agencies covered in 11 unfinished spending bills. The agreement provided a 0.65 percent across-the-board cut to many programs to offset additional increased funding primarily for education. [Vote 34, 2/13/03] NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND XXXX Voted For The Conference Report On The “No Child Left Behind Act Of 2001.” In 2001, XXXX voted for the conference report to accompany the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (H.R. 1). The conference report would reauthorize Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) programs and other Federal elementary and secondary education programs through fiscal year (FY) 2007. It would impose new State testing requirements to hold schools accountable, while allowing local educational agencies (LEAs) and States to consolidate Federal funding for certain education programs. The bill would also provide increased opportunities for parents to choose which public schools their children will attend (public school choice). The conference report was agreed to, 87-10. [HR 1, Vote 371, 12/18/01] XXXX Voted Against Funding for Low Income Children and Education. In November 2001, XXXX voted against an amendment that would transfer $1 billion of the Title I increase into the Target Assistance Grant Fund, which benefits low-income children. It also would allocate $650 million for education finance incentive grants. [HR 3061, Vote 317, 11/1/01] XXXX Voted For Final Passage Of A Bill To Reauthorize Elementary And Secondary Education Act Programs. In 2001, XXXX voted for final passage, as amended, of the Better Education for Students and Teachers Act of 2001 (S. 1). The bill reauthorized Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) programs and other Federal elementary and secondary education programs. Highlights included: new State testing requirements that would be used to hold schools accountable for improving the academic performance of students; a pilot program that would allow the consolidation of many Federal programs in return for States and school districts achieving even more rapid progress than required under the testing standards; and enactment of a new grant program to improve teacher quality. The bill passed, 91-8. [HR 1 S 1, Vote 192, 6/14/01] XXXX Voted Against Calling for Double the Federal Funding For Education. In 2001, XXXX voted against an amendment to the Better Education for Students and Teachers Act of 2001 that would express the sense of the Senate that Congress should appropriate all funds authorized for elementary and secondary education in fiscal year 2002 (more than twice as much is authorized than was provided in FY2001). The amendment was rejected, 49-50. [S 1, Vote 186, 6/13/01] XXXX Voted for Vague Call for Education Funding “To The Maximum Extent Possible.” In 2002, XXXX voted for an amendment to the Better Education for Students and Teachers Act of 2001 that would express the sense of the Senate that the Appropriations Committee would fund the authorizations in this bill to the maximum extent possible. Democratic senators expressed concern that education would receive no new funding or little new funding under the vague terms of the amendment. The amendment was rejected, 49-50. [S 1, Vote 185, 6/13/01; Congressional Record, p. S6188, 6/13/01] XXXX Voted Not To Require Comparable Services In Title I Schools. In 2001, XXXX voted against providing that each State would be required to ensure that each school that received title I funds provided services that were "at least comparable" to services in schools that did not receive title I funding. The amendment was rejected, 42- 58. [S 1, Vote 180, 6/12/01] XXXX Voted Against Additional Title I Funding For Schools Where Economic Conditions Have Improved. In 2001, McConnell voted against an amendment to increase Title I education aid originally intended for schools in low-income areas. The amendment does not tamper with current Title I allocations, meaning no school would get any less than it does now. However, future increases in Title I money would be distributed according to the formula for poverty-impacted schools. The vote was on an amendment to the Better Education for Students and Teachers Act of 2001. [S. Amdt. 475, Vote 178, 6/11/01; Congressional Quarterly Daily Monitor, 6/11/01] 60