Post by christie on Jul 14, 2004 21:00:49 GMT -5
On May 12th the Senate began debate on its IDEA reauthorization bill, S.1248. Five amendments to the bill were voted on. The five amendments debated on May 12th were the Hagel-Harkin mandatory full funding amendment, the Gregg discretionary funding amendment, the Clinton amendment adding the Department of Education as a partner in the National Children’s Study, the Gregg amendment on the award of attorney’s fees for frivolous lawsuits and the Murray/DeWine amendment to help homeless and foster children and children in military families receive their IEP services when they transfer between school districts. You can view these amendments at thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/R?r108:FLD001:S55378. Today the Senate took up the Santorum paperwork reduction amendment and voted on S. 1248 as amended.
The Hagel-Harkin amendment would have made it mandatory to fund IDEA with $2.2 billion increases over the next six years to reach full 40% funding of IDEA by 2010. Under Senate rules, 60 votes were needed to pass the amendment. Unfortunately, the final vote was 56-41. The Senate proceeded to approve an amendment for discretionary funding (96 yea-1 nay- 3 not voting) sponsored by Senator Gregg. Theoretically, full funding could be reached under this amendment by 2011. However, when funding is discretionary the money rarely gets in the budget. The following chart will show you how your Senators voted on the Hagel-Harkin amendment:
Grouped by Home State:
Alabama: Sessions(R-AL), Nay Shelby(R-AL), Nay
Alaska: Murkowski(R-AK), Yea Stevens(R-AK), Nay
Arizona: Kyl(R-AZ), Nay McCain(R-AZ), Yea
Arkansas: Lincoln(D-AR), Yea Pryor(D-AR), Yea
California: Boxer(D-CA), Yea Feinstein(D-CA), Yea
Colorado: Allard(R-CO), Nay Campbell(R-CO), Nay
Connecticut: Dodd(D-CT), Yea Lieberman(D-CT), Yea
Delaware: Biden(D-DE), Yea Carper(D-DE), Yea
Florida: Graham(D-FL), Yea Nelson(D-FL), Yea
Georgia: Chambliss(R-GA), Nay Miller(D-GA), Nay
Hawaii: Akaka(D-HI), Yea Inouye(D-HI), Yea
Idaho: Craig(R-ID), Nay Crapo(R-ID), Nay
Illinois: Durbin(D-IL), Yea Fitzgerald(R-IL), Nay
Indiana: Bayh(D-IN), Yea Lugar(R-IN), Nay
Iowa: Grassley(R-IA), Nay Harkin(D-IA), Yea
Kansas: Brownback(R-KS), Nay Roberts(R-KS), Yea
Kentucky: Bunning(R-KY), Nay McConnell(R-KY), Nay
Louisiana: Breaux(D-LA), Yea Landrieu(D-LA), Yea
Maine: Collins(R-ME), Yea Snowe(R-ME), Yea
Maryland: Mikulski(D-MD), Yea Sarbanes(D-MD), Yea
Massachusetts: Kennedy(D-MA), Yea Kerry(D-MA), Not Voting
Michigan: Levin(D-MI), Yea Stabenow(D-MI), Yea
Minnesota: Coleman(R-MN), Yea Dayton(D-MN), Yea
Mississippi: Cochran(R-MS), Nay Lott(R-MS), Nay
Missouri: Bond(R-MO), Nay Talent(R-MO), Nay
Montana: Baucus(D-MT), Yea Burns(R-MT), Nay
Nebraska: Hagel(R-NE), Yea Nelson(D-NE), Yea
Nevada: Ensign(R-NV), Nay Reid(D-NV), Yea
New Hampshire: Gregg(R-NH), Nay Sununu(R-NH), Nay
New Jersey: Corzine(D-NJ), Yea Lautenberg(D-NJ), Yea
New Mexico: Bingaman(D-NM), Yea Domenici(R-NM), Nay
New York: Clinton(D-NY), Yea Schumer(D-NY), Yea
North Carolina: Dole(R-NC), Nay Edwards(D-NC), Yea
North Dakota: Conrad(D-ND), Yea Dorgan(D-ND), Yea
Ohio: DeWine(R-OH), Nay Voinovich(R-OH), Nay
Oklahoma: Inhofe(R-OK), Nay Nickles(R-OK), Nay
Oregon: Smith(R-OR), Nay Wyden(D-OR), Yea
Pennsylvania: Santorum(R-PA), Not Voting Specter(R-PA), Yea
Rhode Island: Chafee(R-RI), Yea Reed(D-RI), Yea
South Carolina: Graham(R-SC), Nay Hollings(D-SC), Not Voting
South Dakota: Daschle(D-SD), Yea Johnson(D-SD), Yea
Tennessee: Alexander(R-TN), Nay Frist(R-TN), Nay
Texas: Cornyn(R-TX), Nay Hutchison(R-TX), Nay
Utah: Bennett(R-UT), Nay Hatch(R-UT), Nay
Vermont: Jeffords(I-VT), Yea Leahy(D-VT), Yea
Virginia: Allen(R-VA), Nay Warner(R-VA), Yea
Washington: Cantwell(D-WA), Yea Murray(D-WA), Yea
West Virginia: Byrd(D-WV), Yea Rockefeller(D-WV), Yea
Wisconsin: Feingold(D-WI), Yea Kohl(D-WI), Yea
Wyoming: Enzi(R-WY), Nay Thomas(R-WY), Nay
The Clinton amendment, the Gregg attorney’s fees amendment and the Murray/DeWine amendment were approved by a voice vote (individual votes are not recorded). NDSS does not have significant concerns about these amendments, although we feel that the attorney’s fees amendment was unnecessary in light of other language already in the bill.
