Federal File: Labor unrest; Scorecard

There was division within the Clinton administration last month when Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., proposed an amendment to raise Department of Education spending.

The amendment, which was rejected during debate on the continuing resolution now funding the department, would have raised education aid by about $3 billion if its terms were extended through the fiscal year.

Education officials cheered, but others in the administration were apparently less than thrilled. Secretary of Labor Robert B. Reich called Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., to thank him for opposing it, according to Mr. Specter, the chairman of the appropriations panel that handles education, labor, and human-services spending. He revealed the call at a...