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April 1, 2005
Full funding for IDEA on the way?
In an unprecedented joint statement, the entire U.S. Senate announced late last night that it will fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) this year. House leadership followed suit this morning with a similar statement of its own. "We have systematically shortchanged children with special needs for long enough," the Senate statement explains. "It has become too difficult to look ourselves in the mirror any longer and declare that every child in America will be learning at grade level by 2014 when it's taken us three decades to reach just half the amount of IDEA funding we promised. During that time, we have forced local taxpayers around the country to pick up the tab for our shortcomings. For years now, we've made a habit—and gotten away with it—of trying to fool the American people into thinking that we truly supported full funding of IDEA by casting votes to 'authorize' higher amounts, but inevitably slashing those funds when it actually came time to 'appropriate' the money. The legislative tricks stop today. We will appropriate, this year, the billions of dollars required to fulfill our pledge. Better a few decades late than never."
One thing hasn't changed, however: In separate interviews, Democrats blamed Republicans for the 30 years of ignominy, and Republicans blamed Democrats.
Posted April 1, 2005 12:00 AM
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