Federal Federal File

A Farewell to Independents

By Erik W. Robelen — April 26, 2005 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print
Sen. James M. Jeffords will retire from his Capitol perch.

The Senate will be losing its only Independent voice. No doubt, many lawmakers would claim that title, but only one senator can do so with a capital “I.”

Sen. James M. Jeffords of Vermont, the chamber’s sole Independent and a former chairman of the education committee, announced last week that he’s calling it quits. He won’t seek re-election to a fourth term next year.

He pointed to his wife Elizabeth Dailey’s battle with cancer as the main reason, but also cited his own health.

“I am feeling the aches and pains that come when you reach 70,” he said at an April 20 news conference in Vermont. “My memory fails me on occasion.”

Mr. Jeffords, a soft-spoken maverick, shook Washington in 2001 when he quit the Republican Party, tipping control of the Senate to the Democrats by one vote.

Life wasn’t always easy for Mr. Jeffords in the GOP fold. A moderate, he often disagreed with his party on critical issues, including education.

In a 2001 interview with Education Week, he said his influence with the Republican majority was limited even as head of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, a post he held from 1997 until he split with the GOP.

“In practical speaking, I wasn’t chairman,” he said, “so that’s one of the reasons I moved over.”

Once the Democrats took control, Mr. Jeffords relinquished his chairmanship to head another committee, but he stayed on the education panel. The Democrats’ hold on power was short-lived: The 2002 elections returned Senate control to the Republicans.

As a House freshman in 1975, Mr. Jeffords helped craft the landmark 1975 law now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Since then, he’s worked on almost every major education bill in Congress. In 2001, he was one of just 10 senators to vote against the No Child Left Behind Act. One of his chief worries was whether the federal government would match the law’s mandates with enough money.

He recently reiterated those concerns when speaking of the president’s fiscal 2006 budget request.

“President Bush often mentions that education is a priority,” Mr. Jeffords said on the Senate floor on April 4. “He and I obviously define ‘priority’ differently. To me, priority means you pay for the promises you make.”

Related Tags:

Events

School Climate & Safety Webinar Engaging Every Student: How to Address Absenteeism and Build Belonging
Gain valuable insights and practical solutions to address absenteeism and build a more welcoming and supportive school environment.
Student Well-Being K-12 Essentials Forum Social-Emotional Learning 2025: Examining Priorities and Practices
Join this free virtual event to learn about SEL strategies, skills, and to hear from experts on the use and expansion of SEL programs.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Inside PLCs: Proven Strategies from K-12 Leaders
Join an expert panel to explore strategies for building collaborative PLCs, overcoming common challenges, and using data effectively.
Content provided by Otus

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Federal Can Trump Ax the Education Department Without Congress?
Trump has been flexing his power through executive orders, and there's the potential for one targeting the Education Department.
7 min read
The U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C., is pictured on Feb. 21, 2021.
The U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C., is pictured on Feb. 21, 2021. President Donald Trump could issue an executive order to downsize the department. It would have limitations.
Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via AP
Federal Top House Lawmaker Supports Trump's Bid to 'Depower' Education Department
The House education committee chairman believes "even the best-meaning bureaucrat" can't understand what's happening in local schools.
5 min read
Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., speaks during an event at the COP28 U.N. Climate Summit on Dec. 9, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Mich., speaks at the U.N. Climate Summit on Dec. 9, 2023, in Dubai. Walberg, the newly minted chair of the U.S. House's education and workforce committee, said at a Tuesday event that he wouldn't stand in the way of President Donald Trump's efforts to diminish or close the U.S. Department of Education.
Joshua A. Bickel/AP
Federal Title IX, School Choice, ‘Indoctrination’—How Trump Took on Schools in Week 2
It was a week in which the newly inaugurated president began wholeheartedly to act on his agenda for schools.
8 min read
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Donald Trump arrives at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. Trump's second week in the White House featured his first direct foray into policymaking aimed directly at schools.
Evan Vucci/AP
Federal Then & Now Why Can't We Leave No Child Left Behind ... Behind?
The law and its contours are stuck in our collective memory. What does that say about how we understand K-12 policy?
6 min read
Collage image of former President G.W. Bush signing NCLB bill.
Liz Yap/Education Week and Canva