were abused as children. In a home for young, unwed troubled mothers in my district in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, called Beth Shalom, I have visited many of these young ladies who have suffered through terrible childhoods full of abuse, and they are now struggling not to repeat the patterns with their own young children. Mr. Speaker, we also know that the most harsh price of child abuse is death. As we have heard, more than 1,000 children in the United States, 78 percent under the age of 5, 38 percent under the age of 1, lose their lives every year as a direct result of abuse and neglect. This is a tragedy happening in America today. Mr. Speaker, we cannot call attention to this issue just once a year. Our efforts require a year-round focus and a continuation of our work with State and local officials who are working so hard to prevent child abuse. This must be a community effort. Our children deserve all of the love and energy we have to keep them safe and healthy. I strongly support this resolution, and urge the Members to vote in favor.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, the dishonest demagoguery about Social Security has begun. However, I continue to be troubled by the state of our military readiness. For years the Clinton administration has reduced spending for national defense while sending our troops on more and more deployments. The result, our military readiness has declined. Case in point: A Lieutenant Junior Grade in our Navy was recently quoted as saying, and I quote, ``It took us two days to complete what should have been a two-hour procedure for all of these reasons: We could not get a hydraulic test stand that worked correctly. The support equipment people could not fix the hydraulic test stand because they did not have the correct publications. The publications had not been updated to reflect the new tool requirements. Nobody knew how to operate the new test equipment. If we do not have the people or tools to fix the aircraft, then the aircraft cannot fly.'' Mr. Speaker, we need to commit to restoring our military to a level capable of defending the United States of America. We need to support our troops, our young sons and daughters who lay their lives on the line to defend this great country.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, it is strange to me that doves and peaceniks, people who dodged the draft and protested the war, now want to wage war in Yugoslavia, while many defense hawks and former military veterans are raising voices of concern and objection. As a Vietnam veteran, I cannot help but reflect on the mistakes being made by the Clinton administration with the war in the Balkans. The White House does not even want to call it a war; they prefer the term ``conflict.'' Does that mean our POWs are now going to be called POCs? There are some people who have yet to learn the lessons of Vietnam. The use of limited air strikes can only accomplish limited results. We are witnessing that right now. And having politicians select targets rather than letting military commanders fight the war they know and are trained to do is absolutely wrong. When President Clinton first initiated the air strikes, we were told we would be in and out in a week or two, and that bully Milosevic would be put in his place. Well, now we are hearing the administration say that we might be in for the long haul, maybe ground troops, an ill- conceived plan obviously from the get-go. The American people do not know what to believe as this war escalates. We need to learn the history lessons of the 1960's.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, first, Pearl, Mississippi; then, West Paducah, Kentucky; then Jonesboro, Arkansas; then Edinboro, Pennsylvania; then Springfield, Ohio; and now, Littleton, Colorado. It all seems too much to bear. We have no cure-all answers, quick and easy solutions, only questions and prayers. Parents pray for many things in life: that their children grow up to share the same values they tried to teach them, that they realize all their hopes and dreams, that they feel love, and that they love people and life. One thing they all pray for is that their children spend their days in a safe and wholesome environment at school. There are too many schools in America where the children are not safe, where the environment is not wholesome, where positive values and experience do not triumph. It is a failing, and we must work together to answer the prayers of parents who worry every night about their children's safety. Today we express our sorrow. We all pray and grieve for those suffering from the senseless violence in Colorado.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, today Senator Tim Hutchinson and I introduced the Dollars to the Classroom Act, to benefit schoolchildren and teachers all across this country in our public schools by directing that Federal funding for elementary and secondary education goes directly to classrooms and to teachers where the learning process actually takes place, by restricting how much money can be spent on bureaucracy. By requiring that 95 cents of every Federal dollar gets into the classroom, the children and teachers of this Nation will see an additional $870 million out of existing appropriations. That is $10,000 per school, translating into $450 for every single classroom in America. I have with me a check that the Senate and House Members signed earlier today in the amount of $870 million. We presented this directly to the children. My colleagues have an opportunity to help bring needed change. Join me and the 127 cosponsors in sponsoring and introducing the Dollars to the Classroom Act today.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, today at a news conference, Senator Tim Hutchinson and I reintroduced the Dollars to the Classroom Act, a bill to benefit school children and teachers all across this country. The Dollars to the Classroom Act will direct federal funding for elementary and secondary education directly to the states, requiring that 95% of K-12 funding reach classrooms and teachers. This Act passed the House in the 105th Congress 212-198. Joining us today in support of the bill were seventh and eighth-grade students from Charles Patton Middle School in Unionville, PA, along with their teachers, Math and History teacher Shannon Tate and Spanish teacher Christine Bailey. Maryland public school administrator Stephen Wallis also spoke on behalf of the legislation. Senator Hutchinson and I have been working on this legislation because we believe in the importance of doing all that we can to improve the academic achievement of our public school children. How do we accomplish that? We believe that empowering the teachers and bolstering the classroom resources of our kids directly improves their learning process. One of the young middle school students presented the need for the Dollars to the Classroom Act better than anyone else could. Seventh-grader Cole Allen said, ``The geography books that we use were printed when our teacher was in eighth grade. Well a lot has changed since then. They should be called `The Geography of the world as it was 13 years ago.' '' As Cole pointed out, many teachers use their own funds to buy tools for their classrooms, because so much of education funding gets eaten up before it makes it to the classroom. When we think of our childrens' efforts to learn, we often think of the tools that go into forming and shaping their young minds: tools like books, classrooms, computers . . . and things like flash cards, spelling tests, and calculators. Yet, many of our federal dollars that go to elementary and secondary education do not reach our kids. That's why we've come up with the Dollars to the Classroom Act. This is a simple concept. Instead of keeping education dollars here in Washington, let's ensure that 95 cents on every federal dollar is sent directly to parents, teachers, and principals who are truly helping our children in the learning process. Passage of the Dollars to the Classroom Act would mean $870 million in new dollars for school children across the country. That means an additional $10,000 for each public school in America. That also translates into $450 for every class in America. This is a common sense step in our efforts to improve public education for the students of the next millennium.

Mr. PITTS

Mr. PITTS. Madam Speaker, last night was a depressing, demoralizing, and most of all expensive night for millions of Americans. It was a terrible night for productive citizens, because for the producers, those who work and pay the taxes, last night was the day of reckoning that had finally come. Americans were skipping their bowling night, cancelling bridge parties, throwing their movie guides into the trash. Last night was a night instead to do battle with a harmless sounding form known as the 1040. Of course, for many of us, the old 1040 is the least of our problems. There is the Schedule A, Schedule E, Schedule Z451MDUM and all the rest. Deductions and exemptions and special cases and three-pronged tests, depending on whether you are right-handed or left-handed or like chocolate chip cookies, it is just too much, even for the accountants, even for the IRS. How much longer will the taxers and spenders continue to defend the special interests, the status quo, and block the efforts of Republicans to pass a lower, simpler, flatter Tax Code?