Critics Say House Budget Plan Is Too Little, Too Late

By Joetta L. Sack

Washington

The House Budget Committee last week approved a plan that calls for raising education spending slightly over the next five years.

But the conservative-backed document, which passed May 20 by a 22-16 party-line vote after hours of partisan jibes, may not have any effect on the annual appropriations process. In separate action, House appropriators began sketching out their proposed fiscal 1999 allotments for education programs last week. Some Democrats on the Budget Committee also said they doubted the budget resolution would pass the full House when it comes up for a vote in early June.

The nonbinding budget resolution made no recommendations for spending on specific education programs and did not include a controversial plan to transform Title I funding into education...