[Pages S1805-S1806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 133--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE LOCAL PUBLIC K-12 
  SCHOOLS OF THE UNITED STATES AND CONDEMNING ANY ACTIONS THAT WOULD 
   DEFUND PUBLIC EDUCATION OR WEAKEN OR DISMANTLE THE DEPARTMENT OF 
                               EDUCATION

  Mr. SCHIFF (for himself, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Merkley, Mr. 
Padilla, Mr. Peters, Ms. Rosen, Ms. Slotkin, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Welch, 
Mrs. Shaheen, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Markey, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Warnock, Mr. 
Wyden, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mr. Heinrich, and Ms. Klobuchar) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:

                              S. Res. 133

       Whereas the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 
     (20 U.S.C. 6301 et seq.) (referred to in this preamble as the 
     ``ESEA'') defines free public education as education that is 
     ``provided at public expense, under public supervision and 
     direction, and without tuition charge'' and ``provided as 
     elementary or secondary education in the applicable State or 
     to preschool children'';
       Whereas publicly funded local K-12 schools serve millions 
     of students and families, including in rural and 
     geographically isolated areas, providing economic opportunity 
     for all;
       Whereas 90 percent of students in prekindergarten through 
     12th grade in the United States attend a public school, as 
     well as 95 percent of students with disabilities;
       Whereas State and local funding for public K-12 schools 
     varies dramatically within States and across the United 
     States, creating additional need among schools in under-
     resourced communities;
       Whereas the role of the Federal Government in public 
     education has historically been to level the playing field by 
     creating equity of opportunity for all students, regardless 
     of their background, ability, or the State in which they are 
     educated;
       Whereas Federal funding plays a critical role in narrowing 
     funding gaps for disadvantaged student groups, providing 
     integrated and wraparound supports for students and families, 
     and helping students meet challenging State academic 
     standards and succeed in education and the workforce;
       Whereas 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of the ESEA and the 
     50th anniversary of the Education for All Handicapped 
     Children Act, now known as the Individuals with Disabilities 
     Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.) (referred to in this 
     preamble as the ``IDEA'');
       Whereas the Department of Education Organization Act (20 
     U.S.C. 3401 et seq.), enacted in 1979, declares ``that the 
     establishment of a Department of Education is in the public 
     interest, will promote the general welfare of the United 
     States, will help ensure that education issues receive proper 
     treatment at the Federal level, and will enable the Federal 
     Government to coordinate its education activities more 
     effectively'';
       Whereas the Department of Education serves approximately 
     100,000 public K-12 schools across the country, which 
     collectively educate more than 49,000,000 students;

[[Page S1806]]

