U.S. Senate Republican Policy Committee - Larry E. Craig, Chairman - Jade West, Staff Director
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November 1, 2001

FROM SENATOR GREGG'S STAFF:

Gregg Amendment Redirects Unauthorized School Construction Funds to Needy Students

At approximately noon today, senators will vote on two education-related amendments. Senator Gregg has introduced an amendment to eliminate the never-authorized school construction appropriation and redirect that funding to needy children through the Targeted Assistance Grant Fund. Senator Landrieu's amendment would leave the school construction program intact, leaving less money for needy students.

The Gregg Amendment on School Construction

The Senate Labor-HHS appropriation bill (S. 1536) would provide an increase of $1.4 billion for Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. The Gregg amendment would take this increase, as well as the $925 million allocated (but never authorized) for school construction in the bill, and transfers the money into the Targeted Assistance Grant fund, the most targeted formula grant fund in Title I. This formula grant program provides the greatest amount of targeting to states and school districts with the highest concentrations of poverty.

With the additional $925 million for Title I, the total increase for Title I would be $2.32 billion, bringing the total appropriation for Title I to $11.1 billion. Since this amendment would appropriate an additional $925 million into Title I, no state would lose money. Rather, all states would receive significant increases in Title I funding over last year's allocations, ranging from 12 percent to 40 percent. Senator Gregg's staff will be on the floor with data that show how much each state would win under this amendment.

The Landrieu Amendment

Senator Landrieu's amendment would take $1 billion of the Title I increase and transfer it into the Targeted Assistance Grant Fund, but would take the remainder of the increase (plus roughly $200 million from another account) and transfer it into Senator Harkin's Equity Finance Program. The Equity Finance Program is the only Title I program that does not have a poverty component. Funding is awarded based on population and State equity. Senator Gregg's staff asks any Members who may be wavering to vote in favor of both amendments.

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