Education

Federal File

December 04, 2002 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Senatorial Hell?

The scene shows President Bush talking about the recent midterm elections.

“One final word to the American people: You gave me the Republican Senate I asked for, and I won’t let you down,” he said. “And, to Senator Jeffords of Vermont: Welcome to hell.”

Wait a minute. The president said what?!? Well, actually, it was comic Chris Parnell playing Mr. Bush for a recent episode of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” But as they say, good comedy is generally rooted in truth.

After the Nov. 5 elections, instant speculation put Sen. James M. Jeffords, I-Vt.—whose decision last year to quit the GOP tipped Senate control to Democrats—in the doghouse, sure to face retribution from his formerly fellow Republicans.

Both TheNew York Times and The Washington Post ran stories with that angle. Forget about getting money for that new bridge in Vermont, the Times said (or that new chemistry lab for the University of Vermont).

“I was a little worried that I’d find my desk out on the street the day after the election,” Erik Smulson, a spokesman for Sen. Jeffords, told the Times.

Before his switch to the Independent label, Mr. Jeffords chaired the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Even then, his influence with the Republican majority was limited. “In practical speaking, I wasn’t chairman,” he said last year, “so that’s one of the reasons I moved over.”

Mr. Jeffords, given the reins of the Environment and Public Works Committee when Democrats took over, said this month he expects to stay on the education panel. “I’m far enough up in seniority,” he said. “I want to stay on, and I’m sure I will.”

He probably didn’t help his standing with Mr. Bush when he introduced a bill recently to amend the “No Child Left Behind” Act of 2001. It would allow states a break from Mr. Bush’s prized testing mandate if they made enough progress on student achievement. But that plan faces a near-certain death.

One of the senator’s top causes, meanwhile, is to shift federal aid for special education from the discretionary to the mandatory side of the budget and lock in spending hikes for years to come. That idea also is unpopular at the White House. Such a measure was defeated last year.

With the GOP in charge, the mandatory-spending plan likely faces even tougher odds, whether or not Mr. Jeffords spends some of his diminished political capital on it.

—Erik W. Robelen

A version of this article appeared in the December 04, 2002 edition of Education Week

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar
How District Leaders Align Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction for Student Success
Join K-12 leaders as they share strategies for aligning curriculum, assessment, and instruction to support all learners.
Content provided by Otus
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar
Achieve Early Literacy Success at Scale
Researchers have uncovered an intervention helping schools achieve early literacy success at scale. Learn how to bring it to your district.
Content provided by Ignite Reading

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Briefly Stated: January 15, 2025
Here's a look at some recent Education Week articles you may have missed.
8 min read
Education Quiz Education Week News Quiz: Jan. 10, 2025
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
President Jimmy Carter waves to the crowd while walking with his wife, Rosalynn, and their daughter, Amy, along Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House following his inauguration in Washington, Jan. 20, 1977.
President Jimmy Carter waves to the crowd while walking with his wife, Rosalynn, and their daughter, Amy, along Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House following his inauguration in Washington, Jan. 20, 1977.
Suzanne Vlamis/AP
Education Quiz Education Week News Quiz: Dec. 19, 2024
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
TIghtly cropped photograph showing a cafeteria worker helping elementary students select food in lunch line. Food shown include pizza, apples, and broccoli.
iStock/Getty
Education The Education Word of 2024 Is ...
Educators, policymakers, and parents all zeroed in on students' tech use in 2024, which prompted this year's winner.
5 min read
Image of a cellphone ban, disruption, and symbol of AI.
Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva