[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 90 (Wednesday, July 12, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H5102-H5103]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1630
A MESSAGE FROM THE NORTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. PRICE of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I am here to deliver a
message from the North Carolina General Assembly. It is a bipartisan,
nearly unanimous message from our State House: Stop underfunding our
schools.
Last week, 52 Republicans joined all voting Democrats in the North
Carolina House of Representatives in passing a resolution that, ``urges
the President of the United States and Congress to make a serious
commitment to improving the quality of the Nation's public schools by
substantially increasing the funding for the No Child Left Behind Act,
the Higher Education Act, the Individuals With Disabilities Education
Act, and other education-related programs.''
This resounding call from both sides of the aisle in my State is a
sign that North Carolinians are exasperated with a President and a
Congress that refuse to follow through on their commitments. They are
simply fed up, Mr. Speaker.
By consistently underfunding No Child Left Behind, the Federal
Government has failed to hold up its share of the bargain it made with
our schools when No Child Left Behind was signed into law 4 years ago.
In passing the law, the government promised to help improve failing
schools by targeting the areas that needed support and providing that
assistance.
By failing to come through on promised funding, the administration
has turned No Child Left Behind into a program that punishes our
schools instead of supporting them.
Two of the resolution's clauses tell the story more fully. ``Whereas
the Federal government has decreased funding to North Carolina for No
Child Left Behind in fiscal year 2006 by almost $11 million, and
overall funding for public education by almost $12 million, including a
deduction of $759,012 from programs that serve students with
disabilities, and, whereas, in addition the Federal Government has cut
almost $11 million from postsecondary education programs in North
Carolina.''
Mr. Speaker, since No Child Left Behind was signed into law in 2002,
counting the President's latest budget proposal, the Bush
administration and the Republican Congress have underfunded this law by
some $55 billion. In fact, the House is expected to debate an
appropriations bill for the Department of Education soon that will cut
the program by another $500 million as compared to last year.
And what about other Federal education programs? The story is much
the same. The government is not fulfilling its promises. Since the
passage of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act in 1975, the
Federal Government has failed to fully fund the education of children
with special needs to the tune of $217 billion.
And this President and the leadership of this House have dropped the
ball on making college more affordable for students and parents.
Student loan rates are going up and Federal support for aspiring
students is stagnant or decreasing while the cost of education
continues to rise.
To put this in perspective, our alternative Democratic budget would
invest far more in education smartly and strategically while at the
same time balancing the budget sooner.
Mr. Speaker, North Carolina schools are no strangers to
accountability. The teachers and parents and administrators in my State
want our students to succeed like none other. They are simply asking
that our Federal Government be a reliable partner and live up to its
promise of support for the education of our children.
Mr. Speaker, I will insert at this point in the Record House
Resolution 1811 from the North Carolina General Assembly adopted on
July 5th, 2006.
[[Page H5103]]
A HOUSE RESOLUTION URGING CONGRESS TO INCREASE FUNDING FOR THE NO CHILD
LEFT BEHIND ACT, THE HIGHER EDUCATION ACT, AND THE INDIVIDUALS WITH
DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT.
Whereas, the State of North Carolina under the Standards of
Learning Accountability System has long pursued the goal of
improving the academic performance of all students,
especially students of racial and ethnic backgrounds, lower
economic status, and limited English proficiency, and with
learning disabilities or challenges; and
Whereas, the State of North Carolina, therefore, applauds
the President and United States Congress for putting forth
the same goals in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and
emphasizing the urgency in closing these achievement gaps and
improving the performance of these students; and
Whereas, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has
encouraged some needed changes in public education and was
initially accompanied with relatively large increases in
federal funding for public elementary and secondary
education; and
Whereas, however, the increases in federal funding since
the first year of the No Child Left Behind Act have been
minimal and insignificant; and
Whereas, the federal government has decreased funding to
North Carolina for No Child Left Behind Act in fiscal year
2006 by $10,777,346 and overall funding for public education
by $11,931,500, including a deduction of $759,012 from
programs that serve students with disabilities; and
Whereas, in addition, the federal government has cut almost
$11,000,000 from postsecondary education programs in North
Carolina; Now, therefore, Be it resolved by the House of
Representatives:
SECTION 1. The House of Representatives urges the President
of the United States and Congress to make a serious
commitment to improving the quality of the nation's public
schools by substantially increasing the funding for the No
Child Left Behind Act, the Higher Education Act, the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and other
education related programs.
SECTION 2. The House of Representatives requests the
President, Congress, and the United States Department of
Education to offer states waivers, exemptions, or whatever
flexibility possible through regulations from the
requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act in any year that
federal funding for public elementary and secondary education
is decreased to prevent states from spending state and local
resources on activities that are not proven effective in
raising student achievement and may not be the priority of an
individual state.
SECTION 3. The Principal Clerk shall transmit a certified
copy of this resolution to the President, the members of the
North Carolina Congressional Delegation, and the United
States Department of Education.
SECTION 4. This resolution is effective upon adoption.
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