Benjamin Gilman: “this is an important domestic affair, and I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I am pleased to rise today in support…”

“this is an important domestic affair, and I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I am pleased to rise today in support of the gentleman from Pennsylvania, the chairman of our Committee on Education and the Workforce, Mr. Goodling, in his efforts to raise awareness about the limited funding for Individuals with Disabilities Act, IDEA. In passing IDEA back in 1975, the Congress required the Federal, State and local governments to share the cost of educating children with disabilities. When enacted, the Federal Government was intended to assume 40 percent of the national average per pupil expense for such children. While Congress has authorized this amount since 1982, regrettably the appropriation amount has never come close to the stated goal of 40 percent. Last year, it reached the highest level ever, thanks to the efforts of our good chairman, Mr. Goodling, highest level ever at 12 percent; and now the President is requesting the program be cut to 11 percent for Fiscal Year 2000. This result has been an enormous unfunded mandate impacting our State and local school systems, requiring them to absorb the cost of educating students with disabilities; and in doing so local school districts have had to divert funding away from other students and other educational activities. Mr. Speaker, this has had the unfortunate effect of draining school budgets, decreasing the quality of education locally and unfairly burdening our taxpayers.”