Chuck Schumer: “we set out goals. A block grant is a continuation of mediocrity. A block grant does not give families the power to spend…”

“we set out goals. A block grant is a continuation of mediocrity. A block grant does not give families the power to spend the money. It gives money so the same local institutions, many that have been mired in mediocrity, can do the same thing as they have been doing before. Sure as we are sitting here, if we have a block grant, do you know where it is going to end up? Administrators' folderol. The programs in the amendment of the Senator from New Mexico are designed to do specific things that all Americans support and, more importantly, even that our educational experts tell us are needed to improve education. So the fact that the budget is pusillanimous, is stingy in the area where we most need help--education--and the fact is, instead of laying out a specific guidepost based on careful analysis and what the experts say is needed, it just takes a ball of money and throws it to a locality or throws it to a State, separating the taxing authority from the spending authority. That is probably the greatest problem in block grants because when you separate the taxing authority from the spending authority, you almost always get wasted money. It is free money to others. Those are the two great problems in education, our most important priority with the budget that is put before us.”