| The following are Congressman Dale E. Kildee's (D-MI) remarks on the education proposal put forth by President Bush today:
"Certain aspects of President Bush's education proposal show great promise for bipartisan support and I look forward to working with him. His emphasis on accountability for results will translate into increased academic achievement and a renewed effort in the quality of Federal education programs. The inclusion of an early reading and readiness initiative is also a valuable addition to existing Federal programs which focus on reading. Unfortunately, the proposal's inclusion of private school vouchers, which I strongly oppose, harms passage of the President's agenda. Also, the "Charter States" initiative and the elimination of separate national priorities such as Federal funding for afterschool programs concerns me greatly. My hope is that we will move forward on aspects of this package and other education proposals that have broad bipartisan support and drop such divisive issues. Lastly, we cannot forget the need to back these proposals with significant investments in increased education resources. I challenge President Bush to join us in supporting additional Federal funding for education, an emphasis missing from the proposal put forth today."
Congressman Kildee is second most senior Democratic Member on the U.S. House of Representatives, Education and the Workforce Committee. During the 106th Congress, Kildee was the top Democratic Member on the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth and Families which oversees Federal programs for K-12 education, including the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and intends to remain in this post for the 107th Congress. During this Congress, Representative Kildee intends to primarily focus on accountability for educational results, increased teacher quality, class-size reduction, school construction and improved school safety and discipline. |
![[News from Congressman Dale Kildee]](letterhead.gif)