Senate rejects Kennedy push for $6 billion in education funding

Human Events, Jan 27, 2003

On January 16, by a vote of 46 to 51, the Senate rejected an amendment by Sen. Ted Kennedy (D.-Mass.) to provide $6 billion in additional federal education funding beyond President Bush's request in the budget for fiscal 2003. Kennedy's amendment, which had 13 Democratic co-sponsors, was such an obvious attempt to pander to the education establishment that not even liberal Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R.-R.I.), a self-styled education champion, broke party ranks to support it The 46-to-51 vote marked the third time in the same day that the new Republican Senate majority hung tough against Democratic attempts to add new money to the 2003 appropriations bill. (See rollcalls above.)

In arguing for the extra spending, Kennedy criticized Bush for failing to fully fund the No Children Left Behind Act of 2001, which Kennedy co-authored.

"We have to ask ourselves today, who is falling in meeting their responsibilities?" Kennedy asked. "It is right here in the Congress of the United States that we are failing the children of America."

Sen. Christopher Dodd (D.-Conn.) criticized the administration for spending less than the full amount allowed by the law, calling this a "budget cut." "We have already seen the budget cuts, some $4.6 billion short of the promise made when the President signed into law the $16 billion authorization level," said Dodd. "Yet hardly before the ink was dry on that commitment we saw the cuts come in."

Sen. Tom Harkin (D.-Iowa) made sure to insert some class warfare rhetoric into the debate. "Well, it is a funny thing about money," he said. "it sure comes in handy when tax cuts are being given to the rich.... But when it comes to education, President Bush's education plan sounds more like that old beer ad, the Miller Lite ad: great tests, less funding."

Judd Gregg (R.-N.H.), however, pointed the educational benefits of reducing taxes: "This tax cut the President put in place, which benefits moderate-income Americans as they attempt to educate their children with cash in their pockets, which they can then put into the savings vehicles and other vehicles that assist them as their children get ready for college-- and also assist in the elementary and secondary school area-also helped teachers by giving them some deductions that they didn't have before as they spend money in doing things relative to their classrooms, such as buying books, maps, and things such as that."

Sen. George Voinovich (R.-Ohio) was one of the few who mentioned that the word "education" does not appear anywhere in the U.S. Constitution.

"Education has been and should continue to be a state and local responsibility," Voinovich said, adding that he had voted against the No Child Left Behind Act. "The excessive spending within the bill provided unrealistic expectations."

A "yes" vote was a vote to increase 2003 federal education spending by another $6 billion. A "no" vote was a vote against the Kennedy amendment.

FOR THE AMENDMENT: 46

REPUBLICANS FOR (0):

DEMOCRATS FOR (45): Akaka, Baucus, Bayh, Bide; Bingaman, Boxer, Breaux, Byrd, Cantwell, Carper, Clinton, Conrad, Corzine, Daschle, Dayton, Dodd, Dorgan, Durbin, Feingold, Feinstein, Graham (Fla.), Harkin, Hollings, In ouye, Johnson, Kennedy, Kohl, Landrieu, Lautenberg, Left Levin, Lieberman, Lincoln, MkuIsW. Murray, NeIson (Fla.), Nelson (Neb.), Pryor, Reed (R.I.), Reid (Nev.), Rockefeller, Sarbanes, Schumer, Stabenow and Wyden.

INDEPENDENT FOR (1): Jeffords.

AGAINST THE AMENDMENT: 51

REPUBLICANS AGAINST (50): Alexander, Allard, Allen, Bennett, Bond, Brownback, Bunning, Burns, Campbell, Chafee, Chambliss, Cochran, Coleman, Collins, Cornyn, Craig, Crapo, DeWine, Dole, Domenici, Ensign, Enzi, Fitzgerald, Frist, Graham (S.C.), Grassley, Gregg, Hatch, Hutchison, Inhofe, Kyl, Lott, Lugar, McCain, McConnell, Murkowski, Nickles, Roberts, Santorum, Sessions, Shelby, Smith, Snowe, Specter, Stevens, Sununu, Talent, Thomas, Voinovich and Warner.

DEMOCRAT AGAINST (1): Miller.

NOT VOTING (3): Edwards, Hagel and Kerry.