FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: OCTOBER 2, 2002
CONTACT: LINDA MACIAS/PAUL TODD (202) 225-6161

Baca, Democrats Fight to Fully Fund Education Programs

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Representative Joe Baca (D-Rialto) and Democratic members of the House of Representatives voted today to force the Republican majority to bring education funding bills to the floor of the House to be debated and voted on by all of the members. The Democrats voted "no" on motions to table privileged resolutions offered by Democratic members that would bring funding for the "No Child Left Behind" Act and the Labor and the Health and Human Services Appropriations Bill to the floor to be debated. Democrats have long argued that the President's budget fails to fund vital education programs and leaves every child behind when it comes to providing access to high quality education.

"It seems that the Republicans think that simply naming the education bill "No Child Left Behind" Act was enough, without putting up any funding to improve education opportunities for every child," Baca said. "The President's budget actually leaves every child behind when it comes to providing funding for education."

Baca joined Democrats in decrying proposed budget cuts by the Bush Administration to vital education programs including:

• Slashing about 82 percent of the budget increase promised by the "Leave No Child Behind Act" for low-income students. The President's budget cuts the expected increase for low-income students from $5.65 billion to only $1 billion, and most of the $1 billion comes from cuts in other important programs. Low-income students in California will lose over $664 million in badly needed funds.

• Freezes funding for English language training programs at its current level despite the fact that 300,000 students with limited English will enroll in school in the next year. The "No Child Left Behind" Act requires testing of all students with difficulty speaking English in order to determine what programs are needed to bring the students up to proficiency standards, but the Bush budget cuts English language training funding by almost 10 percent per child.

• Cuts the average annual funding increase of 20 percent for special education programs by so much that the goals mandated by the Individuals with Disabilities Act cannot be met for at least 12 more years instead of the required 7 years.

• Blindsides the nation's teachers by freezing funding for the Teacher Quality State Grant Program, which is the primary federal program for training teachers in core academic subjects, at its current level. The Bush Administration budgeted an amount for teacher training that is $404 million below the amount authorized by the Leave No Child Behind Act, and that would only support about 316,000 teachers, 92,000 fewer than the Program currently supports.

"The Bush Administration says it wants to leave no child behind, but then turns around and leaves millions of our children without access to the quality educational opportunities they deserve," Baca said. "It's a shame that this administration pays only lip service to our nation's children."

"The President touted the "No Child Left Behind" Act as the first big accomplishment of his presidency. If leaving millions of children out in the cold when it comes to providing for their futures is an accomplishment, then dark times lay ahead. I urge both the Administration and the Republicans in Congress to fully fund the "No Child Left Behind" Act for the sake of our children."

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