[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 130 (Saturday, August 5, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1686]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


     WORKING FOR EDUCATION: IMPACT AID, VOCATIONAL EDUCATION, AND 
     PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE FY96 LABOR-HHS-EDUCATION BILL

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                     HON. RANDY ``DUKE'' CUNNINGHAM

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 4, 1995
  Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, throughout the day yesterday, during 
House consideration of H.R. 2127, the fiscal year 1996 Labor-HHS-
Education Appropriations bill, several Members and I worked together to 
transfer resources from lower priority spending to education. As 
chairman of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and 
Families, as a former teacher and coach, and most importantly as the 
father of three, I believe we must continue to invest in education and 
in our Nation's future. Federal authority over local education should 
and will be transferred appropriately to the States.
  After several weeks of work, and with the cooperation of a great 
number of Members from both sides of the aisle, we successfully 
increased vocational education funding by $100 million and Chapter 2--
Eisenhower Professional Development by $50 million, insured that Impact 
Aid funds could be provided to schools serving children of military 
families, and agreed to work through the authorization process so that 
$35 million provided in the House version of fiscal year 1996 National 
Security Appropriations could be used for Impact Aid Basic Grants.
  First, the House approved by voice vote a Cunningham amendment to 
H.R. 2127. As reported by the Appropriations Committee, H.R. 2127 
prohibited Impact Aid funds to schools based on children of military 
parents who do not reside on base. It also prohibited Impact Aid funds 
to schools based upon the number of such children with disabilities. 
These children used to be known as ``military B's,'' before the Impact 
Aid reforms enacted in the 103d Congress. The Cunningham amendment 
simply struck that legislative language. It insures that Impact Aid 
funding can be provided to schools based upon the number of children of 
military parents who reside off base, and the number of such children 
with disabilities.
  Second, the House approved by voice vote a Johnson of Texas-
Cunningham-Riggs amendment to H.R. 2127. This amendment cut 
appropriations for the Agency for Health Care Policy Research [AHCPR] 
by half, generating savings of $60 million. Owing to the peculiarities 
of the congressional appropriations process, we successfully parleyed 
that savings into significant funding for education: $50 million for 
the Chapter 2--Eisenhower Professional Development program, and $100 
million for Carl Perkins Vocational Education Basic State Grants. The 
funds for Chapter 2 contribute to an Education Reform Block Grant under 
development in my Youth Subcommittee. And the Vocational Education 
resources boost funding for the Youth Training portion of the CAREERS 
Act, a major reform, consolidation, simplification and decentralization 
of Federal job training programs. The CAREERS Act has been reported out 
of the House Opportunities Committee and awaits House consideration.
  As a bonus, the Johnson-Cunningham-Riggs amendment prohibited AHCPR 
from continuing to receive $8 million annually from Medicare, 
effectively making that money available to provide health care services 
for our ``chronologically gifted'' citizens.
  Third, an agreement has been made such that $35 million in Impact Aid 
funds provided in the House version of National Security Appropriations 
legislation for fiscal year 1996 will be disbursed in a manner 
agreeable to the National Security Committee authorizers. As Youth 
Subcommittee chairman and as a member of the National Security 
Committee and a likely conferee for the fiscal year 1996 National 
Security Authorization bill, I will work with Members to direct that 
$35 million to Impact Aid Basic State Grants. I should note further 
that H.R. 2127, the fiscal year 1996 Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations 
bill, provided $50 million in Impact Aid for ``heavily impacted'' 
districts, an increase of $10 million over fiscal year 1995.
  Last, a colloquy was conducted among several Members and the 
leadership, in which there was agreement that gross Impact Aid funding 
for fiscal year 1996 would be at least 96 percent, and perhaps as much 
as 98 percent, of the amount provided in fiscal year 1995.
  Upon this agreement, if the Impact Aid ``hold harmless'' funding is 
not allowed, and if we successfully hold this plan together through the 
Senate and the conferences on these various bills, public schools are 
likely to receive in fiscal year 1996 about 100 percent of their 
funding for what used to be called ``A'' and ``military B'' students.
  I assure my colleagues that we will not rest on this issue. I know 
many Members are in this for the long haul. Thus, I wish to thank the 
many Members who worked together closely to make it possible to direct 
savings from lower-priority spending to education, specifically: Mr. 
Goodling, Mr. Livingston, Mr. Porter, Mr. Riggs, Mr. Johnson of Texas, 
Mr. Metcalf, Mr. Watts, Mr. Edwards, Ms. Mink, Mr. Clay, Mr. 
Christensen, Mr. Armey, Speaker Gingrich, plus several additional 
Members whose contributions and support are appreciated, and numerous 
staff.


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