Education | The Real Arlen Specter for Senate

Education

The Real Arlen Specter successfully worked to enact one of the largest education funding cuts in history – cutting one third over seven years . This is just one of the many instances in which the Real Arlen Specter opposed critical funding that would have given more students a better educational opportunity.

Limiting Access to Higher Education

The Real Arlen Specter has worked to prevent Pell Grant increases throughout his tenure in the Senate, making college significantly less affordable for many students. [2005 Senate Vote #268, 10/25/2005] [HJRes 2, 1/16/03, Record Vote 5] [S 1134, 3/2/00, Record Vote 29].

Opposing After School Programs

The Real Arlen Specter has repeatedly and consistently opposed funding for after-school and vocational education programs [S 280, 3/11/99, Record Vote 44] [S 1650, 9/30/99, Record Vote 299] [SConRes 23, 3/25/03, Record Vote 99] [SConRes 23, 3/25/03, Record Vote 98].

Increasing Class size

The Real Arlen Specter has been one of the Senate’s biggest proponents of overcrowded classrooms:

•The Real Arlen Specter voted numerous times against recruiting new teachers to reduce class size [HR 4328, 10/21/98, Record Vote 314; HR 3064, 11/2/99, Record Vote 343; SConRes 86, 3/31/98, Record Vote 50; S 280, 3/11/99, Record Vote 41; S 1134, 3/1/00, Record Vote 21; S. Con. Res. 101, 4/5/00, Record Vote 54; S. 1, 5/15/01, Record Vote 103].

•Twice, the Real Arlen Specter even proposed a motion to kill class size reduction legislation [HR 4577, 6/27/00, Record Vote 148; S 1650, 9/29/99, Record Vote 298].

Neglecting Individuals with Disabilities Education Act/Special Education (IDEA)

•The Real Arlen Specter has protected tax cuts for the rich at the expense of key funding for Special Education [HConRes 83, 4/5/01, Record Vote 82].

•The Real Arlen Specter fought against funding the IDEA throughout his career [HR 4577, 6/28/00, Record Vote 159] [HR 4577, 6/30/00, Record Vote 170] [SConRes 23, 3/21/03, Record Vote 70].

Ignoring School Infrastructure

To again show the importance of supporting tax cuts to the rich, the Real Arlen Specter made it a priority over providing resources to rebuild crumbling schools [SConRes 101, 4/6/00, Record Vote 62; S 1429, 7/30/99, Record Vote 242].

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