Mr. President, I rise to add my voice to others who are calling for increases in education funding. Our investment in the education of future generations that will someday run this country cannot be undervalued. We must ensure the best education for our young people. However, this will not happen if we undermine education as a priority by cutting funding for schools, classrooms, and students. This funding would be deeply reduced for years to come without a veto of the tax bill, as President Clinton has promised. In addition, we may see reductions in FY 2000 funding if we do not give greater emphasis to education as a priority in the current appropriations process.

This is the challenge before us today. Education's share of the Federal budget has declined, and it did not start out at a significant percentage to begin with. Education makes up two percent of the FY 1999 budget. Compare this two percent with about 15 percent for defense, 22 percent for Social Security, 11 percent for Medicare, and 13 percent for interest on the debt. These numbers are reported by the Committee for Education Funding.

In addition, the Federal share of education funding has declined, falling from 14 percent for elementary and secondary programs in FY 1980 to six percent in FY 1998. For higher education, the Federal share fell from 18 percent to 12 percent from 1980 to 1998. Because Federal dollars leverage more support for education from other sectors of the economy, we cannot allow the Federal share to dwindle.

We can scarce afford to continue this way and shrink the education dollar if we look at what lies ahead. According to the recent Baby Boom Echo Report from the U.S. Department of Education, total public and private school enrollment in this country has risen to a record 53 million students. Furthermore, between 1989 and 2009, elementary school enrollment will have increased by five million children, secondary enrollment by almost four million students, and college by three million students.

The report lists Hawaii among the top 15 states in enrollment growth. For public elementary and secondary enrollment, in a decade, Hawaii will have 26,000 more students in its schools, reaching 227,000 students. This means 13 percent more students will be in Hawaii's classrooms in 2009 than are there today. Many States are facing similar projections, and there seems to be no end in sight to this growth.

There will be tremendous repercussions from this Baby Boom Echo. One example is in the need for school construction and modernization. Mr. President, in Hawaii, about three in every four schools need to upgrade or repair buildings to good overall condition. More than half of schools report at least one inadequate building feature, whether the roof is leaking, plumbing is not functioning well, or windows are inadequate. In addition, four out of five schools report at least one unsatisfactory environmental factor, such as air quality, ventilation, or lighting. We will need to attend to some or all of these conditions soon as Hawaii continues to feel the impact of increasing enrollments.

Over the next decade, the Hawaii Department of Education estimates that it will need $1.5 billion for capital improvements. This will include 15 new elementary schools, two new intermediate schools, and two new high schools. The figure also accounts for 400 new permanent classrooms and $120 million for building replacement.

In addition, class size will need to be reduced before learning is stilted altogether–this will be hard to do with more students in schools. Hawaii's average class size is already in the mid-20s, while the recommended size is 18. These are only a few examples of the need in our public schools that will be heightened by rising enrollments.

It is easy to see why I cannot condone the education cuts that would result if the tax bill became law. I am not opposed to tax cuts, but committing $792 billion to tax cuts at this time would lead to serious neglect of this country's greater priorities. In an era of budget surplus, we would have to hang our heads in shame for using funds for tax breaks when problems loom large: Social Security and Medicare need to be made solvent for future decades; the amount we are putting toward interest on the debt must be reduced; and our domestic priorities, including education, must be boosted.

However, the majority's tax plan calls for about 50 percent cuts in non-defense discretionary programs. For education, this means:

—six million children denied extra academic support under Title I funds for the disadvantaged, including 25,000 students in Hawaii;

—almost 800,000 students denied a Pell Grant, including 2,000 in Hawaii; and

—nearly $3 billion less in IDEA funding to States, including $9 million intended for special education in Hawaii.

The tax bill would mean a giant step backwards for education.

Now, it appears that the majority is going after education funding for the next fiscal year. It is bad enough that the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Bill is often left for last, which means that it picks up "leftovers" after other appropriations bills have been taken care of. This is how we treat a bill that contains programs for the most vulnerable Americans.

We are currently tangling with an even bigger problem with this bill caused by low allocations–something which could have been avoided in this era of surplus. In their zeal to keep the budget surplus sacred for tax cuts, my colleagues in the majority capped the Labor-HHS bill at $73.6 billion. This would translate into a 17 percent cut in overall education funding.

We know that this 17 percent cut will be felt by State and local education agencies, school districts, schools, and classrooms. Its impacts will go directly to our children. The Safe and Drug Free Schools program will be cut almost $80 million from current funding, which means a cut of more than $375,000 from programs in Hawaii's school- and community-based drug education and prevention activities. Looking at Title I for the disadvantaged once again, Hawaii would lose more than $3 million. Hawaii's schools cannot afford this loss in funding. There are additional cuts I could list. The bottom line is that it would be a travesty to see this Congress ravage education funding.

Mr. President, I stand here not only as a Senator representing the people of Hawaii. I stand here as a former teacher, vice principal, principal, and administrator in Hawaii's school system. I remember what it is like to be at the front of a classroom with young faces and bright eyes eager to learn and looking for guidance. I listened to parents' concerns at PTA meetings. I talked to individual students about a poor academic record, spotty school attendance, or disruptive behavior that made it difficult for others in the class to learn. I remember what it was like being on the "front lines" of education.

I cannot see any good for the future of our country coming out of these large education cuts. We bemoan problems facing our schools today such as unexpected and shocking incidents of violence. Let us put muscle behind our rhetoric and treat education as a priority by preventing this 17 percent cut.

I ask my colleagues to join me in restoring education as a priority and calling for increases, not huge decreases, in the investment in our country's future. I thank my colleagues for this opportunity to speak on an issue that is near and dear to my heart, and I yield back the balance of my time.