[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 128 (Tuesday, September 28, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11562-S11563]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              S. RES. 187

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I wish to comment on Senator Daschle's 
education funding legislation, S. Res. 187.
  The resolution states that the funding level for the Subcommittee on

[[Page S11563]]

Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education has been reduced to pay 
for other programs. I would like to set the record straight. The 302(b) 
allocation that was originally assigned to the Subcommittee was 
temporarily reduced to permit other subcommittees to mark up their 
bills. This was done with the intention that as these other bills moved 
through their conferences, additional dollars would be made available 
to provide the Labor-HHS-Education Subcommittee with the necessary 
resources to increase funding for education, health and labor programs.
  As last evening's Labor-HHS-Education markup proved, there was never 
any intention to cut 17 percent from education programs. To the 
contrary, the subcommittee actually recommended $35.2 billion for 
education programs, an increase of $2.3 billion over the fiscal year 
1999 program level and $537.6 million over the administration's budget 
request.
  Instead of reducing Head Start dollars, $5.2 billion was recommended, 
which increased the program $608.5 million over fiscal year 1999 level 
and matching the amount requested by the President.
  After school programs were doubled from $200 to $400 million; aid to 
disadvantaged children was increased by $320 million over last year 
which again matched the President's request.
  Instead of decreasing technology programs, $550 million was 
recommended to maintain last year's program level.
  The resolution also states that a $100 million reduction would be cut 
from the Safe and Drug Free Schools Program. The facts are that Safe 
and Drug Free schools, as part of the youth violence initiative was 
increased by $45 million to provide $611 million for state grants, 
school coordinators and programs to promote safe learning environments 
for this nation's children.
  To provide a free, appropriate, public education to all children, 
$6.035 billion was provided to children with disabilities increasing 
the program $911.5 million over last year's amount and $585.7 million 
over the President's recommendation.
  And finally, the subcommittee recommended a $200 increase in the 
maximum Pell grant to provide $3,325 to help disadvantaged children 
achieve a college education.
  In closing, I wish to point out that these increases in education 
dollars, have been carefully balanced with savings in other areas in 
the bill and advance funding. The Labor-HHS-Education bill is within 
the discretionary spending caps set forth in the budget resolution. 
This fact points out once again that the findings stated in Senate 
Resolution 187 were not factual which is the reason I voted against it 
and led the effort to provide a better formula for Federal funding as 
reflected in the subcommittee bill.

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