104th Congress Shifts Terms of School Debate

By Mark Pitsch

Washington

The Republican congressional majority that took office in January 1995 built its agenda around an ambitious effort to reduce the scope and reach of the federal government.

While education issues were not high on the GOP priority list, the party's budget plans called for scuttling or crippling Clinton administration initiatives such as Goals 2000, AmeriCorps, and direct college loans, and reducing other education spending. Legislation to replace scores of programs with block grants was debated, and hearings were held on proposals to scrap...