On the Introduction of the Keep Our Pact Act
ON THE INTRODUCTION OF THE KEEP OUR PACT ACT -- (Extensions of Remarks - January 25, 2005)
SPEECH OF
HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN
OF MARYLAND
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2005
· Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, it is with a sense of urgency that I reintroduce the Keep Our Promises to America's Children and Teachers Act at the outset of the 109th Congress.
· I offer the Keep Our PACT Act today to help meet the aspirations of our nation's school children--and to help provide all of their teachers and schools with the resources they need to help them achieve those aspirations. Additionally, I offer this bill as a reminder to those of us in government of the importance of keeping our promises and of truly making education the priority our constituents believe it to be.
· Put simply, the Keep Our PACT Act would make good on two basic commitments the federal government has made but so far failed to keep: It would fully fund the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)--on a mandatory basis, once and for all.
· Mr. Speaker, the fiscal year 2005 Omnibus Appropriations bill funded No Child Left Behind at $24.5 billion--$9.8 billion below its authorized level and $27 billion less cumulatively than the bipartisan agreement reached just four short years ago. As a result, over 2.4 million students are currently not getting the extra Title I help they were promised under NCLB.
· Furthermore, the recently enacted Omnibus continued underfunding IDEA at $10.7 billion--less than half the 40 percent average per pupil expenditure the federal government originally promised the states thirty years ago. An estimated 6.7 million students with disabilities are currently being shortchanged as a result of this abdication.
· By keeping our commitments to NCLB and IDEA, we can support our schools, ease the property tax burden on our constituents and provide all of our students with the resources they need to succeed.
· Mr. Speaker, once again I am proud to make the Keep Our PACT Act the very first piece of legislation I introduce this Congress. Additionally, I want to thank my colleagues joining me as original cosponsors on this bill today--in particular, Mr. MILLER, Ms. WOOLSEY and all of the Education and Workforce Committee Democrats. We pledge to stand for the fundamental values this bill represents and invite Members from both sides of the aisle to embrace those values and get this bill passed this year.
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