James M. Jeffords: “Today, Mr. President, we are taking up what I would call ``unfinished business'' from last Congress. Our bipartisan…”

“Today, Mr. President, we are taking up what I would call ``unfinished business'' from last Congress. Our bipartisan efforts in the last Congress resulted in nearly 30 public laws, about a third of them in the area of education. However, there was one bill that was reported from the Health and Education Committee with broad bipartisan support, the Ed-Flex bill, that was not enacted into law. A year ago, the President told the Nation's Governors that passage of this legislation--and I quote him--``would dramatically reduce the regulatory burden of the federal government on the states in the area of education.'' Six months ago, Secretary Riley wrote me to reiterate the administration's support for the Ed-Flex bill and urged its passage. The Senate Health and Education Committee heeded his advice and passed it with only one dissenting vote. The National Governors' Association, under the chairmanship of Governor Carper from Delaware, has strongly urged the Congress to pass Ed-Flex this year. Last November, the General Accounting Office looked at this program in detail, both at the dozen States that now participate in the Ed-Flex program and the 38 that potentially could participate under this legislation. It found that views among the current States varied, but it was seen as modestly helpful. It would be a gross overstatement to suggest that this bill will revolutionize education.”