President visits, Harkin supports his building plan

President Clinton’s visit to Iowa today is causing logistical problems for local law officers. President Clinton’s motorcade is forcing the closure of a Mississippi River bridge during the evening commute.President Clinton will visit a nearly 100-year-old Davenport high school this evening to underscore his proposal to spend billions fixing up schools.Senator Tom Harkin is joining Clinton’s call for more federal help to rebuild schools. Harkin held a news conference on the issue this morning in Washington, D.C. He wants to use one-point-three BILLION dollars of federal tax money to modernize public schools. That’s the amount President Clinton suggests.School construction has historically been financed by local property taxpayers, although Republicans and Democrats in Congress recently provided some grants for school improvements. Harkin will propose the one-point-three BILLION in federal financing for school infrastructure as an amendment to the education bill.