SUPPORTING THE FULL FUNDING OF THE INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES EDUCATION ACT -- HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK (Extensions of Remarks - May 02, 2000)

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HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK OF CALIFORNIA IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Tuesday, May 2, 2000

Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4055, the IDEA Funding Act.

I am happy that this Congress has finally decided to vote on substantive legislation that puts our children first. Hopefully, this vote is an indication of this Congress' national commitment to our children in the upcoming reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

Over 25 years ago, Congress promised to pay 40 percent of the national average per pupil expenditure of all children with disabilities. However, the government has never funded more than 12.6 percent. This lack of funding has placed severe strains on local school district's budgets.

Today's vote provides the necessary financial resources to help our local school districts to provide a first rate education to students with disabilities as well as freeing up resources to be used for the education of other students.

Although it has taken 25 years for the Congress to seriously address this funding issue, the fact that there is a funding formula has made Congress accountable to providing these funds. Educators have been able to point out that Congressional funding for IDEA has fallen far short from what was promised to each disabled student. This link between program funding and the student provides Congress with an accurate measure of the amount of increased funding that is necessary to keep up with the inflationary increases in a student's education.

This fact should not be lost when we debate and vote on the reauthorization of ESEA later this year. There have been many bills introduced that would break the connection of Federal funding to each student by block granting these programs. The effect of creating block grants in such programs as title I will result in fewer poor children receiving the adequate funds to provide them a good education.

I ask my colleagues in the majority to remember the pressures that have caused Congress to vote on this bill today and how much its passage will positively impact the education of disabled children throughout the United States, I urge them to remember this when they vote on the reauthorization of ESEA.
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