2008 CEF Legislative Conference
Last year our Legislative Conference featured several notable speakers who played significant roles in advancing CEF’s mission. Senate Assistant Majority Leader Richard Durbin (D-IL) discussed the importance of education funding and the great educational disparities between upper and lower income communities, and touted the passage of his College Textbook Affordability Act.
House Appropriations Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) applauded Chairman Obey’s current leadership, refusing to accept the president’s budget request, which would flat fund the Department of Education’s discretionary budget for FY09.
Fellow House Appropriator Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN) noted the importance of federal financial aid programs and called for the repeal of the Bush tax cuts so the federal government can invest in America’s educational system.
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) discussed the upcoming congressional elections, predicting that the Democratic Party would retain control of both the House and Senate.
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) reiterated Senator Durbin and Congressman Van Hollen’s remarks, promising that education funding will fare much better if Senator Obama is elected president.
Senator Harkin also presented the Terrel H. Bell award to Senator Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) with praise for the Senator’s decades of service, showing deep admiration for his colleague.
Finally, Mark Shriver of Save the Children accepted the Charles Wilson Lee Award on behalf of his mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, a lifelong advocate for people with disabilities.
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- Senator Harkin presenting Senator Byrd with his award
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- Senator Byrd with Gala Committee Co-Chair Cyndy Littlefield
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- Senator Durbin stressed that, like our financial system, education is “too big to fail.”
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- Senator Harkin remarked that, “Less than a year of funding for the Iraq war could provide $70 billion toward fully funding the NCLB”
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- Congresswoman Lowey expressed admiration for her colleague Congressman Ralph Regula’s years of service
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- Congresswoman McCollum was the only Democrat to vote against NCLB, because she feared it would be underfunded
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- CEF Vice President Jon Fansmith presenting Mr. Shriver with the award
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- Congressman Van Hollen noted that many Republican seats are vulnerable to Democrats this election year
Pictures Provided by Parallax Productions, Inc.
