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Department of Education Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

October 11, 1978

To Speaker Tip O'Neill

The creation of a separate Department of Education is one of my priorities for the 95th Congress.

I have followed closely the progress of H.R. 14067, the Department of Education Organization Act, through the Government Operations Committee and Rules Committee. I am grateful for your help in obtaining a rule for consideration of the bill on the House floor.

Education is an important factor not only in the development of individuals but of the country as a whole. I believe that the current organizational status of Federal education programs is unacceptable in a nation where all levels of government invest substantially in education programs while getting less results in the actual performance and job prospects of our students.

The running of local school systems is the responsibility of states and local communities. I believe that a Department of Education will enable us to do a better job of helping states and localities carry out their responsibilities. As you know, the Senate has passed the Department of Education Organization Act by a large margin. We believe that a large majority of Members of the House support H.R. 14067. I appreciate your scheduling this bill for floor action this week. I ask that you bring up the bill on Thursday and complete action that day if at all possible. Thank you for all of your help. With warmest personal regards,

Sincerely,

JIMMY CARTER

[The Honorable Thomas P. O'Neill, Jr., Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515]

Jimmy Carter, Department of Education Letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/243954

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