[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 127 (Wednesday, October 2, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1726]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS, FISCAL YEAR 2003

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. JANICE D. SCHAKOWSKY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 26, 2002

  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in disappointment. The 
Continuing Resolution, House Joint Resolution 111, on the floor today 
is a slap in the face of the American people. Our constituents all over 
the country are counting on us to help them put food on the table, 
provide their children with the best education possible and to make 
them and their families safer. Despite the best efforts of Democrats, 
the Republican leadership of the House continues to let them down. It 
is inexcusable that this body has only passed five appropriations 
bills. What is even more disappointing is that the Labor/HHS/Education 
Appropriations bill has not even been brought to the House floor for a 
vote. The other body has passed its version of the bill, yet we 
continue to twiddle our thumbs at the expense of our children. The 
Senate's proposal would increase education funding in the President's 
budget by a little over $3 billion and would provide funding increases 
for Teacher Quality, Title 1, Head Start, and financial aid programs, 
and would restore funding for rural school programs. Instead of 
following in the Senate's lead, the House Republicans refuse to act on 
this issue.
  The failure of the Republicans and the Administration to follow 
through on their commitment to education is disappointing. The 
“No Child Left Behind Act” was supposed to provide our 
children with the resources needed to obtain the best education 
possible, but, unfortunately, this has not happened. The law was touted 
as a way to prevent children from being “trapped” in 
failing schools but left behind may be thousands of unhappy parents and 
students. The President's budget of $50.3 billion in discretionary 
funding for FY2003 has stopped six years of steady progress in federal 
support to local schools dead in its tracks. Under his proposal, the 
overall education budget would only increase by 2.8 percent, barely 
enough to cover inflation. Our so-called “Education 
President” is doing the exact opposite of what he promised. He is 
leaving our children behind.
  Unfortunately, the only version of the House Republicans’ Labor 
HHS Education appropriations bill follows the President's budget 
request. The bill would freeze or reduce funding for most education 
programs, including the teacher quality, after-school, math/science 
partnerships, Safe and Drug-Free schools, bilingual education, Pell 
Grants, Gear-Up and TRIO programs. Funding for several important 
programs, including rural education and technology training for 
teachers would be completely eliminated. It also includes no resources 
to address the $127 billion crisis in school repairs. The bill cuts 
funding for the “No Child Left Behind Act” by $90 million 
from last year, resulting in 16,000 fewer teachers getting trained, 
50,000 fewer children in after-school programs, and yet another year 
without the needed resources to turn around failing schools. The 
President and the Republicans continue to break their promises to the 
children of our country.
  In my home state of Illinois, they are attempting to take away nearly 
$200 million needed to support the Title I grants program, which 
provides supplemental assistance to improve the educational attainment 
of low-achieving students, especially those in high poverty areas. 
Also, they are cutting nearly $600 million from IDEA funding, which is 
desperately needed to improve special education in Illinois. Finally, 
student debt is skyrocketing as college tuitions rise, making loan 
affordability critical. Despite this fact, the Administration's budget 
cuts the maximum Pell Grant, which provides up to $4,000 to low-income 
students to help with college tuition costs, to $3,600, $800 short of 
what is needed to keep pace with projected tuition hikes.
  Mr. Speaker, this is not what I consider education reform. If we 
refuse to fund our educational system, then we are only cutting short 
the potential of our country's children and jeopardizing our nation's 
future. I urge my colleagues to listen to the millions of Americans out 
there and support a bill that follows the Senate's bill and not the 
President's budget. It is time to give our children the opportunities 
they deserve.

                          ____________________