Leadership in the 1990s

Representative Schroeder, chair of the Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Aging, explained the current "Leadership debt" in Washington, D.C. She began by describing the changes in Washington since the arrival of President Richard Nixon in the 1970s. She blamed much of the lack of leadership and accountability on the voters. "Without a vision, people perish," she stated. She explained her fear that people would switch from utilizing public facilities such as public schools and urban services and instead favor private education and protection. Much of her criticism was directed at the current budget situation and how President Bush failed to provide funding for several essential domestic programs, including measles vaccinations and public education. "We ought to look a little beyond the Beltway to put a little more heat on us to lead and hold us accountable and somehow get a little reality back into this system," Representative Schroeder stated in response to the recent attempts made by Washington politicians to improve federal programs. She concluded by answering questions about women in politics and her decision not to enter the race to become the new House whip, a race stemming from the decision of current whip William Gray(D-PA) to become the chairman of the United Negro College Fund.