Barbara Mikulski: “I rise in support of the IDEA Full Funding Act of 2003. I'm so proud to cosponsor this important legislation. This bill…”

“I rise in support of the IDEA Full Funding Act of 2003. I'm so proud to cosponsor this important legislation. This bill provides mandatory increases for IDEA funding each year, so that the Federal Government will be paying its full share of the cost of special education by 2011. This legislation is long overdue. I think it's shocking that the President is fighting for tax breaks for zillionaires while delaying help for those who need it most--the children with special needs and their parents and teachers. We must fully fund IDEA to ensure that children with disabilities are receiving the services they need to succeed with their classmates in public schools. In 1975, Congress promised to pay 40 percent of the cost of special education when it passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Yet it has never paid more than 17.5 percent. That means local districts must make up the difference, either by cutting from other education programs or by raising taxes. I don't want to force States and local school districts to forage for funds, cut back on teacher training, or delay school repairs because the Federal Government has failed to live up to its commitment to special education. That's why fully funding IDEA is one of my top priorities. Everywhere I go in Maryland, I hear about IDEA. I hear about it in urban, rural, and suburban communities, from Democrats and Republicans, and from parents and teachers.”