Mike Honda: “I rise to express my reluctant support of the conference report on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. While…”

“I rise to express my reluctant support of the conference report on the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. While this legislation makes a significant strides in the field of education reform, it fails to honor an important commitment to our nation's children. Over the last quarter century, Congress has been shortchanging the federal commitment to education by grossly underfunding the Individual with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, in its annual appropriations process. This failure on the part of Congress has hurt local school districts in their efforts to fulfill their education mission, as they struggle to meet the mandates of IDEA without sufficient federal support. Earlier this year, I sent a letter signed by one hundred and thirty-four Members of Congress urging support of mandatory, full funding of IDEA. Despite the support of a bipartisan group of Members and education groups across the country, this bill fails to fully fund the federal share of IDEA. Congress made a promise to our nation's children, and I will continue to fight to make sure this commitment is met in the future. Mr. Speaker, while I am disappointed that Congress failed to provide this critical resource, I am pleased that this legislation establishes a promising framework for raising student achievement.”