Tom Harkin: “throughout my career in public service I have focused on ensuring that each and every child with a disability has a…”

“throughout my career in public service I have focused on ensuring that each and every child with a disability has a right to a good education. To this end, I have fought tirelessly to safeguard the rights of children with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA, the landmark legislation that has been improving the educational outcomes of millions of students across the nation since 1975 through the principles of inclusion and equality. When Congress passed IDEA with strong bipartisan support, we understood that our commitment to provide high-quality educational opportunities and serve the needs of students with disabilities in our classrooms entailed excess costs compared to other students, which would have a significant financial impact on States and school districts. As a result, Congress committed to cover up to 40 percent of the excess cost of educating students with disabilities; however, we have failed to deliver on that promise and the law has been greatly underfunded. This is why I am pleased to introduce the IDEA Full Funding Act, with my colleagues Richard Durbin, Frank Lautenberg, Richard Blumenthal, Patty Murray, Sheldon Whitehouse, Patrick Leahy, Michael Bennet, Al Franken, Barbara Mikulski, Jack Reed, Jeanne Shaheen, Tim Johnson, and Mark Begich, which will meet the full Federal commitment at no additional cost to taxpayers.…”