Jeff Bingaman: “I rise in support of the Harkin education amendment. This amendment aims to restore funding for the Department of…”

“I rise in support of the Harkin education amendment. This amendment aims to restore funding for the Department of Education, and for all education and training to fiscal year 1995 levels. This amendment is fully paid for. It adds back funds to the fiscal year 1996 appropriations with offsets scored by CBO. This amendment, unlike the Republican addbacks, do not depend on future contingencies at an unspecified time in the future of a congressional-Presidential agreement on an overall budget. This will allow schools, now in the process of planning their budgets for next year, to know the funding level for which they can budget. The amendment represents addbacks that both parties agree to: $151 million for education reform; $1,279 million for title 1; $208 million for school improvement programs; $82 million for adult and vocational education; and $10 million for education research and statistics. This will provide funds for Goals 2000; title 1; safe and drug-free schools; charter schools; vocational and adult education; education technology; Head Start; dislocated workers; adult training; school-to-work; summer jobs for youth; and one-stop career centers. The Harkin amendment would maintain the fiscal year 1995 level of $18.4 billion for Department of Education funding except Pell grants, and funds for Pell grants, including the fiscal year 1995 surplus carried forward to fiscal year 1996, would also remain level.”