Paul Wellstone on Education

More funding for education; tax cuts for college.

A former teacher, Wellstone successfully fought to restore $2.7 billion in cuts in student aid and educational opportunities for schoolchildren, and then proposed a tax deduction to help middle class families afford to send their children to college. Source: www.wellstone.org/paul.html 1/7/99 Jan 7, 1999

Voted YES on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors.

Vote to authorize a federal program aimed at reducing class size. The plan would assist states and local education agencies in recruiting, hiring and training 100,000 new teachers, with $2.4 billion in fiscal 2002. This amendment would replace an amendme Bill S1 ; vote number 2001-103 on May 15, 2001

Voted YES on funding student testing instead of private tutors.

Vote to pass an amendment that would authorize $200 million to provide grants to help states develop assessment systems that describe student achievement. This amendment would replace an amendment by Jeffords, R-VT, which would allow parents of under-per Bill S1 ; vote number 2001-99 on May 10, 2001

Voted YES on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction.

Vote to reduce the size of the $1.6 trillion tax cut by $448 billion while increasing education spending by $250 billion and providing an increase of approximately $224 billion for debt reduction over 10 years. Bill H Con Res 83 ; vote number 2001-69 on Apr 4, 2001

Voted NO on Educational Savings Accounts.

Vote to pass a bill that would permit tax-free savings accounts of up to $2000 per child annually to be used for public or private school tuition or other education expenses. Bill S.1134 ; vote number 2000-33 on Mar 2, 2000

Voted NO on education savings accounts.

This Conference Report approved tax-sheltered education savings accounts.
Status: Conf Rpt Agreed to Y)59; N)36; NV)5 Reference: H.R. 2646 Conference Report; Bill H.R. 2646 ; vote number 1998-169 on Jun 24, 1998

Voted NO on school vouchers in DC.

This legislation would have amended the DC spending measure, imposing an unconstitutional school voucher program on the District.
Status: Cloture Motion Rejected Y)58; N)41; NV)1 Reference: DC Appropriations Act; Bill S. 1156 ; vote number 1997-260 on Sep 30, 1997

Voted NO on $75M for abstinence education.

Vote to retain a provision of the Budget Act that funds abstinence education to help reduce teenage pregnancy, using $75 million of the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant Program. Bill S 1956 ; vote number 1996-231 on Jul 23, 1996

Voted NO on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer.

Cut off federal funds to school districts that deny students their right to constitutionally protected voluntary prayer. Bill S.1513 ; vote number 1994-236 on Jul 27, 1994

Voted YES on national education standards.

Approval of national education standards.
Status: Bill Passed Y)71; N)25; NV)4 Reference: Goals 2000: Educate America Act; Bill H.R. 1804 ; vote number 1994-34 on Feb 8, 1994

More foreign languages courses and exchange students.

Wellstone sponsored a Resolution on international education policy

producing citizens with a high level of international experience;
promoting greater diversity of locations, languages, and subjects involved in teaching, research, and study abroad;
increasing participation in internships abroad;
invigorating citizen and professional international exchange programs;
supporting visas and employment policies that promote increased numbers of international students;
encouraging programs that begin foreign language learning in the United States at an early age;
promoting educational exchanges and research collaboration with American educational institutions abroad; and
promoting partnerships among government, business, and educational institutions and organizations to provide adequate resources for implementing this policy.

Source: Resolution sponsored by 12 Senators 01-SR7 on Feb 1, 2001

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