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| Wilson continues push for increased Education funding |
October 16, 2001 |
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| ‘Education is more important than ever’
WASHINGTON, DC — Congresswoman Heather Wilson and the House of Representatives got back to the ABC’s of education funding today even as members of Congress respectfully paused for a moment of silence to commemorate the one-month anniversary of the worst terrorist attacks in U.S. history.
Wilson continued her push for increased education funding and today voted for H.R. 3061, the Labor, HHS, Education Spending bill. The Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Act for 2002 provides nearly 20 percent more funding for education, $3.5 billion over President Bush`s budget request and $4.95 billion over last year’s levels. Funding priorities include early reading programs, Title I, bilingual and immigrant education, professional development for teachers, and Troops to Teachers, a program that streamlines getting eligible members of the military into the classroom as teachers.
“Education is more important than ever,” said Wilson, known in her district for her commitment to high quality public education. “America is the land of the free. One of the things that sets us apart, that makes us the great country we are, is a free and quality education for every child, no matter your background or what neighborhood you live in. We have to continue to put our resources into our future. We have to continue to give our children wings for their dreams.”
Wilson has visited more than 100 schools in her district and runs a high school internship program in her Albuquerque office where participants learn basic office skills.
Funding our nation’s top domestic priority in H.R. 1, the No Child Left Behind Act:
The bill provides $3.5 billion over the budget request for the programs included in the President’s elementary and secondary education initiatives authorized in H.R. 1 and Special Education programs. Total funding for Elementary and Secondary Education programs is $29.9 billion, $4.95 billion over last year’s levels.
Reading First – Fully funds this new program at the requested level of $975 million which will enable states to eliminate the reading deficit through scientific research-based reading programs.
State Assessments – The bill includes $400 million, $80 million over the budget request, to cover the cost of developing annual state assessments of student’s reading and math skills. States will be responsible for selecting and designing their own assessments.
State grants for Improving Teacher Quality – The bills provides $3.175 billion, $575 million above the budget request, for a new program to consolidate and streamline existing professional development programs to provide states and school districts with tools to improve teacher quality and increase the number of highly qualified teachers in the classroom.
Troops to Teachers – The bill provides $50 million, $20 million over the budget request, to assist eligible members of the armed forces to obtain certification as elementary and secondary school teachers, or vocational teachers.
Title I – Program is funded at $10.5 billion, $1.5 billion over the budget request, to provide aid to states and school districts to help educationally disadvantaged children.
Bilingual and Immigrant Education – The bill provides $240 above the budget request of $460 million for the purpose of teaching English to limited English proficient children and expediting their transition into regular classrooms.
Protecting Priority Education Programs
The Conference Report provides a total of $49.2 billion for education programs, $7 billion more than the last year levels and $4.7 billion more than the President request.
Special Education Grants are funded at $7.7 billion, $375 million over the President`s request and $1.375 billion more than last year.
Maximum Pell Grants are increased $150 over the President`s request and $250 over FY01, bringing the maximum award to $4000.
The bill terminates funding for the class size reduction program and school renovation and consolidates or eliminates 35 federal elementary and secondary education programs.
Impact Aid is funded at budget request of $1.1 billion, $137 million over last year’s level.
After School Centers are funded at $1 billion, $154 million over the budget request and FY01.
TRIO Program for minority and disadvantaged students is increased $70 million over last year and $20 million over the President`s request bringing total FY02 funding to $800 million.
Head Start is increased $276 million over last year’s level and $151 million over the budget request, bringing total FY02 funding to $6.5 billion |
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