i agree with delegate eleanor holmes norton. she represents the thinking and the people of the district of columbia. i urge that we vote down this voucher deal and support the amendment that would be presented by delegate eleanor holmes norton. i yield back the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman's time has expired. the gentleman from california. mr. issa: mr. speaker, it's a great honor to introduce the author of the bill, the speaker of the house, for the customary one minute. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from ohio is recognized for one minute the speaker:: let me thank my colleague for yielding and let me start by also thanking him and the members of the government and reform committee for their work on this bill. i also want to thank our 50 co-sponsors and all the members on both sides of the aisle who are standing with us today. i also appreciate the efforts of our colleagues in the senate, particularly senator joe lieberman, who are working on similar legislation. today the house will have t

dicks: i want to yield two minutes to the delegate from the district of columbia, eleanor holmes norton. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for two minutes. ms. norton: look, the majority has chosen to run the government, the federal government from c.r. to c.r., but the majority has no right to inflict this operational outrage on the local funds of a local jurisdiction, the district of columbia. it may want -- the majority may want to incur for the federal government the operational difficulties, after all the the district of columbia delivers services to federal officials including the president, federal buildings, foreign embassies and the like. but does the majority really want to risk the -- to put the district and its operations at risk or to place what wall street almost surely will do, a risk premium on the district due to the fact that we are being put from c.r. to c.r.? this is a fragile economy for every big city, the d.c. local budget was approved a year ago in the city and last summer, by the appropriations committee. yet the district of columbia is being

dicks: i want to yield two minutes to the delegate from the district of columbia, eleanor holmes norton. the speaker pro tempore: the gentlelady is recognized for two minutes. ms. norton: look, the majority has chosen to run the government, the federal government from c.r. to c.r., but the majority has no right to inflict this operational outrage on the local funds of a local jurisdiction, the district of columbia. it may want -- the majority may want to incur for the federal government the operational difficulties, after all the the district of columbia delivers services to federal officials including the president, federal buildings, foreign embassies and the like. but does the majority really want to risk the -- to put the district and its operations at risk or to place what wall street almost surely will do, a risk premium on the district due to the fact that we are being put from c.r. to c.r.? this is a fragile economy for every big city, the d.c. local budget was approved a year ago in the city and last summer, by the appropriations committee. yet the district of columbia is being

these funds toward improving all of the district's public and charter schools as delegate eleanor holmes norton has proposed, this program only serves 1.3% of the 70,000 students enrolled in the d.c. public schools. though my colleagues may claim to have a new found commitment to education, my friend from the rules committee being an exception, albie it only for a few -- albiet only for a few exceptions, some in this body and most in the republican party were content to cut, and my friend just used the kinship of pell grants with this proposal. they propose to cut federal funding for 9.4 million students, eliminate over 200,000 head start placements, do away with supplemental -- for over 100,000 underserved students. my constituency were talking about how drastic this is going to affect the constituency in that area of underprivileged students and who they are seeing and what the juvenile justice system is now reaping from this ill harvest that we thrust upon these people. reduce or get rid of, they say, after-school programs for 139,000 students across this nation. on the one hand, republicans