The Santorum amendment, which also passed by voice vote, poses greater concerns. This amendment creates a pilot program that would allow up to 15 states to obtain waivers from the Department of Education that would reduce paperwork requirements. Although the language in this amendment has not been released yet, Senators Santorum and Kennedy asserted on the Senate floor that it would not allow the waiver of paperwork requirements that affect civil rights or a child’s right to a free, appropriate, public education. In spite of such language, NDSS still has significant concerns about how this amendment will be put into practice. It is our position that the paperwork problem is a result of state and local requirements that have been added on top of IDEA requirements. Paperwork should be reduced by addressing the state and local issues and by increasing the use of technology to save time, rather than by allowing states to waive IDEA requirements.
S.1248, as modified by the above amendments, was passed 95-3. The Senators who stood with us in opposing the bill were Senators Jeffords and Leahy of Vermont and Senator Stabenow of Michigan. The next step will be for the House bill, H.R. 1350, and the Senate bill to go to a conference committee where the conferees will work to create one bill. NDSS opposed both the House and the Senate bill and we do not want to see the bills go to conference. Any compromise between these two bills will diminish the rights of our children under current law.
ACTION STEPS:
If you live in Vermont or Michigan call Senators Jeffords (202-224-5141), Leahy (202-224-4242) and Stabenow (202-224-4822) to thank them for their vote. Ask them to keep the bill from going to conference.
Every other Senator should be called with the following message:
I am calling to express my disappointment that the Senator did not vote against S. 1248. I hope that S.1248 will not go to conference because the result will be a conference bill that diminishes the rights of children with disabilities.
You can find the telephone contact information for your Senators under "elected officials" in the advocacy section of the website: capwiz.com/ndss/dbq/officials/.
The Hagel-Harkin amendment would have made it mandatory to fund IDEA with $2.2 billion increases over the next six years to reach full 40% funding of IDEA by 2010. Under Senate rules, 60 votes were needed to pass the amendment. Unfortunately, the final vote was 56-41. The Senate proceeded to approve an amendment for discretionary funding (96 yea-1 nay- 3 not voting) sponsored by Senator Gregg. Theoretically, full funding could be reached under this amendment by 2011. However, when funding is discretionary the money rarely gets in the budget. The following chart will show you how your Senators voted on the Hagel-Harkin amendment:
Grouped by Home State:
Alabama: Sessions(R-AL), Nay Shelby(R-AL), Nay
Alaska: Murkowski(R-AK), Yea Stevens(R-AK), Nay
Arizona: Kyl(R-AZ), Nay McCain(R-AZ), Yea
Arkansas: Lincoln(D-AR), Yea Pryor(D-AR), Yea
California: Boxer(D-CA), Yea Feinstein(D-CA), Yea
Colorado: Allard(R-CO), Nay Campbell(R-CO), Nay
Connecticut: Dodd(D-CT), Yea Lieberman(D-CT), Yea
Delaware: Biden(D-DE), Yea Carper(D-DE), Yea
Florida: Graham(D-FL), Yea Nelson(D-FL), Yea
Georgia: Chambliss(R-GA), Nay Miller(D-GA), Nay
Hawaii: Akaka(D-HI), Yea Inouye(D-HI), Yea
Idaho: Craig(R-ID), Nay Crapo(R-ID), Nay
Illinois: Durbin(D-IL), Yea Fitzgerald(R-IL), Nay
Indiana: Bayh(D-IN), Yea Lugar(R-IN), Nay
Iowa: Grassley(R-IA), Nay Harkin(D-IA), Yea
Kansas: Brownback(R-KS), Nay Roberts(R-KS), Yea
Kentucky: Bunning(R-KY), Nay McConnell(R-KY), Nay
Louisiana: Breaux(D-LA), Yea Landrieu(D-LA), Yea
Maine: Collins(R-ME), Yea Snowe(R-ME), Yea
Maryland: Mikulski(D-MD), Yea Sarbanes(D-MD), Yea
Massachusetts: Kennedy(D-MA), Yea Kerry(D-MA), Not Voting
Michigan: Levin(D-MI), Yea Stabenow(D-MI), Yea
