Paul Coverdell: “I am most appreciative of the extended effort on the part of the Senator from New Jersey, who brings a very powerful…”

“I am most appreciative of the extended effort on the part of the Senator from New Jersey, who brings a very powerful perspective to this debate. The Senator from Connecticut is correct that we are constantly confronted with choices. I think this is a bad example, though, or choice of that kind of trade. What I mean is, first of all, I believe IDEA will receive added benefits this year. It has received nearly $3 billion in the last 4 years over and above the President's request. So there is a body here that agrees with those Governors and with you that this is a high priority. The problem with the Senator's amendment is when it moves against the savings accounts, it blows away $12 billion. There are choices. You could say, well, we will spend $1.2 billion here instead of $1.2 billion over there. But by the nature of this legislation, this savings account involves 14 million families--20 million of those 55 million you are talking about--3 million or 4 million of them are in private schools, but 11 million of these children are in public schools that will benefit from these accounts. The Senator's amendment takes that resource, which comes forward as a voluntary action on the part of families and communities, churches, synagogues, labor unions, and employers and shuts it down. That is not a good trade. Trading $1.2 billion and losing $12 billion is not a good trade.”