Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 27, 1994 TAG: 9403270086
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Boston Globe
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
President Clinton, who considered the legislation his top education priority, is expected to sign the bill this week during his vacation in San Diego. The measure, approved by the House early last week by a 307-120 vote, had been caught in a bitter school-prayer struggle between a titan of the right, Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., and one of the left, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.
Twice before, Senate conservatives led by Helms had killed the legislation, which former President George Bush had hoped would help him legitimize his claim to be the "education president."
This time, with Clinton pressing for the legislation's approval, Helms tied up the Senate with a filibuster before the spring congressional recess. If Helms and his allies had prevented the bill from passing before April 1, they would have cost the states and schools $125 million already appropriated for the measure.
Clinton has recommended that Congress provide $700 million in fiscal 1995 and $1 billion a year after that through fiscal 1999.
The Helms filibuster also had jeopardized legislation designed to battle violence in the nation's most troubled schools.
Helms was angry that House and Senate conferees had dropped his sweeping school-prayer provision, which threatened to cut federal funds to states and school districts that prevent "constitutionally protected" prayer by students.
Conferees, including Kennedy, who is chairman of the Labor and Human Resources Committee, replaced the Helms school-prayer amendment with more innocuous language.
In the final form, states and school districts are forbidden to use the money appropriated under the school-reform bill to prevent voluntary prayer and meditation in schools. Helms had called that a "do-nothing, cover my fanny" provision.
Shortly after midnight, the Senate voted, 62-23, two votes more than necessary, to end the filibuster.
Then the Senate approved the compromise version of the measure, known formally as the "Goals 2000: Educate America Act," by a vote of 63-22.
"Now we begin the process of giving real support and encouragement to teachers, parents and school administrators who are willing to roll up their sleeves and get down to the hard work of using these funds to improve their schools," Kennedy said in a statement after the vote.
As governor of Arkansas, Clinton attended the education summit in Charlottesville, Va., where the nation's governors and Bush developed the goals for students.
by CNB