Political Quotes

“this issue is a very important issue to almost every Member of this Chamber, if not every Member of this Chamber, regardless of party. This issue of special education funding is something that we have worked at bipartisanly and in special orders and after hours, and between myself and the gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Bass) and many other Members on the other side of the aisle, and it is something we all care deeply about. Twenty-six years ago, we promised to fund 40 percent of the special education costs in our country, and we are now at 14 percent. We will never have an opportunity, I believe, to be able to address this issue, given the uncertain economics and budgetary constraints that have been placed before us and that will be before us in the future. We have no better time to address this issue. This was an instruction to the conferees to go about fully funding special education costs. This is an issue which costs all of our States, regardless of party and location, billions of dollars in property tax payments by local citizens. This is something that would have benefited, if it was fully funded, not just the disabled but the nondisabled. I was disappointed that we did not have the opportunity for a free and open discussion, but as most of the Members know, this issue is not going to go away. We will be bringing this issue back before us.”