Washington, D.C. - Mr. Speaker, today I am introducing the ``Keep Our Promises to America's Children and Teachers Act'' or ``Keep Our PACT'' Act. Every parent knows first-hand how important it is to keep the promises we make to our children. I believe the federal government has a similar obligation. However, in too many areas, the rhetoric is not matching the reality.
Mr. Speaker, the No Child Left Behind Act signed just last year requires schools to adopt new accountability measures in exchange for the resources necessary to achieve high national standards. This was a bipartisan commitment. Unfortunately, the Bush Administration's budget and the one adopted by the House of Representatives falls $9 billion short of the funds promised.
Similarly, 28 years after passing the landmark Individuals with Disabilities Education Act special education law, it astonishes me that the federal government is providing less than half what was promised to children with disabilities under the original legislation. Where we should fund 40 percent of the costs, we are only at 18 percent.
Mr. Speaker, the bill I have introduced today would right these wrongs. It would fully fund No Child Left Behind and IDEA so that every child has the opportunity to meet his or her full potential. Here in Congress, we should never forget the lessons we teach our children: a promise made must be a promise kept.