|
WASHINGTON - Senator Joe Lieberman (D-CT), today criticized President Bush’s Fiscal Year 2007 budget for dramatically cutting and under funding critical education programs and competitive innovation initiatives that help Connecticut. Among the sections slighted by the White House spending plan are the No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program.
“To begin addressing our long term economic competitiveness we have to do a better job of promoting innovation in American industry, increasing research that will lead to economic benefits, and pushing our education efforts, particularly in the sciences, math and engineering,” said Lieberman. “I welcome that the President has taken interest in America’s future competitiveness, but, I am concerned that his budget fails to seriously fund education initiatives, and takes a sledgehammer to several innovative and effective programs.”
Senator Lieberman, co-chair of the Senate Manufacturing Task Force and recent sponsor of The National Innovation Act of 2005 (NIA), welcomed the President’s support for the increase in funding for research in the National Science Foundation and for continuing the crucial Research and Experimentation tax credit, both of which are part of the Senator’s legislation which has bipartisan support. But the Administration budget undercuts the goal of the NIA by deleting crucial funding for the Advanced Technology Program (ATP) which helps small and medium-sized businesses develop new and innovative technologies for commercial use. It also slashes funding for the MEP program which provides assistance to a sector of the market critical to continued economic growth.
In the arena of education the Administration budget proposes the largest cut to federal education funding in the 26-year history of the Education Department. It eliminates 42 education programs, for a total of nearly $3.5 billion. Programs targeted for elimination include Even Start, Educational Technology Grants and Safe and Drug Free Schools. Connecticut faces more than a $6 million loss from these three programs alone. Also, for the fourth year in a row, Bush intends to freeze the maximum Pell grant award at $4,050. Yet Connecticut families face ever rising tuition costs. In 1975, the Pell Grant covered 80% of the cost of a four-year public college education compared to 40% today.
Larger education initiatives like NCLB and IDEA are significantly under funded. NCLB funding is slated for a modest increase, but still the President’s budget is $15.4 billion below the NCLB authorized levels. Title I, the largest source of funds for states under NCLB, is also under funded by $12.3 billion. Under the President’s budget, Connecticut would face a cut in basic Title I funds from $100.2 million in 2006 to an estimated $97.8 million in 2007. The budget fails to sufficiently increase federal funding for IDEA. Under the Bush budget, federal funding would only cover 17% of per-pupil costs, not the 40% called for in the authorizing legislation. Recognizing the enormous burden placed on states to meet the costs of educating children with disabilities, Senator Lieberman is an original cosponsor of recent legislation calling for mandatory full funding of the federal share of special education costs.
-30-
|
