Barbara Boxer: “as we look at the request for $87 billion, most of it for Iraq, I hope we will find it in our hearts to look at the…”

“as we look at the request for $87 billion, most of it for Iraq, I hope we will find it in our hearts to look at the millions of children in our own country who are waiting to get into afterschool programs. When we passed the No Child Left Behind Act, we made a promise to our children. I want to focus on that promise as it pertains to afterschool programs. This is a blowup of a little of the act itself. It is the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 that President Bush is talking about everywhere he goes in the country but unfortunately is underfunding. It is very clear. It is in black and white. The No Child Left Behind Act spelled out exactly what was supposed to be spent on afterschool programs for our children. In the year 2002, we were supposed to spend $1.250 billion; in 2003, we were supposed to spend $1.5 billion; and in 2004--the bill we are debating now--we were supposed to spend $1.750 billion. If this were an exam that our children were giving us, we would fail and fail miserably. Afterschool is a great program. That is why this afterschool act which is part of the No Child Left Behind Act was supported by both sides of the aisle. It was written by myself and Senator Ensign. But I have to say, as the author of this bill, that it saddens me greatly to realize we are breaking our promises to children. Let me show you how we have broken those promises. It is a sad chapter in our history.…”