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Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
My amendment will restore state sovereignty over public education and restore parental rights over the education of their children by restoring the State legislature's power to accept or reject Federal education grant dollars.
I've worked closely with the committee to ensure that this amendment supports the goals of local control and flexibility as promoted by H.R. 5, and I sincerely appreciate Chairman Kline's support of this important amendment, as well as his continued leadership to improve our Nation's education system.
State legislatures, Mr. Chairman, should have the ability to make an informed decision regarding Federal grant dollars just as a patient consents to a medical procedure after a doctor explains the risks and benefits.
I'm grateful for RSC Tenth Amendment Task Force Chairman Rob Bishop's support and co-authorship of legislation we filed in this regard and the support of the National Taxpayers Union and the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste because my amendment will actually ensure that if State legislatures reject the grant dollars, they will be dedicated to reducing the deficit and paying off our outstanding national debt.
Finally, it should be noted that the Congressional Budget Office indicates that my amendment will have no impact on directed spending.
I want to thank Chairman Kline again for his support and urge my colleagues to support both my amendment and the underlying bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Mr. CULBERSON. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Chairman, I'd point out that the amendment, in fact, upholds our system of dual sovereignty and ensures local control over local dollars, and the legislatures will actually be able to conduct this vote as a part of their regular legislative proceedings during their annual budget vote.
As it says in the language itself, the vote will be taken by the State legislatures as a part of their budget vote. This is a vote they take as a part of their regular legislative session. It's no additional burden on the States. We are simply ensuring transparency and ensuring that the legislatures fully understand the implications of accepting the Federal dollars. Those dollars, for example, that Texas rejects, we want to make sure go toward deficit reduction and paying down the national debt.
It will be no additional burden on the states. In fact, this amendment will reaffirm and restore our Constitution system of dual sovereignty where the States retain a residuary and viable sovereignty over those issues that deal exclusively with the citizens of their own State.
I want to thank Chairman Kline again for his support and urge Members to adopt this amendment and the underlying bill.
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Mr. CULBERSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Actually, the money will continue to flow to the States as it does today. The State law already sets up a mechanism for the money to flow through the States to local school districts. So that money will continue to flow. Also, under the language of my amendment, the Federal Government has an unshakeable obligation to ensure equal protection and due process.
So that 14th Amendment obligation on the Federal Government is undiminished and is expressly reaffirmed in my amendment so that there will be no discrimination nor imposition on every American's right to equal protection and due process.
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