Speech #1030143413

Mr. Chairman. this amendment would raise the authorization of the Emergency Immigrant Education Program for fiscal year 1995 from $40 million to $100 million. This amendment. as proposed. would increase the amount to $100 million. however. a compromise has been reached with Republican Members and it is my hope that this amendment is now acceptable to both sides of the aisle. The Emergency Immigrant Education Program provides funding to States who have been paying the cost of education for children of recent immigrants to this country. These children often are more costly to educate since they often have special needs and this program offers a moderate amount of Federal assistance to recognize the Federal Governments responsibility to compensate States for the costs associated with our Federal Immigration policy. We are asking for an increase in authorized amount because the program has not kept pace with the steady increase in the number of immigrant children in our schools. As you may be aware. States such as Texas and California have recently begun legal action against the Federal Government in order to recover the costs associated with immigration. This program addresses part of those costs and is supported by both Goy. Pete Wilson and Gov. Ann Richards. Passing this amendment will send a strong message to the States that the Federal Government can and will accept responsibility for its actions. It is our Federal immigration policy that causes much of the burden on our public schools and this amendment will help those States who have thus far been bearing a greater share of this burden. I urge my colleagues to accept this amendment and give our States the resources they need to provide education services to all children.