The Federal prison population has increased more than 7-fold over the past 20 years.

We can continue our progress as a Nation toward the promise that all people are created equal and that our Nation will treat every person in that spirit.

Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments.

Rather than following through on the proven crime and violence prevention techniques that work, we are back to tough-talking sound byte policies that have been proven to not only fail to reduce crime but actually increase crime, waste taxpayers' money and discriminate against minorities.

In fact, the Harvard study data indicates that 70 percent of African American children attend schools that are predominately African American, about the same level as in 1968 when Dr. King died.

No one should be denied the opportunity to get an education and increase their earning potential based solely on their inability to pay for a college education.

There is nothing Federal about local volunteer fire departments.