Statement of House Education & the Workforce Committee Chairman McKeon on Passage of

House Budget Resolution

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following passage of the Fiscal Year 2007 budget resolution early this morning, House Education & the Workforce Committee Chairman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) issued the following statement:

“This budget funds our national priorities while exercising fiscal restraint on behalf of American taxpayers, and I commend the House Republican leadership and our conference for not backing away from this fundamental commitment.  It’s a commitment the Education & the Workforce Committee takes most seriously.

“Our Republican record on education funding is strong.  Overall federal education funding has increased by about 150 percent over the past decade.  Funding for No Child Left Behind has increased by one-third since it became law, and Pell Grants are funded at an all-time high. 

“We also must not lose sight of the fact that today’s students are tomorrow’s taxpayers, and it is unfair to leave them with exploding budget deficits.  And that is why this budget’s ability to balance priorities and restraint is so important.  Simply put, American taxpayers have a right to know that our top priorities are well-funded, but they also have the right to expect a return on their massive annual investment in federal programs.  This budget strikes a responsible balance between the two.” 

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