Contact: Brian Washington (202) 822-7823

December 18, 2007

Omnibus Budget Bill Makes Students and Public Schools Top Priorities 

Congressional Leaders Hampered by President’s Strict Budget Demands

Passing a budget bill is difficult.  However, congressional leaders managed to approve a spending bill earlier this week, despite the strict financial demands issued by the Bush administration.  NEA President Reg Weaver praised lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives for approving a bill that makes public education and children top priorities.

The following statement can be attributed to Weaver:

“NEA applauds leaders in the House of Representatives for making significant increases in education funding, despite the “Scrooge-like” constraints outlined by the White House. Clearly, we had hoped for higher funding levels, but the numbers show that lawmakers worked hard to make children winners in this budget battle.  A greater investment in education is needed to provide public schools with the resources to ensure that all children have access to a quality public education and a chance to compete in a global economy.  I strongly urge the U.S. Senate to follow the example set by the House and avoid any across-the-board cuts or reductions in education funding.”

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.