Karen Bass: “25 years ago the Congress passed the Individuals with Disability Education Act, and contained therein was a mandate that…”

“25 years ago the Congress passed the Individuals with Disability Education Act, and contained therein was a mandate that the Federal Government should supply 40 percent of the funding to teach disabled children. To date we have broken the record at 12 percent. Mr. Speaker, let me suggest to my colleagues that in the course of these negotiations Republicans and Democrats should join together and urge the budget negotiators to fulfill the unfunded mandate for special education because fulfilling that unfunded mandate will not only help teachers, but it will help school administrators, it will help principals, it will help parents, it will help taxpayers, and most importantly, it will help the children of America. Let us get together and agree on something that Republicans and Democrats can move forward on. Let us put more money into special education because it helps the entire educational system across this country. I urge my colleagues to call my office and join me in urging the negotiators to support special education when it really counts, and it counts today.”