[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 114 (Tuesday, September 21, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S9468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT--H.R. 1350

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the 
Senate receives the House message to accompany H.R. 1350, the IDEA 
reauthorization bill, if the House amends the Senate amendment, the 
Senate disagree with the House amendment or insist upon its amendment, 
as is appropriate, and request a conference with the House on the 
disagreeing votes of the two Houses; provided, alternatively, that if 
the House requests a conference, the Senate agree to the request for a 
conference, and in either case the Chair be authorized to appoint 
conferees with a ratio of 11 to 10.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, this is the way we should proceed. This is 
excellent. I have confidence in Judd Gregg, the chairman of the 
committee. I don't agree with him lots of times, but he is a man who 
believes in the procedures we have established here many years ago. I 
am confident this will be a very successful conference.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I, too, am pleased that we have been 
able to finally get to conference on IDEA. We hope the conferees will 
be successful shortly.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I am pleased that we are going to 
conference on the reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities 
Education Act. This is the landmark Federal law that sets national 
standards for special education, and defines the rights of children 
with disabilities in our public schools.
  We have ahead of us the key challenge of modernizing this important 
law to meet today's demands and to ensure that the rights of children 
with special needs truly are protected. Disabled does not mean unable. 
We must do everything possible to ensure that children with 
disabilities have the same opportunities to learn as other children.
  I want to thank our committee chairman, Senator Gregg, for his 
leadership in guiding through the Senate a strong bipartisan bill to 
meet that challenge. I look forward to working closely with him, 
Chairman John Boehner, Congressman George Miller, and our other 
colleagues on the committee to produce a final bill that parents can 
support and that will enjoy bipartisan support.

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