Minnesota: Coleman(R-MN), Yea Dayton(D-MN), Yea
Mississippi: Cochran(R-MS), Nay Lott(R-MS), Nay
Missouri: Bond(R-MO), Nay Talent(R-MO), Nay
Montana: Baucus(D-MT), Yea Burns(R-MT), Nay
Nebraska: Hagel(R-NE), Yea Nelson(D-NE), Yea
Nevada: Ensign(R-NV), Nay Reid(D-NV), Yea
New Hampshire: Gregg(R-NH), Nay Sununu(R-NH), Nay
New Jersey: Corzine(D-NJ), Yea Lautenberg(D-NJ), Yea
New Mexico: Bingaman(D-NM), Yea Domenici(R-NM), Nay
New York: Clinton(D-NY), Yea Schumer(D-NY), Yea
North Carolina: Dole(R-NC), Nay Edwards(D-NC), Yea
North Dakota: Conrad(D-ND), Yea Dorgan(D-ND), Yea
Ohio: DeWine(R-OH), Nay Voinovich(R-OH), Nay
Oklahoma: Inhofe(R-OK), Nay Nickles(R-OK), Nay
Oregon: Smith(R-OR), Nay Wyden(D-OR), Yea
Pennsylvania: Santorum(R-PA), Not Voting Specter(R-PA), Yea
Rhode Island: Chafee(R-RI), Yea Reed(D-RI), Yea
South Carolina: Graham(R-SC), Nay Hollings(D-SC), Not Voting
South Dakota: Daschle(D-SD), Yea Johnson(D-SD), Yea
Tennessee: Alexander(R-TN), Nay Frist(R-TN), Nay
Texas: Cornyn(R-TX), Nay Hutchison(R-TX), Nay
Utah: Bennett(R-UT), Nay Hatch(R-UT), Nay
Vermont: Jeffords(I-VT), Yea Leahy(D-VT), Yea
Virginia: Allen(R-VA), Nay Warner(R-VA), Yea
Washington: Cantwell(D-WA), Yea Murray(D-WA), Yea
West Virginia: Byrd(D-WV), Yea Rockefeller(D-WV), Yea
Wisconsin: Feingold(D-WI), Yea Kohl(D-WI), Yea
Wyoming: Enzi(R-WY), Nay Thomas(R-WY), Nay
The Clinton amendment, the Gregg attorney’s fees amendment and the Murray/DeWine amendment were approved by a voice vote (individual votes are not recorded). NDSS does not have significant concerns about these amendments, although we feel that the attorney’s fees amendment was unnecessary in light of other language already in the bill.
The Santorum amendment, which also passed by voice vote, poses greater concerns. This amendment creates a pilot program that would allow up to 15 states to obtain waivers from the Department of Education that would reduce paperwork requirements. Although the language in this amendment has not been released yet, Senators Santorum and Kennedy asserted on the Senate floor that it would not allow the waiver of paperwork requirements that affect civil rights or a child’s right to a free, appropriate, public education. In spite of such language, NDSS still has significant concerns about how this amendment will be put into practice. It is our position that the paperwork problem is a result of state and local requirements that have been added on top of IDEA requirements. Paperwork should be reduced by addressing the state and local issues and by increasing the use of technology to save time, rather than by allowing states to waive IDEA requirements.
S.1248, as modified by the above amendments, was passed 95-3. The Senators who stood with us in opposing the bill were Senators Jeffords and Leahy of Vermont and Senator Stabenow of Michigan. The next step will be for the House bill, H.R. 1350, and the Senate bill to go to a conference committee where the conferees will work to create one bill. NDSS opposed both the House and the Senate bill and we do not want to see the bills go to conference. Any compromise between these two bills will diminish the rights of our children under current law.
ACTION STEPS:
If you live in Vermont or Michigan call Senators Jeffords (202-224-5141), Leahy (202-224-4242) and Stabenow (202-224-4822) to thank them for their vote. Ask them to keep the bill from going to conference.
Every other Senator should be called with the following message:
I am calling to express my disappointment that the Senator did not vote against S. 1248. I hope that S.1248 will not go to conference because the result will be a conference bill that diminishes the rights of children with disabilities.
You can find the telephone contact information for your Senators under "elected officials" in the advocacy section of the website: capwiz.com/ndss/dbq/officials/.