Working to Provide Billions for Special Education Programs

Paul Wellstone is fighting to put $2 billion over ten years into Minnesota's schools in special education funding, thereby fulfilling Congress' commitment. Educating Minnesota's kids should come before tax breaks for large multi-national corporations and the wealthiest 1% of taxpayers. Increased funding would allow local schools to hire additional teachers, reduce class-size, modernize public buildings, purchase more books and computers, improve early childhood education and increase parental involvement. Paul also passed a tri-partisan amendment through the Senate to fully fund IDEA, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This amendment was stripped out in conference with the Republican House of Representatives. [S. Amdt. 360 to S. 1, 107th Congress, 5/3/01]

Supported Measures Providing $2 Billion for Disability Programs

Wellstone voted in favor of a measure to provide $2 billion over 5 years to finance disability programs that allow persons with a disability to become employed and remain independent. [Vote #282, Motion Rejected 47-51, 105th Congress, 2nd Session, 4/2/98]

Fighting to Remove Restrictions on Disability Payments

Wellstone cosponsored a measure that would remove the federal income-eligibility limits for Americans with disabilities who receive federal benefits, thus allowing more disabled citizens to work without being penalized. It passed through the Senate by a 99-0 margin in 1999. [Minneapolis Star Tribune, 10/15/99]

Expanded Health Care Services for Disabled Workers

Wellstone voted in favor of the Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act, which expanded the availability of health care services for Americans with disabilities in the workforce and created the Ticket to Work and Self Sufficiency Program, giving beneficiaries access to employment services, vocational rehabilitation services, and other support services from employment networks of their choice. [Vote #372, Conference Report Agreed To 95-1, 106th Congress, 1st Session, 11/19/99]

Improved Flexibility of Federal Programs

In 1998, Paul Wellstone and Senator DeWine (R-OH) introduced and passed the Workforce Investment Act. The act reorganized multiple federal job training, adult education and vocational rehabilitation programs into a few broad streams of funding while giving state and local governments more flexibility in designing and implementing their training programs. [Wellstone Release, 7/31/98; Vote #119, Bill Passed 91-7, 105th Congress, 2nd Session]

Expanded Health Care Services for Disabled Children

Paul Wellstone voted to allow disabled children of legal immigrants to receive Medicaid benefits. [Vote #118, Motion Rejected 49-51, 105th Congress, 1st Session, 6/25/97]