"In the partnership among towns, states, and federal governments, the area where the federal government could make the biggest difference is in meeting its obligation to fully fund special education. I've been leading the fight in the Senate to achieve this goal, which would provide help to every school district in the state of Maine. In my tenure in the Senate we have dramatically increased funding for special education, but the federal government still falls short of where we need to be. Increasing funding for special deduction continues to be a priority of mine.
"To further assist the states, the Collins-Nelson amendment included in the economic growth package signed into law today provides $20 billion in state fiscal relief that will help all 50 states. My amendment will provide Maine with an additional $116 million dollars, half of which could be used for education and other vital programs if the Legislature deems it appropriate.
"During consideration of the 2004 Budget, I was the only Republican to vote in favor of an amendment to increase funding for the No Child Left Behind Act by $8.9 billion. Although this amendment failed, my support paved the way for the Senate's adoption of an amendment to provide an additional $2 billion in funding for this law.
"In addition, I have spearheaded a bipartisan effort to persuade Senate appropriators to increase education funding for three critical components of the No Child Left Behind Act. Together with Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), I have requested $490 million to help states carry out the law's new testing requirements in fiscal year 2004. We have also requested an additional $200 million to fund to fund a new competitive grant program to help states establish the databases to track academic achievement, as required by this statute. Finally, we urged the appropriators to provide the full authorized level of $500 million for school improvement grants, which help provide additional technical assistance and support services for schools once they are identified as ‘needing improvement.'"