Virginia Foxx: “Our colleagues have said that H.R. 5 guts education funding. That is not accurate. H.R. 5 authorizes funding for all…”

“Our colleagues have said that H.R. 5 guts education funding. That is not accurate. H.R. 5 authorizes funding for all programs under the act as the final appropriated amount for ESEA programs in FY 2013. Those amounts are level-funded for the 6-year life of the bill. While authorizing spending for the act at the final FY 2013 level, H.R. 5 prioritizes Federal spending by protecting core programs. Title I aid for the disadvantaged, as well as targeted population programs: migrant education, neglected and delinquent, English-language acquisition, Indian education, and rural education are authorized at FY 2012 levels. Additionally, because the bill consolidates many existing programs, funds currently spent on those lower priority programs have been used to increase the authorization for these core programs. As a result, our bill would authorize more spending--I'll emphasize--more spending for these core programs in FY 2014 than the President's own FY 2014 budget proposal. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.”