Spending Bill Provides Level Budget for Education

Despite efforts to provide small increases for Title I and special education, a late 1 percent across-the-board cut in most federal discretionary spending means that the Department of Education’s fiscal 2006 budget differs little from last year’s spending plan.

The Senate on Dec. 21 approved by a voice vote the $142.5 billion fiscal 2006 spending bill for the departments of Education, Labor, and Health and Human Services. The bill narrowly passed the House on Dec. 14, by a vote of 215-213.

The measure contains essentially the same plan for education spending as an earlier House-Senate conference agreement, which was unexpectedly defeated in the House in late November, but...