Dianne Feinstein: “the bill the Senate is considering today addresses some of the nation's most pressing problems and is very important to…”

“the bill the Senate is considering today addresses some of the nation's most pressing problems and is very important to my state, the largest state in the nation, with a population of 34 million people. California's schools face huge challenges--low test scores, crowded classrooms, teacher shortages, booming enrollments, decrepit buildings. California has 5.8 million students, more students than 36 states have in total population and one of the highest projected enrollments in the US. California has 40 percent of the nation's immigrants; we have 50 languages in some schools. Many of California's students have low test scores and are taught by uncredentialed teachers. At the college level, the University of California has the most diverse student body in the US. Federal programs provide nearly 55 percent of all student financial aid funding that UC students received. Our colleges and universities are facing 'Tidal Wave II,' the demographic bulge created by children of the baby boomers who will inundate California's colleges and universities between 2000 and 2010 because the number of high school graduates will jump by 30 percent. Our needs are huge. I am pleased that the bill before us increases education by $4.6 billion over last year. The federal share of elementary-secondary education funding has declined from 14 percent in 1980 to 6 percent in 1999. Devoting more resources to education is critical in my state.”