Congress Must Uphold Idea Promise

Floor Speech

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Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, in the 1970s, Congress made a commitment to provide a free and appropriate education to students with disabilities.

While we have made tremendous progress, thanks to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, we have also failed to fully fund the cost of special education that was promised by Congress at that point in time.

Congress promised to cover 40 percent of the extra cost of special education, but we have never come close to fulfilling that promise. In fact, current funding remains only at 14 percent of the targeted amount.

Mr. Speaker, that is shameful.

This means our students and schools suffer, it means that the programs will be cut, it means schools won't be able to recruit and retain qualified teachers, and above all else, it means that students with disabilities will not be able to succeed, not without the appropriate high-quality services they deserve.

That is why I proudly cosponsored the bipartisan IDEA Full Funding Act, which would mandate gradual increases in IDEA funding to reach that full commitment made by Congress of 40 percent by fiscal year 2029 and each subsequent fiscal year.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill and uphold the promise to provide students and schools with the resources they need.

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