Bill Delahunt: “I rise on behalf of the appropriations bill which Chairman Porter has brought before this Chamber. This legislation was…”

“I rise on behalf of the appropriations bill which Chairman Porter has brought before this Chamber. This legislation was carefully crafted to restoring bipartisan priorities for Federal health, labor, and education policy, and deserves the enthusiastic support of this House. I also want to draw particular attention to a small provision which has enormous implications for many communities across the Nation, including the town of Bourne, on Cape Cod, in my congressional district. As many of my colleagues know, the impact aid program was created in 1950 to ensure compensation to local communities for at least part of the cost of educating children of families associated with military bases or other Federal installations. On reliance of that assurance, cities and towns have expended considerable sums to educate these kids. The Federal formulas were never even close to covering the actual educational costs, but for awhile there was at least lipservice to the commitment. For the past dozen years, however, Washington has done all it can to abandon its obligations altogether--while towns like Bourne have struggled under the weight of these extra financial burdens. The irony is that, as impact aid communities do their best to maintain opportunity for federally connected students, now 15 percent of the student population, the quantity and quality of school services inevitably suffer. In 1 year alone, Bourne was forced to lay off 74 school employees.”