[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 14, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H912-H913]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CONGRESS NEEDS TO KEEP ITS 25-YEAR PROMISE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moore) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I have been in Congress for 2 years, and I 
have learned a lot of things after I got here. For example, 25 years 
ago, the Congress passed and the President signed into law a new bill 
called IDEA, which stands for Individuals With Disabilities Education 
Act. In that new law, the Congress promised to the State and local 
school districts, if they would take special-needs children out of 
hospitals and institutions and bring them into local public schools, 
that Congress and the Federal Government would fund the cost of 
education to the tune of 40 percent.
  Mr. Speaker, 25 years later, last year, Congress was up to 14.9 
percent, not 40 percent, 14.9 percent; and that is outrageous. That is 
what we call an unfunded mandate, and that is what gets people back 
home in the real world so upset with Congress. They promised that they 
would do this and that. The people locally did this, and Congress did 
not fulfill their portion of the promise.
  Well, 25 years later, Mr. Speaker, I think it is time that Congress 
stepped up it the plate and filled the promise it made 25 years ago.
  I wrote President-elect at the time Bush on January 25 and said to 
President-elect Bush: ``I hope you will set this a priority funding 
measure in your new budget as the new President.''
  I had the opportunity 4 weeks ago to go to the White House and speak 
with President Bush; and at that time, I said to him, ``Mr. President, 
this is one of the most important things we can do that I think will 
beneficially affect education, not only through every State, but 
throughout our Nation in public schools; and that is full funding of 
special education the way Congress promised 25 years ago.''
  The President said, ``I understand, but we would like to have a 
little more flexibility and give the States and local school districts 
an opportunity if they need to build schools or use it for special 
education.'' Well, 25 years later, again, somebody needs to speak up 
for special needs children and say Congress should fulfill its promise.
  The President has a program he calls Leave No Child Behind. Well, I 
say to the President that, if we do not do this when we have the 
opportunity this year or next year, then we will never do this. We will 
not leave one child behind. We will leave thousands of children behind, 
and that is disgraceful.
  We have projected by the Congressional Budget Office over the next 10 
years a budget surplus of $5.6 trillion. The President has recommended 
a $1.6 trillion tax cut. Surely if we can find the political will to do 
a $1.6 trillion tax cut, we can find the political will and the 
backbone to fund a program that is 25 years old for special-needs 
children in our country.
  It does not impact just special-needs children. It will affect 
virtually every child in public schools in our country, because I have 
talked throughout my district in every school district throughout my 
district to school administrators and teachers; and a disproportionate 
share of the present school funding goes to special-needs children. 
Nobody begrudges that. God knows they need it. But sometimes the people 
who are shortchanged are the other kids, and not one child in our 
public schools should be shortchanged by Congress' failure to perform 
its promise.
  This is not a partisan issue. When one looks at a special-needs 
child, one does not see a Republican, one does not see a Democrat, one 
sees a child, a child with needs, and needs that should be addressed by 
this body.
  If at this time in our Nation's history, when we have these huge 
projected surpluses, we do not step up to the plate and fulfill our 
promise, shame on us. Shame on us. I hope and believe that the 
President and the Congress this year will do the right thing.

[[Page H913]]

  I talked just yesterday before the Committee on the Budget hearing to 
Secretary of Education Paige, and Secretary Paige told us that the 
President had recommended an increase in funding in special education, 
but far short of the promise Congress made 25 years ago.
  We have got to do what is right. I hope and believe we will do what 
is right. We are a better Nation than the way we have acted for the 
last 25 years.

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