Working to forge bipartisan consensus on needed education reform, Congressman Zach Wamp and U.S. Rep. Bob Etheridge, D-N.C., have asked President Bush to support a bill to promote character education in the nation's schools.

They made the request in a letter sent to President Bush on Monday, his first full working day in office. Wamp and Etheridge are cosponsors of the "Character Counts for the 21st Century Act," H.R. 228.

"Character education can make a tremendous difference in strengthening our schools." Wamp and Etheridge said in the letter. "Character education works to improve order and discipline in the classroom, enhance safety and security of our campuses, and increase the respect children have for their parents, teachers, peers and themselves. Character education works because it teaches children to view the world through a moral lens. It encourages them to grow up to be not only successful students but good citizens and decent human beings as well."

Wamp said, "The President has made education reform a major element of his first week in office, and the bill we are urging him to support is fully in keeping with that goal. Character education is based on the idea that no matter how brilliant a student is and no matter how well he or she does on grades and test scores, all that learning is worthless - and can even be dangerous - if the student does not understand the difference between right and wrong."

The bill would authorize the U.S. Secretary of Education to make grants of up to five years to state and local education groups to develop and implement character education programs. The bill, introduced on Jan. 6, has been referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Following is key text from the rest of the letter from Reps. Wamp and Etheridge to President Bush:

"As you take office, we seek your support for our bipartisan character education bill. We appreciate your personal consideration of this vitally important matter.

"This common-sense solution works to instill in our children such basic values as respect, responsibility, honesty, integrity, justice, compassion, and self-discipline. It brings together parents, teachers, students and the entire community to strengthen the moral fabric of the next generation of Americans.

"We need national leadership to expand character education so all of our children have the benefit of a solid foundation in basic values.  This important legislation will authorize the U.S. Department of Education to provide grants to local school systems to promote character education.

"We urge you to support this legislation, and we look forward to working with you to improve America's schools so that no child is left behind."