David Wu

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the motion to instruct. We hear quite often these days that Americans are disenchanted with politics, disgusted with politicians, and feel disconnected from Washington, D.C. Is it any wonder, when the Senate leadership makes a commitment to reduce class size and tells schools to plan for those funds and then reneges on that promise? Is it any wonder that Americans do not trust politicians in Washington, D.C.? Oregonians and Americans want class size reduction, not Senate amendments that take this historic measure away from our children. Nor do Americans want to pit a good public education for all children against a good education for special needs children. We can do both. We are a country that can afford to do both. We need to do both and we can afford to do no less. Studies show that when we reduce class size in the early grades and give students the attention they deserve, the learning gains last a lifetime. Only 2 nights ago I was having dinner with two schoolteachers, and they were planning for next year. School districts right now are making their plans for next year. Right now. And they were uncertain whether they were going to get the funds for class size reduction. Now, they do not understand parliamentary procedure, but they are deeply concerned. Each school year comes only one time in a child's life. Johnny will have only one pass at first grade. Sally will have only one pass at second grade. There will be only one pass at third grade for each child. Decades ago we issued a promissory note to educate Americans with disabilities. Last year we issued a promissory note to America's children to reduce class size and to improve public education. To borrow a phrase, Mr. Speaker, when these children come back to this Congress to redeem those promissory notes, will we stamp them ``insufficient funds''? We cannot do that. We cannot afford to do that. Mr. Speaker, we can afford to educate all children and special needs children. Let us not put partisanship and political battles in front of real progress for America's schoolchildren. Let us honor the commitment we have already made to our schools. That way we start the effort to reduce class size and we keep a crucial promise we have made to our children.

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Madam Speaker, during rollcall vote No. 43, on H. Res. 32, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yes.''

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter) for yielding me this time. As my colleagues know, I am a cosponsor of Ed-Flex. I support Ed-Flex because it provides local school districts with flexibility and freedom from unnecessary Federal regulation. I also believe in assisting schools and school districts so that they have the resources to exercise that flexibility. Real flexibility, not the illusion of flexibility. That is why the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) and I are offering our amendment to the Ed-Flex bill. Basically, to put more education into Ed-Flex. Our amendment will establish an additional 6-year authorization to reduce class size by hiring 100,000 qualified teachers. Last year Congress made a downpayment on the administration's plan to hire 100,000 new teachers over a period of 7 years in order to reduce average class size to 18 students in grades 1 through 3. But that was only a downpayment. Unfortunately, the leadership of this House, when it comes time to provide for the remaining 6 years of class size reduction, is leaving school districts and education boards across America in budgetary limbo. They engage in the politics of parliamentary maneuver rather than passing this urgent priority. They employ the tactics of obstruction rather than the healing of true bipartisanship. To borrow a phrase from Martin Luther King, Jr., ``When the children of America come back to this House to redeem our promissory note for a good education,' the House leadership would stamp it 'insufficient funds'.'' Smaller classes improve classroom discipline and order. Smaller classes promote quality learning time. Smaller classes improve student performance. We all know that. But as we debate, schools across America are drawing up budgets for next year. They are determining the quality of education that our children will have for that year. These young children will have only one pass at getting a first-rate education. They will have only one chance to go through first grade. They will only have one chance to go through second grade. They will have only one chance to go through third grade. A year lost in a child's life is a year lost forever. While we are debating parliamentary procedure, they are losing their chance for a better education. So when America's schoolchildren come to redeem our promise, let us make good on it. I urge my colleagues to vote now for smaller class size, before we spend any more of our children's precious and irreplaceable time. I urge my colleagues to vote no against the leadership's parliamentary blockade. I urge my colleagues to vote yes in favor of our children. Let us have a full and fair debate on class size reduction today.

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for hosting this Special Order on a very, very important topic. I recently hosted a series of education town hall meetings in Astoria, McMinnville, Beaverton, St. Helens, and Portland, Oregon. The attendance at these Education Town Halls was absolutely remarkable. Clearly, Oregonians are committed to improving public education. Congress can honor that commitment by providing resources to help Oregonians and all Americans make schools better. Many school districts share similar problems: Large class size, aging or inadequate facilities, and unfunded or unnecessary Federal mandates. However, the needs of each community differ. Schools in Beaverton and Hillsboro suffer a crisis of rapid growth, creating classroom overcrowding and exacerbating student discipline problems. Schools there need the resources to expand and maintain school quality. Schools in communities such as Astoria and McMinnville need resources to modernize school buildings and provide students with up-to-date technologic tools. In Astoria, the most modern elementary school was built in 1927. Some classrooms have only one electric plug in the entire classroom. This is simply not an adequate environment in which to prepare our children for the 21st century. To help school districts deliver high-quality K through 12 education, Congress can help by doing 3 simple things: Reduce class size, modernize schools, and decrease Federal mandates. First, we can help good teachers do their jobs by reducing class sizes in the first through third grades. Experts say that reducing class size in the early grades to an average of 18 per classroom will enable students to get the attention they deserve, help teachers attend to students' specific needs, and identify problems early on when they can still be solved. This is why I am introducing an amendment to the Ed-Flex bill with the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Clay) which will reduce class size by hiring 100,000 additional qualified teachers. Last year, Congress passed the first year of this 7-year plan. Unfortunately for our school children, some in Congress say they were only agreeing to a 1-year allocation. Our children deserve each and every year of the class size reduction plan. Second, we can make it more affordable for local school districts to refurbish old school facilities and construct new buildings to accommodate rapid growth. This Congress should pass legislation to help local school districts afford school construction by paying the interest on local school bonds. That is why I am proud to cosponsor the legislation by the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge) who was just here. The legislation will leverage approximately $5 billion of Federal money into $26 billion available to local school districts for construction and repair. Finally, we can lift burdensome Federal regulations to provide local schools flexibility and the opportunity for innovation. That is why I am a cosponsor of the Ed-Flex bill. We will begin discussion of Ed-Flex on this House floor tomorrow morning. Ed-Flex will give States real flexibility so school districts can fashion solutions appropriate to the communities they serve and avoid a ``Washington knows best'' mentality. My State, Oregon, pioneered the Ed-Flex concept 4 years ago, the first of 12 States nationwide to be granted Ed-Flex status. Through Ed-Flex, all States will have the freedom to improve school performance and accountability. The agenda ahead is clear: Reduce class size, rebuild and modernize schools, and give local communities the freedom to implement effective school reform. It will take a real commitment by Congress and the full energy and passion of every parent, teacher, and student in Oregon and across the Nation. We must work hard to meet the challenge, and I thank the gentleman from New York for hosting this important Special Order.

Mr. WU. As an aspiration, it is not just bicoastal, it is bipartisan.

Mr. WU

Mr. WU. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in favor of school modernization. In communities like Astoria in Oregon, there are elementary schools with only one electrical plug in each classroom. No new elementary schools have been built there since 1927. This is simply not an adequate 21st century learning environment. In my congressional district, communities like Astoria and McMinnville need the resources to modernize school buildings and provide schools with up-to-date technological tools. In other rapidly growing communities such as Beaverton and Hillsboro, schools are suffering from that growth. There, classroom overcrowding creates difficult learning environments and exacerbates student discipline problems. Schools there need the resources to expand and maintain education quality. Congress can make it more affordable for local school districts to refurbish old school facilities and construct new school buildings by paying the interest on local school bonds designated for construction and repair of school facilities. The agenda is clear but it requires a real commitment by Congress. We must work hard to meet that challenge.