Allard, Strickland take their education debate on the road as Election Day draws nearer
By Charlie Brennan, Rocky Mountain News
October 15, 2002
Colorado's lead contenders for the U.S. Senate race met in two debates over the weekend then carried on in the same spirit Monday, arguing over the depth of their support for education.
In a televised debate Sunday night in Colorado Springs, incumbent U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard touted that he voted to fund President Bush's education reform bill, dubbed the No Child Left Behind Act.
Wrong, said the campaign of Democratic challenger Tom Strickland.
Allard voted for the authorization bill in support of the act, which passed the Senate 87-10 on Dec. 18. But the Strickland campaign says that two days later, Allard was one of seven senators to oppose its actual funding, which carried a price tag of $48.9 billion.
The appropriations bill Allard opposed also provided money for a broad range of programs under Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor.
Allard campaign manager Dick Wadhams said the senator's two votes were not connected.
"The Strickland campaign has absolutely misrepresented this vote," Wadhams said.
The Dec. 18 vote provided funding for the No Child Left Behind programs, Wadhams said.
Wadhams said Allard voted on Dec. 20 against the Health and Human Services bill because its price tag had risen 12 percent from the previous year.
However, the Strickland campaign and a Denver-
based education administrator both say the second vote was required to fund the programs authorized under the Dec. 18 vote.
Dwayne Matthews, vice president of the Education Commission of the States, said the Dec. 18 vote authorized continuation of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which comes up for renewal every five years.
The Dec. 20 vote provided the money for the programs, Matthews said.
A description and analysis of the funding bill Allard opposed compiled by the Republican Policy Committee, in fact, does not contain the words "Leave No Child Behind."
A breakdown of its funding provisions, however, does contain extensive descriptions of programs such as special education and education for the disadvantaged, which Matthews said "Leave No Child Behind" included.
The Strickland campaign contends Allard's vote against the funding bill earns him failing marks as an education advocate.
"Apparently, Allard's version of the 'American Dream' would be to leave our schools high and dry without the funds needed to carry out important new reforms," said Strickland campaign manager Brian Hardwick.
Colorado's share of the $48.9 billion is $569 million.
brennanc@RockyMountainNews.com or (303) 892-2742 |
