Liz Saville Roberts: “today I am proud to cosponsor the Hagel IDEA bill, S. 939, which will finally make Congress pay its promised share of…”

“today I am proud to cosponsor the Hagel IDEA bill, S. 939, which will finally make Congress pay its promised share of special education funding. I have long been a supporter of fully funding IDEA and I am pleased today to support this important piece of legislation. Nearly 30 years ago, Congress made a promise to our schools to share the cost of special education. The promise was simple--the Federal Government pays 40 percent of the excess cost of educating a special needs child. Sadly, we have yet to fulfill that promise and I believe it is well beyond time that Congress relieves our State and local governments of the financial burden they have been forced to shoulder. This bill will fully fund IDEA in 8 years by increasing funding by $2 billion annually for 7 years and $1.8 billion in 2011. This funding will have a tremendous impact in my home State of Kansas. The Kansas Department of Education estimates that this legislation will provide the State an increase of $19 million in overall funding for IDEA each year.”