Judd Gregg: “I do not think it is the wrong direction when one is trying to help low-income kids be more competitive in a school…”

“I do not think it is the wrong direction when one is trying to help low-income kids be more competitive in a school environment where they have been left behind. The goal of the Federal Government has been stated. Our goal as the Federal Government under title I is to help low-income kids. The problem is we have not adequately funded the formulas to accomplish that. In fact, we have not even funded the targeted formula which was passed in 1996. We funded a formula that was a pre-1996 formula or a 1994 formula, which has been nothing more than a hold harmless for a bunch of States which may or may not help the targeted populations in need. Now we create this new program, $925 million of new money being spent on a capital program for construction of facilities which can go to any school. As the Senator from Iowa said, it can go to the richest school districts. It can go to any schools. It does not go to the low-income children. It does not go to the school districts with low-income children. It can go anywhere in the school system. It can go for swimming pools. It can go for squash courts. It can go for whatever the school system decides to build. That is not our responsibility as a Federal legislature. We have been very specific as to what our responsibility as a Federal legislature is.”