After successfully adding his Character Education amendment to President Bush's education bill, Congressman Zach Wamp voted in favor of The Leave No Child Behind Act of 2001. Despite some reservations about parts of the education measure, Wamp joined 384 of his colleagues in the House by voting in favor of the bill.

Wamp joined Congressman Bob Etheridge , D-N.C., in writing the amendment that would double the funding that is available through federal grants to local school systems for character education measures. The President's budget increased character education funding from $8 million to $25 million. The Wamp-Etheridge Amendment would increase that amount to $50 million to fund character education grants to the states. Reps. Wamp and Etheridge offered this legislation as a freestanding bill last year.

The Wamp-Etheridge Amendment was unanimously passed today by a voice vote in the House.

"President Bush understands the need for character education in America's schools. At the foundation of all knowledge there must exist a fundamental set of principles that distinguishes right from wrong and good from bad," said Wamp.

Although Wamp does express some concern about the testing provisions in the President's education bill, he said, "This bill is a step in the right direction to reform America's education system. President Bush is the first President to make educating our children his top priority, and he has personally asked for my help. In his quest to reform education in America, the President is committed to making progress every year to give states more flexibility, dramatically reducing the "red tape" that ensnarls local school systems, and increasing accountability for the funds that are spent."