Where's the Ethical Conduct of Congress?

You can read a lot about ethics of school leadership in this issue of your School Administrator magazine. But what about ethics in government?

It's curious how each year, especially as the November elections approach, members of Congress lecture us via C-SPAN about all they plan to do before election day on campaign ethics. They call it campaign reform or campaign finance reform. But we know the real story is "What am I offered by the highest bidder?"

Everyone in Washington knows that the real money-making committee on which to grab a seat is House Ways and Means or Senate Finance. When the microphones are turned on and the C-SPAN cameras zoom in, you hear much bellowing and howling about this or that issue, how people will be hurt by this bill or saved for all humanity.

The real action takes place behind the chairman's seat, in the anterooms and hallways with shiny shoed, finely tailored men and women representing various interests. They are the folks who have paid their way into every reception in honor of congressman or congresswoman so-and-so to recognize the hard work done on behalf of those who can afford such things. Former Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski didn't amass more than $1 million in campaign contributions simply because he was a nice guy.

Then there's the House and Senate appropriations committees. They are responsible for doling out the $1.6 trillion our government spends annually. Every dollar must pass through these two committees and their 13 subcommittees. Take a look at this list of appropriations subcommittees and you'll get an idea which can pull in the most contributions: agriculture; commerce; District of Columbia; energy and water; foreign operations; interior; labor, health and human services, and education; legislative; military construction; national security; transportation; treasury; veterans administration; and housing and urban development.

A Lowly Presence

You might have noticed education's presence amidst two giants: labor and health and human services. What's growing by leaps and bounds in this subcommittee isn't education. As of late summer, education programs were targeted for cuts exceeding $700 million in the next fiscal year (for school year 1997-98). Meanwhile, the National Institutes of Health, which can put on dramatic testimony from individuals with rare diseases and sponsor charity balls and political fund raisers to advance the cause for a cure, is set for more than a 6.8 percent boost to $12.7 billion, an increase of more than $800 million.

Do we need disease research? Of course. I only point this out because we can't trot Title I kids into congressional hearing rooms to tell their story. Most are too young and it would be a flagrant abuse of professional educators' in loco parentis responsibilities.

In addition, when was the last time you heard of a charity ball for education for disadvantaged youngsters in elementary and secondary schools? While universities can hand Out honorary doctorates, K-12 schools only can touch the hearts of people who visit them.

Bygone Days

That brings us to the two congressional committees that decide what federal programs are going to exist and how those programs will operate. These two committees--House Economic and Educational Opportunities (once known as Education and Labor) and Senate Labor and Human Resources--traditionally have trouble getting members of their respective chambers to volunteer (that's volunteer, not fight) to serve on these all-important panels.

From the perspective of congressional support for education, times were much better when the late Rep. Carl Perkins, D-Ky., chaired the Education and Labor Committee, and the late Rep. William Natcher, D-Ky., chaired the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor/HHS/Education. As a team, they made sure education received solid increases under Republican presidents who wanted to dismantle the Education Department. Natcher dumbfounded all of us one year by seeking a $1 billion increase for Chapter 1/Title I. Those days are history.

We can't compete in the contributions arena, but showing up at a local hot dog roast can help. You want to get the senator or congressman or woman to recognize you as a leader in his or her constituency.

School leaders as a group don't have the bucks to sway legislation, but ours is not a hopeless cause. Every campaign brochure of every candidate devotes considerable space to the way Mr. or Ms. Candidate loves kids and wants to improve their education. Keep that brochure, photocopy that page, and when the dust has settled tell them you would like to see comparable attention in the federal budget committed to public education. That will lead to real campaign reform.