[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 6] [Extensions of Remarks] [Page 8674] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]MEETING OUR COMMITMENT TO FUNDING SPECIAL EDUCATION ______ HON. DAVID E. BONIOR of michigan in the house of representatives Wednesday, May 5, 1999 Mr. BONIOR. Mr. Speaker, as I meet with teachers, school administrators and school board members in Michigan's 10th Congressional District, one thing becomes clear--paying for the costs of teaching children with special needs is expensive. Families with special needs children face unique challenges. I believe their children should be able to learn in the least restrictive environment. But that also means we have an obligation to help provide our schools with the tools they need to do the job. When it comes to educating our children--particularly for those who have special needs-- we all have a role to play. When the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was first enacted in 1975, Congress committed to funding 40 percent of the cost. Unfortunately, the federal government has consistently fallen short of this goal. As special education costs continue to rise, we fall further behind. Currently, federal support for special needs education is at 12 percent. During such a prosperous moment in our history, surely we can do more to help our local communities and educators provide a thriving learning environmental for our children who face the most challenges. We need to step up to the plate and fulfill our commitment to our local schools. That is why I have joined a number of my colleagues in writing the President asking him to support a substantial increase in federal funding for special education, and it is why I believe we should fully fund the IDEA Act. As we debate our budget priorities, I will continue to work with our families and local schools to provide support for improving education for all our children. I am committed to ensuring that public education is among our highest budget priorities. ____________________