Kay Bailey Hutchison: “Senator Sessions and I are offering this amendment for one simple reason: We want to improve the quality of education…”

“Senator Sessions and I are offering this amendment for one simple reason: We want to improve the quality of education for the District of Columbia. Our amendment will preserve an estimated $44 million for special education funding in the District. The amendment will continue a provision contained in the last three DC appropriations bills that cap the allowable fees an attorney may charge for a child's special education placement in the District of Columbia. We raise the cap in the present law from $125 an hour to $150 per hour, and a per-case limit from $2,500 to $3,000. Our amendment also continues a provision contained in last year's bill that allows the District of Columbia, acting through the mayor and school superintendent, to waive those caps if they believe it is in the best interest of the D.C. students to do so. I also point out that our amendment will prevent an estimated $32 million in retroactive attorney's fees from being awarded, as has been threatened by the D.C. Circuit Court. That court has ruled that should this fee cap be lifted, they will go back and actually undo the will of Congress by awarding all the billed attorney fees in excess of the caps during the last 3 years. Our amendment is supported by the school board and the superintendent of schools in the District. And the mayor has told me he also has supported this. They support it because it allows them to put the dollars in education for the children.”