It's true if you just look at total amounts. But the federal role is targeted to address specific issues facing American education and it is very significant. Federal funds do matter. They make a real difference in the lives of real children and families. So the budget debate is all about a difference in priorities.
Education is a top priority for the president.
We need to return to our proud tradition of bipartisan support for education. You may remember the 1989 Education Summit with President Bush and the nation's governors, both Democratic and Republican, led by then-Gov. Working together, they developed our first set of national education goals. President Clinton, also working with members of both parties, signed major new pieces of legislation to improve education. These new initiatives are focused on making schools safer, supporting the drive for higher standards of achievement and discipline, helping students get good jobs or go on to college after high school, teaching children the basics like reading and math, and putting computers into classrooms.