Senate Passes Jeffords Amendment to Increase Special Education Funding

 
Washington D.C., January 23, 2003. The Senate approved the Jeffords Amendment to boost special education funding. The vote was unanimous. The amendment boosts funding to $1.5 billion. This remains well below the 40% the federal government promised to spend on special education when IDEA was first passed. Today the federal government spends $7.5 billion or 17% of total costs.