       Whereas reading and math scores and college degree 
     attainment have substantially increased since the Department 
     of Education was established;
       Whereas the Department of Education's Office for Civil 
     Rights enforces Federal laws prohibiting discrimination and 
     harassment, and has investigated record numbers of incidents 
     of discrimination and hate in recent years despite employing 
     only about half of the staff the Office had when it was 
     originally established;
       Whereas the Department of Education administers grants 
     under the IDEA to help public schools serve more than 
     7,500,000 students with disabilities, a substantial financial 
     commitment that cannot reasonably be assumed by State or 
     local governments, and provides monitoring and oversight to 
     hold States accountable for providing a free appropriate 
     public education for students with disabilities;
       Whereas the Department of Education provides equitable 
     supplementary funding through grants under part A of title I 
     of the ESEA to more than 51,000 public schools serving 
     concentrated populations of students from low-income families 
     in rural, suburban, and urban communities;
       Whereas the Department of Education provides funding 
     through subtitle B of title VII of the McKinney-Vento 
     Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11431 et seq.) to support 
     the identification, enrollment, attendance, and success of 
     nearly 1,400,000 students experiencing homelessness;
       Whereas the Department of Education administers grants 
     under part C of the IDEA to support the delivery of early 
     intervention services to over 900,000 infants, toddlers, and 
     preschoolers with disabilities;
       Whereas the Department of Education directly invests in the 
     special education teachers of the United States through 
     grants under part D of the IDEA to support personnel 
     development to improve services and results for children with 
     disabilities;
       Whereas the Department of Education supports parent 
     training and information centers under part D of the IDEA to 
     help students with disabilities and their families understand 
     their rights and navigate the special education process;
       Whereas the Department of Education directly invests in 
     people with disabilities to pursue post-secondary education, 
     competitive, integrated employment, and independent living by 
     providing vocational rehabilitation services through Title I 
     of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 720 et seq.);
       Whereas the Department of Education provides protections 
     from disability-based discrimination for students and staff 
     in any education program or activity receiving Federal 
     financial assistance, so all individuals with disabilities 
     can access equal education and employment opportunities.
       Whereas the Department of Education provides funding under 
     part F of title IV of the ESEA to support full-service 
     community schools, which partner with local stakeholders, 
     parents, and families to provide commonsense, locally-driven 
     solutions to the challenges students and families face, and 
     are another major step forward in reclaiming the promise of 
     public education;
       Whereas the Department of Education provides vital support 
     to thousands of rural school districts through the Rural 
     Education Achievement program under part B of title V of the 
     ESEA, which funds both the Small, Rural School Achievement 
     grant program and the Rural and Low-Income School grant 
     program;
       Whereas the Department of Education directly invests in the 
     quality and effectiveness of nearly 90 percent of teachers 
     and approximately 20 percent of school leaders nationwide 
     through grants under part A of title II of the ESEA, 
     ultimately improving retention rates, addressing the 
     nationwide educator shortage, and improving student 
     achievement;
       Whereas the Department of Education provides supplementary 
     funding to help more than 5,000,000 English language learners 
     achieve language proficiency and meet State academic 
     standards through grants under part A of title III of the 
     ESEA;
       Whereas the Department of Education provides supplementary 
     funding to help tens of thousands of public schools provide 
     well-rounded education, technology support, and school safety 
     measures through grants under parts A, B, and F of title IV 
     of the ESEA;
       Whereas the Department of Education provides funds to 
     strengthen and support career and technical education 
     programs for more than 8,200,000 secondary students across 
     the country through title I of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
     Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2321 et seq.);
       Whereas the Department of Education provides grants under 
     part E of title IV of the ESEA to support the work of 
     Statewide Family Engagement Centers, which carry out parent 
     education initiatives, family engagement programs, and 
     family-school partnerships;
       Whereas the Department of Education provides necessary 
     oversight so that students have access to targeted 
     interventions and services;
       Whereas the Department of Education provides protections 
     from sex-based discrimination for students and staff in any 
     education program or activity receiving Federal financial 
     assistance, so all individuals can access equal educational 
     and employment opportunities;
       Whereas the Department of Education invests in research to 
     understand and disseminate information about the 
     interventions and practices that are most effective at 
     providing excellent educational opportunities for all 
     students;
       Whereas the Department of Education employs the smallest 
     staff of any Cabinet agency, with the lowest overall staff-
     to-budget ratio of all 15 Departments;
       Whereas dismantling or relocating any major offices within 
     the Department of Education may substantially disrupt program 
     administration and create a delay or loss of vitally 
     important funding for public schools across the United 
     States; and
       Whereas, without Federal investment, State and local 
     educational agencies would be forced to enact drastic funding 
     cuts that will disproportionately affect students from rural 
     areas, low-income families, students of color, and students 
     with disabilities, as well as harm United States competition 
     in the global economy: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) strongly supports Federal investment in public K-12 
     schools and the students and families served by such schools;
       (2) affirms that the Department of Education plays a vital 
     role in the public education system of the United States;
       (3) affirms that the Federal Government's investment is 
     important to the success of public schools, and investment in 
     public education should not be diverted, including through 
     the use of vouchers, to privately-run K-12 schools; and
       (4) condemns any executive or legislative action that 
     would--
       (A) dismantle or relocate major offices within the 
     Department of Education;
       (B) dismantle or relocate the Department of Education; or
       (C) reduce Federal funding for public education, block 
     major Federal grant programs for education, or transfer 
     funding burdens for education to State and local governments.

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