[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 130 (Thursday, September 19, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10939-S10940]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           EDUCATION FUNDING

  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I wanted to address for just a few 
minutes the issue I spoke about yesterday, and that is the level of 
support we are providing in this Congress to education. I wanted to do 
it by showing some charts that I was shown yesterday which I think are 
particularly instructive. Let me just put them up for the benefit of my 
colleagues so that they can see what we are talking about.
  There are really two items on this first chart. The first is 
projected enrollment. You see here, starting in 1996, we have 52 
million students enrolled and by the year 2002 that goes up to 70 
million. We are seeing that kind of increase and even more of a 
percentage increase in my State, in States like New Mexico, where there 
is substantial growth in population.
  This chart also shows the funding proposal which was in the budget 
resolution that was adopted last year during the Congress, and that is 
to go from $39.5 billion in 1995 down to $35

[[Page S10940]]

billion, an absolute cut of over $4 billion in that period. This is an 
issue about which I think there is some confusion. As I travel around 
my State, people say, well, there is really not a cut in education 
being considered; it is only a cut in the level of increase.
  That is not accurate. This is a cut. When you go from $39.5 billion 
in 1995 to $35 billion in 2002, that is a cut that is not a cut in the 
rate of increase.
  Mr. President, this second chart makes the same point. That is, each 
year up until the last few years, we had seen an increase in education. 
Some years it was a modest increase, some years it was a more 
significant increase, but there was always some increase and there was 
bipartisan agreement to do that. Beginning in fiscal year 1995 this 
Congress for the first time saw a $3.7 billion cut and, of course, we 
are trying to reduce the level of that cut this year.
  Another chart which makes the same point, Mr. President, is this one 
which says ``Education Is Cut $3.2 Billion From the Original FY 1995 
Program Level Spending.''
  This shows in 1995 through rescissions of spending in that year we 
eliminated $600 million; in the fiscal year 1996 appropriations, it was 
a cumulative $1.1 billion cut; the 1997 House appropriation was a $1.5 
billion cut and the total funding loss from the original 1995 level is 
$3.2 billion.
  Mr. President, let me just show this final chart here which I think 
makes the obvious point that I think all Americans would understand, 
and that is that our ``Unmet Education Needs'' are large and growing. 
This shows that in the school year 1994 through 1995, there were 10 
million students eligible for title I funding--that is, they attended 
schools where the income level was such that they should have been 
receiving title I funding. Only 6.5 million of them actually received 
it. There were 3.5 million students in that school year who were not 
able to receive the funding because of funding levels. When you combine 
this chart with the first of the charts that I showed, which is the 
increase in enrollment that our schools are experiencing, you can see 
the problem is growing worse, and that is the only point I am trying to 
make here.
  In this last 2 weeks of the session, I hope very much we can get back 
to the 1995 funding level for education. It is a small request to make. 
I think it is one that is certainly justified.
  I appreciate the chance to point out these charts to my colleagues.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. PRESSLER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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