Patty Murray: “I would like to add my wholehearted support for the amendment offered by my friend from Connecticut. The passage of IDEA…”

“I would like to add my wholehearted support for the amendment offered by my friend from Connecticut. The passage of IDEA was a watershed event--for children with disabilities and for all Americans. By opening the doors of our public schools, we enabled millions of talented students to join their peers in becoming productive members of society. Equally important, we improved education for all students by allowing them to know the strength and richness that diverse people with different experiences, challenges, and abilities bring to our lives. Finally, we took yet another critical step on our journey to becoming a country that lives out our ideals of democracy, opportunity, and equality. Because we have not lived up to the commitments made in IDEA, the full promise of this law has yet to be fulfilled. Having failed to provide the full 40 percent of excess cost that was committed over 25 years ago, we have cheated students of the high-quality education they deserve. This amendment gives us another chance to right that wrong and move forward on a path to full funding.”