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   (Ms. DELAURO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)

   Ms. DELAURO. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the House began debate on a Republican education bill that fails our Nation's schoolchildren.

   Today, the Republican leadership is giving an irresponsible tax cut to the 2,400 wealthiest Americans. Some 2,400 people today will benefit from the cut and the repeal of the estate tax, and $50 billion will be taken out of the revenue stream of this country over a 10-year period to benefit 2,400 people.

[Time: 09:30]

   My friends should do the mathematics. And because of this effort, what we will see is our youngsters shortchanged on their educational opportunities. Our first priority has to be to ensure that our Nation's children learn to their fullest potential and that their teachers have the tools necessary to be able to teach them.

   The Republican bill does nothing to reduce class size, address the modernization of our schools, and it significantly cuts after-school programs because of a tax cut to the 2,400 wealthiest people in this country.

END