Skip to Page Content

Education

Priorities

On the Right Committees

Senator Murray has fought to get on the right committees to influence our nation’s education policy. Murray is one of only four out of 535 members of Congress with direct committee authority over both education policy and education funding. That makes her a national leader in education.

HELP Committee (Health, Education, Labor & Pensions)

The HELP Committee sets our nation’s education policy on everything from early childhood development to higher education and lifelong learning. This committee handles issues from standards and accountability to child care, special education, teacher quality, class size and financial aid. In 2001, the HELP Committee updated the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The resulting law, called the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, is currently being implemented in schools throughout the country. This year the HELP Committee is scheduled to reauthorize Head Start, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act and the Higher Education Act, among others.

Budget Committee

Each year, the Budget Committee decides how much money will be set aside for major government functions from education and housing to defense. The Committee develops a budget blueprint, known as the “Budget Resolution.” In FY 2005, the Senate Budget Resolution provided $4 billion less than the Senate passed level in 2004. Senator Murray will continue to offer amendments to the budget to fully fund NCLB and IDEA.


Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies

Once the Budget Committee has decided how much money will go to education, this appropriations subcommittee decides how all education funding will be allocated among different programs and functions. This subcommittee sets the specific funding levels for all education programs in the Labor, HHS, Education and Related Agencies bill.

.....................................................................................

Priorities for the 109th Congress

  1. Provide full funding to help local schools carry out the No Child Left Behind Act and mandatory full funding for special education (IDEA).

  2. Oversee the Implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act – Senator Murray will ensure that the Department of Education is providing states, districts, and schools with the information and flexibility they need to implement the law. By attending hearings of the Appropriations and HELP Committees, visiting schools, and meeting with local educators, Senator Murray will work to ensure the new law isn’t punishing students, but helping them succeed.

  3. Improve Special Education - This year Congress is reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, which covers Pell Grants, student loans, work study and more. Senator Murray wants Pell Grants to ensure all students have the support they need to attend college. Senator Murray also wants to ensure that there is accountability and fairness in the student loan system. To do so, she will work to ensure that excess subsidies to banks are eliminated and funds are returned to students pockets. Murray herself relied on Pell Grants and student loans to attend Washington State University, so she appreciates the importance of financial aid.

  4. Expand and Improve Early Childhood Education - This year, Congress is updating both the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and the Head Start program. Murray wants to improve the quality of child care and help more kids access Head Start. She has taken a leading role in protecting Head Start from the block grant proposed by the Bush Administration. Senator Murray believes that high quality early education efforts can help all kids start school ready to succeed. In addition, Senator Murray will continue her work on the Early Care and Education Act, which she helped write and introduce in 2002.

  5. Improve the Quality of Career and Technical Education - As Congress updates the Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act, Senator Murray will work to ensure that students who receive career and technical training also get a high-quality, well-rounded high school education and that strong links are maintained with community college programs. Senator Murray is fighting to protect the Perkins Act from the Bush Administration’s effort to gut this law.

  6. Improve America’s High Schools - To do this the nation needs comprehensive high school reform. We know what our kids need to succeed: reading and math skills, access to academic counseling, and targeted funding and resources necessary help turn around low-performing schools. In addition to working toward passage of the Pathways