[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 18944]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Baca) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support full funding for the 
``No Child Left Behind'' Act (H.R. 1). The new little red schoolhouse 
entrances to the Department of Education building are a perfect example 
that the Administration is ``all show and no tell'' when it comes to 
education. By building those little red schoolhouses, at a cost of 
$98,000, at least 160 children have already been left behind by the 
Administration's cuts in education funding. The Bush Administration 
thinks that the American people will see those schoolhouses and believe 
that the Nation's children are in good hands under the Bush education 
system.
  The American people know better. Americans will notice when after 
school programs are no longer available for their children. Americans 
will notice when their special needs children cannot get extra help 
from their own community schools.
  Americans will notice when their teachers become frustrated because 
they can't get the training they need to provide the best quality 
instruction to their students. Americans will notice when these same 
teachers have to leave their students because they can't get the 
training required to meet the Administration's new accountability 
standards. Americans will notice when their kids can't receive as much 
in student loans, and don't have access to scholarships for low-income 
students. And, Americans will notice when their kids who need help with 
their English skills are falling behind because their schools no longer 
provide training in English.
  Since 1997, the average increase in Federal education funding has 
been 12 percent a year--until now.
  The Bush Administration proposes to increase Federal funding by only 
0.5 percent, but flaunts the ``No Child Left Behind'' Act as its first 
big accomplishment.
  If leaving millions of children out in the cold when it comes to 
their education is an accomplishment, then dark times lay ahead.
  The Bush Administration has slashed about 82 percent of the budget 
increase promised by the ``No Child Left Behind'' Act for low-income 
students.
  The President's budget cuts the expected increase for low-income 
students from $5.65 billion to only $1 billion extracted from other 
important programs.
  Low-income students can expect to lose over $664 million in badly 
needed funds.
  English language training programs will now face a freeze in funding 
even though 300,000 students with limited English will enroll in school 
next year.
  The Bush budget cuts English language training funding by almost 10 
percent per child, but still requires testing of these students to 
determine how to bring students up to new standards.
  We should be helping school districts like those in my Congressional 
district, which are struggling to make good on their promise to hire 
more bilingual teachers to help the growing number of Spanish-speaking 
children.
  Instead, the Bush budget cuts funding for bilingual education and 
teacher training.
  The Bush administration's budget cuts special education programs by 
so much that the goals set by the Individuals with Disabilities Act 
(IDEA) cannot be met for at least 12 more years.
  Special Education is underfunded by $500 million. The ``No Child Left 
Behind'' Act requires that IDEA be met in 7 years, not 12.
  The funds for the Teacher Quality State Grant program, which is the 
primary Federal program for training teachers in core academic 
subjects, have come to a halt.
  92,000 fewer teachers will be trained than the Program currently 
supports. The Bush Administration's budget is $404 million below the 
amount promised in the ``No Child Left Behind'' for teacher training.
  The Republican budget also freezes child care funding and includes 
only a slight increase for Head Start. This will reduce the number of 
children already eligible and leave millions empty-handed.
  The Administration fails to fund its vital education program that 
claims to leave no child behind. It seems that Republicans think that 
simply by naming the education bill ``No Child Left Behind,'' they are 
keeping their promise to the American people. Americans know better! 
Americans deserve better!
  I urge both the Administration and the Members of Congress to fully 
fund the ``No Child Left Behind'' Act for the sake of our children.

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