Nancy Kassebaum: “If I may comment for a moment, many of us put education as a top priority of interest and concern. But there are no two…”

“If I may comment for a moment, many of us put education as a top priority of interest and concern. But there are no two people, I think, in the U.S. Senate who have spoken with greater dedication to the importance of education than Senator Pell, who has lent his name to one of the most important student aid programs that there is, the Pell grant program, and Senator Jeffords. So it is with regret that I must oppose this amendment. I opposed it in committee where it was defeated on a tie vote, and I oppose it today for one major reason. To me, it is an important one, because it goes to the heart of what we have tried to do with the work force development legislation. It would reduce the State flexibility, which is really at the heart of S. 143. Many have said that S. 143 is still too bureaucratic. Mr. President, we ended 80-some programs. We have really revolutionized the way we handle job training, and we have tried very hard to keep a flexibility in place so that the States can determine how best to design a program that fits the need of that State.”