James M. Jeffords: “I offer this amendment in hopes that we can, again, emphasize what the proper procedure is for this bill--to try to see…”

“I offer this amendment in hopes that we can, again, emphasize what the proper procedure is for this bill--to try to see if we can get it through with the least possible delay. At the same time, since there seems to be a desire to utilize the amendment process, we can try to rectify what was an attempted procedure on an appropriations bill at the end of the last session, to get to the question of funds for schools. We believe very strongly, as we have emphasized over and over again, that the best way to help the schools out, with the money that was appropriated at that time, is to have that money flow to the schools to assist in taking care of children with disabilities. There is no question in the mind of anybody outside of Washington that the best way to help local communities is to get them out from under the problems that were put on them by the Federal Government when it promised to fund 40 percent of special education and only funded it at around 10 percent. That has put huge stress on the local communities, and this stress has just been made even worse by the recent Supreme Court decision which has emphasized, that it is the school's responsibility to have health care available to a child in order for the child to get what is promised under the Constitution, an appropriate education which is free. And 'free' is the key word here with respect to the recent Supreme Court decision.”