One year after President Bush signed into law his No Child Left Behind Act, U.S. Senate Democrats are calling for more federal funding for programs outlined in the act, including higher education financial aid.
Forty-three Senate Democrats sent a letter to Bush on Jan. 8 asking him to consider increases in education funding for the 2003 fiscal year.
In July 2002, the Senate Appropriations Committee proposed $3.2 billion in funding for education. In the letter, the Democratic senators requested an additional $4.5 billion.
Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. and presidential candidate Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., headed the group that drafted the letter, said Mike Spahn, Kennedy's deputy press secretary. Other draftees include former Rules and Administration Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd, D-Conn., and Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D.
Bush's No Child Left Behind Act, which became law last January, was intended to provide all children equal opportunities for a quality education.
The act was designed to fix high-poverty schools, improve teacher quality, expand after-school learning opportunities and help students who speak limited English learn the language, but the letter said funding is inadequate to achieve these goals.
Kennedy and Lieberman are expected to introduce an amendment this week, adding the extra funds to last year's appropriations for the program.
While the letter stated that increased elementary and secondary education funding is a main concern, it also stated that federal college aid is important.
"State aid to colleges is declining, leading colleges to raise tuition and forcing students who are unable to pay out of school," the letter states. "The federal government must do more to help qualified low and middle-income college students."
