[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 23, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Page S9781]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, EDUCATION APPROPRIATIONS ACT--
                           AMENDMENT NO. 1122

  Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I am here to outline certain changes to my 
amendment that was accepted as part of the Labor, Health and Human 
Services, Education Appropriations Act as passed by the Senate. These 
changes will be submitted to the House-Senate conference committee. My 
amendment, No. 1122, would block grant funds from several K-12 
education programs in the Department of Education and send those funds 
directly to school districts. These changes have been incorporated into 
a new draft of the amendment.
  The genesis of the changes is a series of discussions with my 
colleagues in the Senate and other interested parties. While these 
changes correct minor drafting errors, they do so without changing the 
overall philosophy of the amendment. The most significant of the 
changes exclude from the block grant entirely any funds from the Adult 
Education, Vocational Education, and Rehabilitation Services programs, 
programs not primarily directed at K-12 education. Other programs 
excluded from the block grant are: Indian Education, the Inexpensive 
Book Distribution Program, Arts In Education, Star Schools Program, and 
Technology Innovation Challenge grants.
  Finally, the distribution of bilingual education funds is changed. 
These funds will be sent to school districts in the same proportion as 
the funds were distributed in fiscal year 1997, much like title I funds 
are distributed in the amendment. For example, if a school district 
were eligible for .25 percent of all bilingual education funds in 
fiscal year 1997, it will be eligible for the same share in fiscal year 
1998.
  Mr. President, these changes correct minor drafting errors and 
incorporate the suggestions of several supporters for minor 
improvements. These changes, however, do not affect the amendment's 
overall philosophy, which is to restore the decisionmaking authority 
for the education of our children to where it belongs; the hands of 
parents, teachers, principals, superintendents, and school board 
members. I look forward to discussing this issue further with my 
colleagues during conference committee meetings.

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