Dick Durbin: “Isn't it also a fact, as we read the newspapers from across the United States, that State after State is facing a…”

“Isn't it also a fact, as we read the newspapers from across the United States, that State after State is facing a cutback in the resources that the States have available for education? In my home State of Illinois, they are currently in session in Springfield trying to figure out how they are going to deal with diminished resources. This morning's paper talks about the State of California losing 20 to 25 percent of its revenue in the coming year, forcing hard decisions in every area, including education. So this refusal of the Bush administration to fund the very programs they were crowing about, announcing just a few months ago, is going to have a multiple impact on these States that are already facing tough times when it comes to their own budgets, as I see it.”