J. Exon: “I appreciate very much the vivid presentation centering on something that is very fundamental to those of us on this…”

“I appreciate very much the vivid presentation centering on something that is very fundamental to those of us on this side of the aisle, and I hope and urge my colleagues to support these two amendments because they are absolutely vital to the future of America, and that is what it is all about. This amendment simply raises the function totals in the Republican budget up to those included in the President's budget for education and training programs. While the Republicans cite an increase in education spending compared to their freeze baseline, they admit a cut of $3.2 billion over 6 years to a 1996 freeze. How could that be? The answer is simple. Their so-called 'freeze baseline' for the education Function only freezes for 1 year and then dips down in the outyears. They do not extend the appropriators' hard-fought compromise agreement on education spending through the whole budget window. The lesson of the long, drawn out, saga of the 1996 appropriations process was that the American people, the majority of Congress, and the President consider it a top priority to adequately fund education programs. The Republicans seem to need to be knocked over the head to learn that lesson. Let me say in closing that I strongly support the Kerry-Murray-Levin-Kennedy amendment and urge its adoption by the Senate.”