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A Daily Chronicle of Bush Administration Distortion October 7, 2003

     

First Lady Promotes Reading but President Leaves Education Behind



Even as First Lady Laura Bush celebrated the importance of literacy on the Washington Mall last weekend, her husband was targeting education funding for its lowest increase in seven years.1

The President's budget for overall education funding calls for an meager 0.3 % increase, well below his 4% ceiling for domestic spending or the level of inflation.2 Placing education toward the bottom of his budget requests breaks the promise of his first address to a joint session of Congress in 2001 when he claimed education would be "my top priority."3

The President, who has unabashedly promoted his "No Child Left Behind" philosophy, is particularly shortchanging Title I funding, the primary program for economically disadvantaged students. His budget request for Title I falls 33% short of what Congress considers full funding under the law.4/5

Lack of funding for the program will mean more than half of all poor children eligible for additional instruction and intensive services will be left out.6

Sources:
1. Statement by Rep. George Miller, 6/10/03.
2. Presidential Speech, 1/27/01.
3. Fact Sheet: President Bush Celebrates Anniversary of No Child Left Behind Act, 1/8/03.
4. Education Funding: By The Numbers, National Education Association
5. No Child Left Behind Act, PL 107-110.
6. Broken Promises, the GOP Record on Education, Rep. George Miller, Ranking member, House Education and Workforce Committee, August 2003.


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