Bush Education Budget Inadequate, Spellings Is Told

Washington

The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee this week told Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings that if President Bush isn’t open to a compromise on education spending, Democratic leaders are willing to wait for a new president to take office who might be more disposed to supporting their priorities.

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle said the president’s proposed $59.2 billion budget request for the Department of Education, which would freeze the agency’s bottom line at fiscal year 2008 levels, was inadequate to help schools finance special education and meet the goals of the No Child Left Behind Act. They also blasted the proposed elimination of some programs, particularly the $1.2 billion Career and Technical Education state grants.

Rep. David R. Obey, D-Wis., who leads the committee and is chairman of the subcommittee that oversees education spending, asked Secretary Spellings whether President Bush would be willing to compromise on a spending measure...