Harry Reid: “I think we need to have clear what numbers we are working with here. My friend--and I consider him a friend--the…”

“I think we need to have clear what numbers we are working with here. My friend--and I consider him a friend--the distinguished senior Senator from Pennsylvania, the comanager of this bill, has spoken about the good things that have happened by virtue of the President of the United States, George Bush, and his requests for additional moneys for education. But very seriously, that has to be tongue in cheek because the President has requested almost nothing as it relates to education. For example, in fiscal year 2003, the President of the United States requested an increase of $.4 billion. In the previous year, he requested $2.3 billion. The increases that have come that my friend from Pennsylvania has spoken about have come as a result of pressure placed on this President, this administration, this Congress, by Democrats. As a result of that, we have gotten an extra $8.2 billion. All you have to do is look at what this President has requested. This isn't some kind of mathematical genius who comes up with these numbers. In black and white, you see what the President requested. Those requests were an increase for fiscal year 2002 of $2.3 billion; for fiscal year 2003, $400 million. Fact.…”