James M. Jeffords: “Mr. President, last evening the House adopted H.R. 5 by a recorded vote of 420 to 3. Today we have voted 98-1. In the…”

“Mr. President, last evening the House adopted H.R. 5 by a recorded vote of 420 to 3. Today we have voted 98-1. In the last week Congress has demonstrated once again, its willingness to invest in human capital--the children of today and the taxpayers of tomorrow, children with disabilities and children, who, if not helped, might develop disabilities. We have said in H.R. 5: children with disabilities will continue to receive a free appropriate public education, we do expect them to succeed in the general education curriculum, and we will be accountable for their progress. That is a clear, simple message, a message of power, potential, and promise. We invested in human capital in another way in H.R. 5. We recognized the range of decisions and obligations that fall to local school districts on a daily basis. We gave them flexible, practical guidelines on how and when they may discipline children with known disabilities. We gave them greater access to Federal dollars and greater discretion in how those dollars may be used. We directed more resources to personnel preparation and to technical assistance. We reshaped procedural requirements so school personnel may concentrate on children and teaching them. We invested in human capital through incentives for partnership between State educational agencies and local education agencies, and between parents and professionals.”