Jeff Bingaman: “let me use my 3 minutes to make the point that this is a very important amendment which the Senator from Nevada put…”

“let me use my 3 minutes to make the point that this is a very important amendment which the Senator from Nevada put forward to provide some additional funding for the programs that are most important in assisting Hispanic students and school districts that are serving Hispanic students around our country. I believe very strongly that we need to adopt this amendment. One of the key provisions in it, which I spoke about earlier this morning, would add $20 million for dropout prevention. That is $20 million out of the $125 million that is authorized in the No Child Left Behind Act. The President asked for zero funds for that dropout prevention initiative. I believe we in Congress should add something in the current year. We are providing nearly $11 million. I believe this amendment would allow us to provide at least $20 million, which is a start and which is a help. I hope very much it will be adopted. In my home State, the Farmington public schools received a grant under the funding this last year for dropout prevention.”