Patsy T. Mink: “I take this extraordinary measure in order to emphasize the importance of the amendment that was just defeated. My…”

“I take this extraordinary measure in order to emphasize the importance of the amendment that was just defeated. My effort in offering the amendment was simply to hold harmless, to continue a vital program that has been in existence for the past 13 years because Congress recognizes that unless we set aside 10 percent of the funding in the vocational education program, that these individuals, the displaced homemakers, the single parents, the pregnant women, others in that category would simply not be provided for under the traditional vocational education concepts. And, so, the Congress agreed and put forth a 10-percent set-aside for these individuals. I understand that the new majority has a new way of looking at funding these education programs. They prefer to allocate the monies to the States, and through guidance called in the bill as benchmarks, attempt to try to suggest that these programs ought to be continued. My amendment would say dismiss the 10-percent set-aside, we are at a new point, all right, let us dismiss that, forget the targeting; but let us not forget the program. And, so, all I do, under my amendment, is to hold harmless the current programs that are in existence at the current level of funding.”