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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: longnshort who wrote (760335)	3/15/2007 6:45:06 PM
From: pompsander	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

Republicans challenge Bush on education law By Jeremy Pelofsky 11 minutes ago WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Thursday faced stiff opposition from dozens of fellow Republicans in Congress on his signature domestic issue -- education. Republicans in the Senate and House of Representatives, including the No. 2 Republican Rep. Roy Blunt (news, bio, voting record), introduced bills that would alter the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act by giving states the ability to use federal education aid as they see fit. The lawmakers said the act, which set up a comprehensive testing system to promote educational achievement and identify and penalize failing schools, has created enormous paperwork burdens that waste time and money. "What we are here to do today is restore state and local control," said Sen. John Cornyn (news, bio, voting record), a Texas Republican and close Bush ally. "It's time to cut the red tape of bureaucracy." He denied that the proposals were meant to repudiate or dismantle the law, which channels some $12 billion annually to help disadvantaged children, a fraction of the cost of meeting its requirements. "It's the processes, procedures and administrative burdens that have made it unwieldy," Cornyn said. Congress is weighing reauthorizing the act, prompting a fierce debate among lawmakers and educators over what has worked and what needs to be changed. FIVE-YEAR AGREEMENTS At least 51 House members and five senators have signed on to the Republican proposals. But the White House and the Democrats who control Congress are not yet on their side. "Congress rejected block grants and embraced rigorous standards and accountability to improve our schools," said Sen. Edward Kennedy (news, bio, voting record), chairman of the Senate committee that oversees education issues. Opposition by Kennedy, a Massachusetts Democrat, would likely make it hard for the Republicans to win approval because a senator can almost single-handedly bottle up legislation. The proposals would give states the option of setting up five-year agreements with the federal government that would permit them to use federal education money as they see fit. If states failed to reach academic improvement goals established under those agreements, they would have to return to the requirements under the 2002 law. "Unfortunately No Child Left Behind, as it has developed, did more of ... running elementary and secondary education and less of ... encouraging innovation," said Blunt, a Missouri Republican. White House spokesman Tony Snow downplayed differences with Republicans, saying that Bush would work with his fellow party members and Democrats to renew the law this year. "There are plenty of conversations that are ongoing," Snow told reporters. "But the president feels confident that we're going to get reauthorization."