For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 5, 2001
Remarks by the President on Education Reform
South Lawn
View the President's
Remarks
2:45 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank
you very much. Looking forward to spending the weekend with
my family. I know Congress is spending weekends with their
families as well. And when they come back, there's going to
be a lot of work to do. And there's nothing more important
than getting the education bill to my desk.
I
urge Congress to come back to work hard to reconciling differences that
may exist between the House and the Senate bill, and to get a bill to
my desk quickly. It's important to do so. All
you've got to do is ask the governors and superintendents and local
officials standing behind me.
These good
folks have come to Washington to urge me to urge Congress to get the
people's business done. Because they've got plans to make
for the public schoolchildren of America.
Behind me are three Governors and superintendents from around the
country -- education leaders who know full well what is required to
plan an education year. And if the rules are to be changed
-- and I hope they are in a constructive way -- Congress must act
quickly so people at the local level can plan.
Our bill out of the House and the Senate
passed with large majorities and bipartisan support. There's
no reason to delay. The Secretary of Education joins me in
urging the Congress to act. And I'm confident if the will is
there, we can resolve any differences and get the bill to my desk.
This is a good bill. It's a good
piece of legislation because it aligns authority and responsibility at
the local level, because it believes in setting high standards, it
challenges the soft bigotry of low expectations, and its cornerstone is
strong accountability measures so that we can make sure not one single
child gets left behind in America.
So I wish
the members of Congress a great weekend, but I remind them the people's
work's ahead.
Thank you all for coming.
Q Mr. President, do you
feel there needs to be a change in the culture at the FBI?
THE PRESIDENT: Have a great
weekend.
END 2:47
P.M. EDT